The URB-E – Electric Foldable Scooter For Urban Commuting

Here on the west coast, many of the inhabitants are environmentally conscious and bicyclists commuting to and from work can be found in abundance. The public transportation is always packed and there are also plenty of scooters to be found. For those that want to do their part but are uncertain where to start, the foldable electric URB-E scooter is something to consider. Unlike an actual scooter, the URB-E can actually be carried with you. And when you’re not carrying it, it’s carrying you.

The URB-E is intended to solve the “last mile” problem for urban mobility. This electric scooter is something you would ride to the bus stop or train station, fold it and carry it, and then unfold at your stop and make the last leg of your trip to the office, dentist, meeting, and so on.

The URB-E features a 36V lithium-ion battery which has enough power to give it a riding range of 20 miles and it takes just four hours to charge it from a drained battery to full capacity. So it might even be possible to make the trip to your work in the morning and after a charge at work, make it back home. Its patented folding design allows you to stow it on the train or bus and it will also fit in the trunk of your car with ease.

German engineering and made right here in the USA, the patented frame design is made of carbon fiber and lightweight American 6061 aircraft aluminum. And with its light weight of 35 pounds, the 250W brushless motor allows the URB-E to reach a top speed of 15 mph. There is also an optional tuned controlled which gives it more torque and acceleration.

We also got a chance to talk to Peter Lee, the big boss over at URB-E who was kind enough to answer a few of my questions regarding his company and the URB-E scooter.

Peter, please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and what you do at URB-E?

I am the CEO and a cofounder of URBAN626, the urban innovation company behind URB-E.

Before URB-E, were you involved in any projects which were brought to the marketplace?

Before URBAN626, I was the Director of Product Development at HEX, where I oversaw the production and distribution of a number of products.

From start to finish, how long did it take to develop a finished product?

Initial research and development for URB-E began in early 2013, and final product testing was started in January 2014. We launched the sale of URB-E in August 2015.

Designed and made in the USA? That’s something you don’t see too often these days. By skipping China, did it make things easier or more difficult?

Developing a supply chain in the USA and more specifically in Southern California wasn’t easy, but it was absolutely the right decision for us. Some early prototypes of the URB-E frame actually used parts from China, but we just couldn’t control the quality, durability, and safety of the product. Moving the manufacturing and assembly to the US means that we can oversee every step of the production process. This is a lot of responsibility for a small company, because if something isn’t perfect we have to fix it ourselves rather than relying on some external manufacturer.

When people think of manufacturing, they often think of a big warehouse that’s far removed from daily life. Real talent is often reluctant to go there because it doesn’t have the humanity and flexibility of a smaller company closer to home. We’ve gotten criticism along the way from people who think that bringing manufacturing in-house is a mistake or that we don’t know what we’re doing. By setting up our headquarters in Old Town Pasadena, though, we are able to attract incredibly talented and creative people. Our team comes from eclectic backgrounds, everything from military to film making to professional fly-fishing. No one, except for Sven, has experience building electric vehicles, but we all have a passion for solving global problems in new, creative ways. To us, URBAN626 is about so much more than an electric vehicle; we’re creating a culture driven to tackle the pain points of urban living. It’s essential for us to nurture that culture in our own community.

What challenges did you and your team face getting the project going?

Interestingly, our greatest challenge has also become one of our greatest strengths. It has absolutely been a challenge to establish a supply chain in the US that can both consistently produce large amounts of URB-Es and also adapt to new innovations and ideas. URBAN626 is a young company run by young idealists–most of our team is in their 20s or 30s–so we’ve taken on challenges other companies would shy away from. For example, manufacturing, building, marketing and selling a product by ourselves. What we’ve discovered, though, is that diving in and committing to producing a metal product in the US has allowed us to merge a young spirit of innovation with a rich heritage of quality manufacturing. California has a long tradition of producing sophisticated products for aircraft and vehicle industries, but almost no new technology companies have leveraged that expertise. As a young, small company, we can draw upon that expertise while remaining nimble enough to stay at the forefront of new ideas. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service because it helps us respond to the complex pain points of city living. Combining that responsive innovation with high-quality production isn’t easy, but it is the key to our mission of designing products that will revolutionize urban life.

Your target demographic appears to be people who take public transportation and can use the URB-E for the last leg of the trip. Do you have any plans for any larger models?

Our design and engineering team never stops thinking about how the URB-E can be improved or adapted to fit different markets. We don’t know yet what our next model will look like– it could be a larger model for more challenging terrain, a lighter-weight version for shorter trips, or something else entirely–but we have lots of ideas in the pipeline. What’s even more important to us is that URB-E serves as a platform for innovation. We want to encourage diamond-in-the-rough designers and engineers to use URB-E as a jumping off point for their own designs and creations. Similar to the large-scale community of innovation that Apple created with its app store, we too want to support and grow a similar open market of creative design for hardware and urban entrepreneurship.

Ever since the Segway, personal electric transportation has become quite popular. Do you expect trends to change over the next five years?

We’ve often heard that URB-E is what the Segway should have been–easy, convenient, and sustainable. The world is becoming more and more urban; it’s expected that 70% of the global population will live in cities by 2025. Transportation is one of the greatest problem growing cities face. In the US, urban areas like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are seeing more traffic than ever before. Globally, cities from Europe to Asia to South America are struggling with population booms and clogged transportation arteries. Transportation comes down to a simple question: if we can’t have more cars polluting and taking up space, and we can’t build more roads, how do we get more people from point A to point B? We anticipate the need for personal electric transportation will only grow, but our mission is to solve pressing urban problems even as trends change. We’re a company that designs solutions to pain points. Our first product just happened to be an electric vehicle.

What are the future plans for the URB-E and the product lineup?

The last mile problem is a global issue, so we hope to see the URB-E in cities all over the world. We’re working with transit agencies in a number of cities to integrate URB-E with existing transit options and create truly interconnected transportation grids. Our dream is a world in which people can travel throughout their cities safely, efficiently and sustainably, and we’re committed to working with governments, businesses, and institutions to make that a reality. As for the product lineup, we’re constantly innovating. In the short term, we’d like to come out with even more accessories so that URB-E can fit seamlessly into our riders’ lifestyles. Long term, our design and engineering team is working towards new products that infuse urban networks with innovations in transportation, connectivity, and power.

The URB-E electric scooter $1499 and the company does have financing options available including zero interest if paid in full within 12 months. The price may seem pricey but remember that it’s made in the USA and think about the fuel savings and parking costs. Make sure to check out the URB-E website for more details on the electric scooter, the color options, and available accessories.