Unu’s latest affordable seated-electric scooter receives homologation, launches soon

Seated electric scooters are much more popular in Europe than North America, but that doesn’t mean they come cheap. However, for years Berlin-based Unu has been a price leader with affordable electric mopeds.

Now the company is announcing that it has achieved homologation for its newest model and is closing in on deployment.

Unu preps new electric scooter for launch

This announcement has been a long time coming.

The company first broke news of its new seated electric design over a year ago.

Now that the company has completed homologation, it can finally begin production of its new electric scooters and prepare for rollout.

In the meantime, the first batch of scooters produced for testing purposes has already undergone over 22,000 km (13,600 miles) of testing locally in Germany.

As the company explained, they have actually already begun preparing for this stage of production while they run their testing in parallel:

This is a huge moment for us, because passing all homologation tests means we can now prepare to start production. In fact, some of the team are already deep into production planning, resourcing, logistics and supply management.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are busy with the 22 new test scooters that have arrived at unu HQ. We’re driving each one over 100 km a week to beta-bug-stress-test a variety of features. These include the acceleration of the 3 engine types, the battery range and how the software and hardware work in the real world, not just in the lab.

Those three engine types Unu is referencing include 2kW, 3kW, and 4kW options. All three are Bosch hub motors and comprise the three power options that customers can choose from.

The 2 kW option is priced at €2,799, the 3 kW option is priced at €3,299, and the 4 kW option is priced at €3,899. The lowest-priced option is available in only blue or red, while the higher-priced models are available in progressively more color options.

Those prices compare quite favorably with other European electric scooters. The Italian Vespa Elettrica costs around twice as much as even the most expensive Unu option.

The new Unu scooters mark a stark departure from the vintage-styled Unu scooters they will replace.

The new models offer smooth, rounded body features and replace the old needle gauges with a sleek, glossy tablet-style screen.

All of the scooters have a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph), though the higher power models accelerate quicker and offer better hill-climbing performance.

Stopping power comes from the front and rear hydraulic disc brakes as well as regenerative braking via the rear wheel’s hub motor.

Electrek’s Take

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m actually not a fan of the new design, and I preferred the old, vintage design.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the new design — it’s actually quite good looking. Though I think Gogoro wears it best, which is where Unu appears to have ripped off the design.

Personally, I miss the needle gauges. When you’re cruising around at speed, analog dials are easier to get a quick sense of with your peripheral vision, unlike digital screens, which require more focus to read.

But I’m sure Unu is going to be successful with the design, especially at these prices. There are other scooters in Europe for higher speed riding, but Unu seems to be doing well in the slower, no-motorcycle-license-required category of urban electric scooters.

What do you think of Unu’s upcoming rollout of their new scooters? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section below!