When folded, the Arma e-scooter is as tall as a stack of 10 A4 sheets of paper and can travel up to 15 km on a single charge.
ADVERTISEMENTImagine an e-scooter that is so compact that it effortlessly fits into your briefcase. Or you rush to the airport to catch your flight by scooter but you can take it in your carry-on and continue to cruise in another city once you’ve landed.
These are just some of the uses promised by what its developers believe is the world’s smallest and lightest e-scooter.
When folded, the Arma e-scooter is 210 mm wide, 297 mm long, and 96 mm tall. That’s about 10 A4 paper sheets stacked on top of each other. And it only weighs about 4.5 kg.
It’s small but mighty – the maximum weight of a rider is around 100 kg.
"How did we make it so small and yet strong enough for people to ride? This is exactly where our technological capabilities, the Japanese engineers, come into play. It's a crystal product created by a group of talented engineers," Masaki Shizumu, CEO and founder of Arma, told Euronews Next.
The transition from a carry-mode to a ride-mode takes place just in seconds, according to the company, making it ideal for commuting.
Being able to ride from door to door means there is no need to find a parking space or worry about theft.
"In Japan, especially in Tokyo, for example, there are a lot of people who commute by train. Of course, most people walk to their next destination after getting off the train. By using Arma, those travel times will be significantly shortened and more comfortable," said Shimizu.
"The traditional view of mobility is something we use because we don't want to walk. But I see it as an opportunity to turn everyday commutes into exciting journeys," Shizumu said on its Kickstarter crowdfunding page.
"I aim to transform not just the way we ride, but also the landscapes we see along the way. My ultimate goal is to shape new experiences for people's lives through the vehicles I create," he added.
Transforming mobility
Shizumu says he has always dreamt of creating "never-before-seen vehicles".
"I am convinced that it is a form of mobility that will play an active role in all kinds of settings around the world. For example, by moving to a place further from the station, you can lower your rent or live in a more spacious place. I believe it will be able to contribute to upgrading your lifestyle this way," he told Euronews Next.
A group of engineers at the company made this compact size possible by inventing a unique folding mechanism using multiple hinges instead of the conventional single-hinge system.
It uses replaceable batteries that can power a 250 watt (W) motor. Shimizu says the battery can be fully charged within two hours.
On a single charge, it can cruise a range between 11 and 14 km and a maximum speed of 24 km/h.
His team launched Arma on Kickstarter in November 2023 and has since raised almost $76,000 (€69,000).
The Arma e-scooter is still in development and scheduled to be released onto the consumer market in the summer of 2024.
For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
