Honda files trademark for electric ‘Motocompacto’, likely tiny e-motorcycle
Remember Honda’s Motocompo from the early 1980s? It was a tiny little gas-powered motorcycle designed to fit in the trunk of small car and give drivers a way to extend their reach into a city. Based on new trademark filings for a “Motocompacto”, it looks more likely than ever that Honda could be resurrecting it as an electric motorbike.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Honda hint at an upcoming electric motorbike with a strikingly similar name to the original Motocompo.
That original bike may have only lasted two years with a production run from 1981-1983, but around 50,000 were produced. The idea was quite novel — essentially a dinghy for cars that would let drivers park on the outskirts of a city and then commute in on a much more efficient and faster two-wheeler.
The design forced a tiny gas engine to be crammed into the little bike, but an electric version would simplify the setup and present a host of other advantages (such as not leaking hot engine oil into your trunk).
And the newly-trademarked Honda Motocompacto could prove to be an electric reincarnation or reimagination of that iconic little bike.
Over two years ago we covered the company’s filing of a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark office for a “Motocompacto”.
The trademark was filed in July 2020, with the Motocompacto described simply yet unambiguously as relating to “Land vehicles, namely, electric scooters.”
Now Honda has filed a pair of new trademarks, this time with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. The first trademark application included two alternative spellings of Motocompacto and Moto Compacto. It also described the trademarks as relating to “Goods: Land vehicles, namely, self-balancing electric scooters; electrically-powered motor scooters.”
The second application included a logo design for the trademark, which shows a compact-looking scooter.
Honda may be late to the electric two-wheeler party but has recently tried to correct course, announcing that it would roll out 10 new electric motorbikes and scooters by 2025.
We’ve already seen a number of patent filings and other hints at electric models that are in the works, but this Motocompacto has so far eluded further details.
The company also unveiled its Honda EM1 design, which will be the first Honda electric moped for the European market.
We saw that vehicle unveiled first hand at the Milan Motorcycle Show earlier this month. It may not have the most creative name (apparently an abbreviation of Electric Moped 1), but the EM1 will become the brand’s first electric model in Europe when it is released this following summer.
We had hoped to learn more tech specs for the moped, but Honda is so far playing it fairly close to the vest. The two main pieces of information we have are that it will use the Honda Mobile Power Pack as its battery, and that the scooter will have a range of 40 km (25 miles).
Not particularly impressive specs, but then again Honda is struggling to play catchup in the electric motorcycle and scooter industry, having long ago missed the chance to lead in innovation.
But could a new pint-sized Honda Motocompacto give the company an opportunity to once again roll out an innovative design for urban-oriented commuters? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
via: Cycleworld
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It’s that time of year again, time for events across the country to show off electric vehicles at Drive Electric Earth Month.
Drive Electric Earth Month is an offshoot of Drive Electric Week, a long-running annual tradition hosting meetups mostly in the US, but also occasionally in other countries. It started as Drive Electric Earth Day, but since not every event can happen on the same day, they went ahead and extended it to encompass “Earth Month” events that happen across the month of April. It’s all organized by Plug In America, the Sierra Club, the Electric Vehicle Association, EV Hybrid Noire, and Drive Electric USA.
Events consist of general Earth Day-style community celebrations, EV Ride & Drives where you can test drive several EVs in one place, and opportunities to talk to EV owners and ask them questions about what it’s like to live with an EV, away from the pressure of a dealership.
This month, there are 180 events registered across the US and 2 in Canada (including one online webinar about things to consider when purchasing an EV). Events have already started, with a smattering happening over the last few weekends, and the bulk of them this weekend, April 20-21.
Here’s a sample of some of the still-upcoming events this month:
- Phoenix Ride and Drive in Phoenix, AZ – Wells Fargo will be giving away an EV, along with ride & drives. April 20, 8am-12pm.
- SpaceCoast EV Earth Day in Melbourne, FL, at the American Muscle Car Museum, the largest solar-powered auto museum in the world. Displays include a custom electric camera car for cinematography, the Bricklin 3EV prototype, and NASA’s Apollo Moon Buggy. April 20, 10am-2pm.
- Electrify Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, with EV and e-bike test rides and presentations on green tech like heat pumps. April 20, 10am-4:30pm.
- PUD Energy Block Party in Everett, WA, which currently has 47 vehicles registered as attending and includes something called a “Truckstravaganza.” April 27, 11am-2pm.
- Salem Kicks Gas in Salem, MA with a large variety of EVs on display and test drives from local dealers, along with e-bike and other battery-powered outdoor equipment displays. April 28, 1pm-4pm.
Each event has a different assortment of activities (e.g. test drives won’t be available at every event, generally just the larger ones attended by local dealerships), so be sure to check the events page to see what the plan is for your local event.
These events have offered a great way to connect with owners and see the newest electric vehicle tech, and even get a chance to do test rides and drives in person. Attendees got to hear unfiltered information from actual owners about the benefits and trials of owning EVs, allowing for longer and more genuine (and often more knowledgeable) conversations than one might normally encounter at a dealership.
And if you’re an owner – you can show off your car and answer those questions for interested onlookers.
To view all the events and see what’s happening in your area, you can check out the list of events or the events map. You can also sign up to volunteer at your local events, and if you plan to show off your electric car, you can RSVP on each event page and list the vehicle that you plan to show (or see what other vehicles have already registered).
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A new Kia electric SUV is getting the GT treatment. Images leaking out of China are giving us our first look at the Kia EV5 GT trim.
Meet Kia’s new EV5 electric SUV
Kia officially unveiled the EV5, its new compact electric SUV, at the Chengdu Motor Show in August. Branded as a family-friendly SUV, the EV5 features Kia’s new “Opposites United ” design.
You can see several elements pulled from Kia’s larger EV9 like the redesigned “Tiger Face” grille, which replaces the signature “Tiger Nose.” It retains the EV9’s boxy, rugged look but in a smaller package.
Aimed at millennials, Kia designed the interior for more than getting from point A to point B. Kia considered it an additional “room” to live in.
It also includes Kia’s next-gen connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) with dual 12.3″ display screens and a 5″ climate control display.
At 4,615 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,715 mm tall, the EV5 will rival Tesla’s top-selling Model Y (L – 4,760 mm, W – 1,921 mm, H – 1,624 mm).
Kia launched the EV5 in China at around $20,000 (149,800 yuan). Powered by a 64.2 kWh BYD Blade battery pack, the base EV5 features up to 329 miles (530 km) CLTC range. The long-range, 88.1 kWh battery pack model is good for up to 447 (720 km) CLTC range.
In Australia, where the EV5 is imported, it will cost around $46,000 (70,000 AUS). An entry-level Air trim is expected to undercut the Tesla Model Y in the region, which starts at around $43,160 (65,400 AUD).
Kia EV5 GT leak reveals new sporty electric SUV design
We are getting our first look at the Kia EV5 GT after leaked images from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) released official images and specs of the vehicle.
As you can see, there are not many differences on the outside. There is added black trim on the lower front bumper. However, other Kia GT vehicles also include subtle visual differences. The big difference maker is in the performance.
The EV5 GT will feature a dual motor system, with a 215 hp (160 kW) front and 98 hp (73 kW) rear electric motor, for a combined 313 hp output.
Although the final details have yet to be revealed, the EV5 GT is expected to have 0 to 60 mph capabilities in under 6.5 seconds.
Kia’s new electric SUV is not the only one getting the GT treatment. All of Kia’s new EVs, including the EV2, EV3, and EV4, are expected to gain a GT trim.
They will join the EV6 GT, which packs 576 hp for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.2 seconds. Kia put the EV6 GT up to the test against a Ferrari Roma and Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder RWD and beat both off the line.
Earlier today, we got our first glimpse of the low-cost EV2 out testing in public. The EV2 is expected to be Kia’s cheapest EV with starting prices around $15,000 (20 million Won). You can watch the video here.
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On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s massive round of layoffs, Elon Musk putting Tesla all-in on Robotaxi, important shareholders vote, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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