[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MmZN1qEx2M”]
A group of students and lecturers from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have come up with an electric scooter that has been designed to “alleviate inner city congestion and to bring back the fun in our daily commute”. The WATT, as it is known, uses a skateboard-like design with an external power source and brushless motors to get itself wherever it needs to be.
So what is the WATT capable of? It has a top speed to 22km/h and should last you 25km of travel on a single charge. Once depleted, the battery should be able to recharge in less than two hours.
So why would you want something like the WATT? Well, it would beat walking to work and having a few of these around would see fewer cars on the road. WATT has been created to ease inner city congestion and based on the video (above), we can easily seen something like this being turned to delivery purposes. Or just general goofing around on the beach.
It’s already been to the Design Indaba 2014 and research and development for the WATT project is continuing, with the project now being a contestant in the Smart Living Challenge. The electric scooter, and other designs and innovations, is up for a chance to take a trip to Sweden to meet other innovators and possibly secure investors and funding. You can show support (and vote) for the WATT here and check out what other projects are in development around the world (and also vote) here. Electric bikes and scooters are already hitting it big overseas, it’s about time we saw similar developments here in South Africa.
Disclosure: One of the people involved in this project, student Mikhail Wertheim Aymes, is a relative of Gisele Wertheim Aymes, publisher of Longevity Magazine, which is situated in the same building as Stuff’s offices.