Cars aren’t the only way to get from place to place, nor are they the only mode of transportation to take advantage of electric power.
For shorter journeys where walking may be too impractical, there are other potential options.
Like an electric skateboard, for example.
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Tokyo-based Cocoa Motors plans to sell a device called the WalkCar that could help give pedestrians’ feet a rest.
It’s essentially a battery-powered wheeled platform; about the size of a laptop, reckons Cars with Cords.
That means that, despite its shape, the WalkCar is actually much smaller than a traditional skateboard–and it’s apparently ridden differently, too.
Cocoa Motors WalkCarAs shown in Cocoa Motors’ promotional video, all the rider has to do is stand still, and occasionally lean a bit to maneuver around obstacles.
Top speed is 10 kph (6.2 mph), and Cocoa Motors claims a 12-kilometer (7.4-mile range), with a three-hour charging time.
The WalkCar automatically stops when the rider dismounts.
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It can’t negotiate stairs, but can handle inclined ramps. The video shows a person pushing a hand truck while on a WalkCar, so it seems fairly robust.
It should also be able to negotiate things like broken pavement, although any rougher terrain might stymie the tiny wheels.
Overall, the WalkCar seems most ideally suited to work in fairly larger but confined areas, like convention halls.
Cocoa Motors WalkCarIt’s just one more electrified alternative to walking to go with the various electric bicycles, scooters, and other devices that have cropped up recently.
Compared to even the most basic scooter though, the WalkCar is decidedly minimal. It may be as minimal as one can get before reverting back to foot propulsion.
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Cocoa Motors says it plans to start pre-orders in October.
It also says it will start a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the WalkCar, although no campaign was listed on the Kickstarter website at the time of publication.
[hat tip: John C. Briggs]
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