High-tech Äike T electric scooter gets world’s first proximity unlocking feature

The Äike T electric scooter was already positioned as one of the most tech-infused and highly engineered scooters in the world. But now the company is pushing the envelope even further by bringing a feature normally only found in electric cars to the European manufacturer’s light electric two-wheeler.

Äike’s new smart-unlock feature allows riders to unlock their electric scooters simply by walking up to the scooter.

Most electric scooters and e-bikes don’t offer any security locking as a software feature. Those that do usually rely on a time-consuming pin code system that often gets disabled by the owner due to the inconvenience.

But Äike’s smart-unlock ensures that only the rider can operate the scooter while still making the unlocking process quick and easy.

Thanks to a Bluetooth connection automatically created by the user’s phone via the Äike app, all the rider has to do is walk up to the Äike T electric scooter. It then automatically unlocks as the rider approaches, ready for a ride.

When the rider parks and walks away, the scooter automatically locks again, preventing anyone else from starting and operating the scooter.

The new feature is made possible thanks to the vertically integrated design of the scooter.

The company produces the Äike T entirely in-house, making it one of the only non-Asian-made electric scooters on the market.

With complete control over the hardware and software used in the scooter, Äike is able to implement features like these and push them out quickly via over-the-air updates to the smartphone application.

By using sister company Comodule’s IoT connectivity, a favorite among light electric vehicle companies from SUPER73’s electric bicycles to Cake’s electric motorcycles, Äike is able to further build upon the smart connectivity features in the scooter.

As explained by Kristjan Maruste, CEO & founder of Äike & Kõu Mobility Group:

Releasing this Smart-Lock feature is simply another example of the benefits of operating in a locally based and vertically integrated company. As we manufacture our own electronics, hardware and software, we can from the ideation to the release phase in a matter of weeks. Our aim is to make Äike scooters the most user-friendly e-vehicles in the world.

You can watch Kristjan demonstrate the new feature in the humorous 45-second video below.

The new smart-unlock feature brings automotive-level bells and whistles to the scooter, adding to its growing list of impressive specs.

The Äike T launched as the first-ever USB-C charging electric scooter in the world, allowing riders to use their existing computer and tablet chargers to also charge up their scooter in a pinch.

A higher-power charge port can also be found on the scooter for faster charging than currently allowable by USB-C.

A 100W laptop charger can refill a 100% depleted battery in six to eight hours, while the dedicated fast charger can do it in nearly half.

The removable battery can also be used as a power station to charge up USB-powered devices like phones and tablets.

The scooter is over-engineered to ensure it can support heavy loads of up to 150 kg (330 pounds). It has also been tested to withstand operating temperatures as broad as -17 to 35ºC (1 to 95ºF).

There’s a removable battery locked inside the deck that features a 583 Wh capacity and is rated for up to 40 km (25 miles) of range. A second smaller battery is built into the scooter to run the onboard devices like GPS theft tracking when the main battery is removed for charging.

It’s a pretty darn impressive scooter, and one that I’ve had the pleasure of taking a few test rides on during a trip to Tallin, Estonia, earlier this year as well as during Eurobike in Frankfurt, Germany, this summer.

In fact, if you’ve got another two minutes then you’ll want to check out the Äike T scooter’s launch video below. It’s good for another few laughs with and/or at the CEO.

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