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Micromobility Europe 2023 returned to Amsterdam last week for a two-day microEV extravaganza. Personal electric vehicles from all over Europe and beyond converged on the venue, bringing in e-bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles, electric micro-cars and more. To cap off two full days of product displays, expert panels, startup pitches and more, the conference joined local cyclists in Amsterdam for a massive rave ride, complete with a DJ on a cargo e-bike blasting music along the route.

Below is a selection of some of the many interesting things I saw at the show.

I couldn’t include everything (and if you want to see even more, make sure to attend the US show this coming Fall in San Francisco). But I’ll do my best to feature many of the most interesting and sometimes far-fetched designs below.

Check out my video also to get a sense of what it was like to attend the show and take in the highlights.

Micromobility Europe 2023 video highlights

Clip electric bike conversion kit

I covered Clip’s kit a couple years ago when they launched it, but this was the first time I’ve seen it in person. After watching them install it on a bike in under six seconds, I knew I had to test this thing out myself.

The elegantly simple design uses a friction drive to power the front wheel from a wirelessly controlled throttle button. It’s not a true throttle since you have to be pedaling for it to work, but it gives you handlebar control so you won’t start receiving any assist unless you actually want it.

The design may look a bit funny sticking out in front of the wheel, but it works surprisingly well. The price is somewhere around the $500 mark, so it’s a cheap way to get an e-bike without buying an entire e-bike. Instead, you just plop it on your existing pedal bike.

It turned out to be a crowd favorite as well, taking home the top prize in the Startup Awards as well. You can see my test ride in the video above.

Ampler

Ampler Bikes makes some of the slickest looking stealthy e-bikes out there, meaning you can barely distinguish them from pedal bikes.

That’s great for two reasons: They look sexy without the eyesore of big batteries or chunky frame tubes, and they also don’t draw the attention of thieves looking for pricey e-bikes or components to liberate from those bikes.

Ampler has several models for various styles of riding. I’m a big fan of the Stellar for its laidback and relaxed geometry, though the Junta’s hybrid style is a nice compromise. The Curt is the go-to model for those that prefer a more old school style with a forward tucked riding stance.

All of the bikes are made in Ampler’s Tallinn-based factory in the heart of Estonia. I visited the factory last year, and it is impressive to see the company’s dedication to quality manufacturing.

Navee with waterproof drivetrain

This one blew my mind a bit. Navee was at the show with their electric scooters, but what really grabbed my eye was their demonstration showing off how waterproof their drivetrain was.

What better way to get the point across than to fully submerge it?

That’s right, they had the battery, motor, and controller operating inside of a tank of water.

I guess if your Navee electric scooter ever goes for an accidental swim (or just rides through a puddle), you’ll be good to go.

WingsEV

Unless you live in India then this one likely won’t affect you anytime soon, but it’s still fun to see new electric microcars!

WingsEV is developing a tandem-style (one seat behind the other) tiny electric car for the Indian market. In a country where two-wheelers rule the road due to their ability to wiggle through traffic jams, the team behind this narrow car knew it was important to build a microcar that could do the same.

The company is still early stage, but I’m looking forward to seeing big things from them!

Swobbee

Swobbee is a battery swapping company with an interesting model. Unlike Gogoro, which has become the defacto standard for battery swapping thanks to their highly-refined battery model and swapping stations, Swobbee doesn’t have their own battery standard.

Instead, Swobbee offers battery swapping as a service that uses other manufacturers’ batteries. Companies like NIU have worked with Swobbee to customize Swobbee’s battery cabinets to fit OEM batteries. That means Swobbee can deploy different battery stations that fit different manufacturer’s batteries – or even one station that can fit several different styles of batteries.

It’s a slick setup that has helped the company already complete around 80,000 battery swaps and counting.

Vammo

Speaking of battery swapping, Vammo was at the show to share their South American-based battery swapping solution. They’re certainly more early stage than Swobbee above, but are progressing towards their own first automated battery swapping cabinets to augment the current manual swapping operations.

With a focus on the Latin American market where motorcycle use is higher due to increased reliance on daily two-wheeled travel, Vammo likely has plenty of room for expansion ahead of them.

SoFlow

This one is a bit weird, but I love it anyway.

SoFlow has normal electric scooters. That’s all fine and good, but what caught my eye is their super weird people mover platform. It’s like a scooter, but with a wide deck so that people and cargo can move around warehouses or other areas on a more stable platform.

It’s glorious in its odd appearance, which only makes me love it even more.

Segway

What’s a micromobility show without Segway?

I’m not talking about the old school two-wheel balancing scooter. That’s long gone. But the company is still around under the Ninebot umbrella, now with many other electric scooters and e-bikes that were on display at the show.

Inokim

Inokim, the Israeli electric scooter company that has been around nearly as long as electric scooters have existed, was also on site to show off their latest models.

I’ve tested several Inokim electric scooters and always been impressed with their build quality.

They aren’t cheap, but they build very good scooters that don’t cut the same corners seen in cheaper e-scooter companies.

Ellio

I’ve seen all-wheel-drive electric bikes before, but never like this.

The Ellio doesn’t use two hub motors to achieve AWD performance, but rather a single hub motor in front and then a mid-drive motor to power the rear wheel.

Combined with a large battery in a compact bike design, it results in a fast Class 3 or Speed Pedelec e-bike with some serious performance.

Taito scooter

Three-wheeled electric scooters are rare, but leaning three-wheeled electric scooters with suspension are even more rare.

That’s exactly what the team at Taito have created, though, and it works better than I expected! I was able to pick up the carving nature of the vehicle in just a few seconds, making it much more intuitive feeling to control than other three-wheeled electric scooters I’ve tried in the past.

The team also picked up one of the Startup Awards at the show, so I wasn’t the only one impressed with their work!

Microlino

I’ve been following the Microlino quadricycle for years, but this was my first chance to actually get behind the wheel of one.

Theses electric microcars can reach speeds of around 90 km/h (56 mph), though I was testing the Microlino in a parking lot which meant I wasn’t able to really open her up.

Even so, the power is palpable when you step on the accelerator. I was also surprised that the admittedly spartan interior was still quite nice. It’s certainly an odd vehicle, but I think small (and cute) electric microcars like these have a big place in cities as replacements for unnecessarily large cars.

microlino electric micro car

Hilo scooter

I can all but guarantee that you’ve never seen an electric scooter quite like this one. The Hilo is a folding electric scooter unlike any I’ve covered in the past.

It folds so small that it seems like it is part scooter, part origami.

The creator says it’s likely a year or two away from commercialization though, so don’t start pulling out your wallet just yet. Even so, we can still enjoy the impressive design!

Joyride

If you ever wanted to start your own scooter sharing company, Joyride is the service you’ll want to check out.

They’re a one-stop shop for operators that need to manage a large fleet of micromobility vehicles. So if you ever want to take on Lime or Bird with your own Micahshare e-bikes or e-scooters (but get your own name), Joyride can make it happen.

Async

Async’s new moped-style e-bike is another one of those heavy duty, motorcycle-inspired electric bikes, but with a new look. This one takes on more of an industrial-style than I’ve typically seen, espeically compared to the retro-styled SUPER73 type of of e-bikes that are more common in this category.

With 750W of power in on-road mode and 2,500W in off-road mode, this isn’t a “for looks only” type of e-bike. It has the aggressive powertrain to match.

The company has apparently already sold a bunch of e-bikes, so they’re brand new at this. Despite this being my first time seeing or hearing about them, though, they seem to be serious about snagging a piece of the moped-style electric bike market.

NIU

NIU has just updated their NQi line of electric scooters, with the two major updates being a new display and repositioned batteries.

The display is a major upgrade over the old style that I have on my own personal NQi GT Pro electric scooter. But the bigger deal is that by moving the underseat battery down under the floorboard with the second battery, there’s a bunch of new space under the saddle for storage. That was always a weak point on the model since the underseat area had barely enough space for a wallet. But the scooter now matches others with more room for a bag of groceries or small backpack.

NIU was also showing off a proof of concept for wireless charging through a partnership with Tiler. The add-on to the scooter’s kickstand allows an owner to charge simply by parking with the kickstand positioned on the charging pad. It’s not ready for primetime, but it’s a feature that I’d love to see NIU roll out.

Sure, plugging in a scooter to charge isn’t hard. But removing that step entirely would be even better!

Äike

Äike is one of my favorite electric scooter companies for two reasons: The team is equal parts awesome and silly, and the scooters are equal parts awesome and high-tech. Ok, maybe that’s four reasons.

Äike showed off their Äike T electric scooter, which I’ve featured before. But now there are several new upgrades to the scooter to make it better than ever. One thing that didn’t change, though, is that you can still charge the battery with your laptop’s USB-C charger, meaning you can grab a charge when you’re on campus or at a friend’s house, even if you didn’t bring your scooter charger. By including a pair of USB-C ports (one on the scooter and one on the removable battery), any USB-C charger can become a scooter charger.

The removable battery also works like a portable power station or battery bank for charging your cell phone or other devices. You could even charge your laptop up from it too, coming full circle.

Tannus

You know how tactical vehicles use run-flat wheels so they can keep driving even if they get a puncture from picking up a nail or getting their tires blown out in a Hollywood-style shooting car chase? Well, Tannus’s tire liners are kind of like that for bicycles.

They make it much less likely that you’ll ever get a flat since they add a thick layer of protection to the inner tube, but they can also serve as a sort of run-flat by keeping the tire partially supported if the tube somehow still gets punctured.

Tannus also showed off their new solid tires at the show, which are 100% impervious to flat tires since they don’t need any air!

Rave ride

Last but certainly not least, the event ended with a huge rave ride. Hundreds of event attendees and locals from Amsterdam joined together along with DJ Dom Whiting for a rave ride through the streets of Amsterdam. Dom’s custom built DJ stand is actually a three-wheeled electric cargo bike, allowing him to cruise while blasting out tunes.

We wound our way through the streets in a mass of smiling and arm waving cyclists, dancing to the music while pedaling, and enjoying the waves and shouts from onlookers along the way.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m so glad I had the chance to be a part of. What a way to end an incredible event!

I’m not sure it’s something that they’ll be able to recreate when the show returns to San Francisco later this year for Micromobility America, but if last year’s US event was any indication, the even larger show this year will still have plenty of treats in store!

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Honda now has an electric Ruckus. Will they bring it to the US?

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Honda now has an electric Ruckus. Will they bring it to the US?

The Honda Ruckus has earned cult status thanks to its minimalist styling, exposed frame, and seemingly endless customizability. The scooter, also known in international markets as the Honda Zoomer, has spent years being seen as a blank canvas for scooter tuners, urban commuters, and anyone who just wanted something simple, small, and kind of weird to zip around town. A few years ago, Honda finally answered the call for an updated version by announcing and producing the “Zoomer e:”, which was an electric version of the Honda Ruckus. So where is it?

When Honda launched the all-electric version of the Ruckus, the Zoomer e:, back in 2023, many fans hoped it was only a matter of time before we saw it quietly glide onto U.S. streets.

But two years later, there’s still no sign of a stateside release, and no indication that Honda plans to change that anytime soon.

The Zoomer e: was first introduced in China in early 2023 alongside two other retro-inspired electrics: the Cub e: and Dax e:.

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The Zoomer e: keeps the stripped-down, industrial look of the classic gas-powered Ruckus, but swaps the 49cc engine for a 400W rear hub motor and a 48V 24Ah battery (around 1.15 kWh).

It was originally given a top speed of a mere 25 km/h (15.5 mph) to keep it street legal as an electric bicycle in its first market of China, where it also came with functional but stubby pedals so riders could pretend it was actually pedalable.

The first version of the electric scooter claimed a range of up to 80–90 km (50–56 miles) from its removable lithium-ion battery, depending on conditions.

An advertisement for a Honda Zoomer e: in the Philippines via Facebook

We’ve since seen the performance bumped up to 40 km/h (25 mph) top speeds when the scooter was introduced into the Philippines market, where the local L1B classification allowed for higher speeds. It’s fairly obvious that the performance can be software-tweaked by Honda depending on the market, though likely to a limit. To achieve speeds much higher than 25 mph, a motor and controller swap may be required, though neither would be complicated.

In other words, the electric Ruckus’ debut revealed an ultra-lightweight, street-legal runabout designed for countries with expansive low-speed e-bike laws. But in the U.S., these types of quasi-e-bikes that are actually scooters are few and far between. The same performance can be had from a $1,000 electric bicycle, and in fact, Class 3 e-bikes in the US can go nearly twice as fast as the original electric Ruckus.

So Honda obviously hasn’t been in a rush to bring its low-spec version of the bike to the US market, where it would be a slower and heavier competitor to the wide range of cheap imported electric bicycles. However, its iconic design and cultural legacy have kept enthusiasm up for riders who have managed to privately import their own models. One Redditor appears to have imported two Honda Zoomer e: models in parts to assemble in the US, while someone else posted a YouTube video of his completely assembled Honda Dax e: model that was launched along the Zoomer e:.

Despite clear consumer interest and a growing market for low-speed electric vehicles, as well as Honda’s own proven interest in growing its electric scooter market, the company hasn’t made any moves to release the Zoomer e: in the US. That’s not surprising since America still lacks a robust electric scooter culture (or even a gasoline scooter culture, for that matter), and anything motorcycle-shaped that doesn’t hit 30+ mph tends to get passed over by mainstream buyers.

But perhaps that could change one day. Technically, bringing the Zoomer e: to the US wouldn’t be a monumental task for Honda. The U.S. is a self-certify country, meaning Honda could design a version that meets federal vehicle safety standards, beef up the motor and controller for higher speeds, and sell it as either a Class 2/3 e-bike, or perhaps more appropriately, as a low-speed motorcycle with a top speed in the 35-45 mph range (55-70 km/h).

With the rise of micromobility, electrification, and growing frustration with car-centric cities, now might actually be the perfect time for a reborn electric Ruckus to hit US roads. But until Honda decides to take that step, American riders will have to keep dreaming – or start importing.

A private import of a Honda Zoomer e: to the US

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BMW ups the ante with the fastest, most powerful electric maxi-scooter

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BMW ups the ante with the fastest, most powerful electric maxi-scooter

BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.

The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.

The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.

But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.

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The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.

There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.

BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.

With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.

Electrek’s Take

I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.

Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.

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I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

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I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.

Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!

I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!

Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.

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To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.

Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!

Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.

The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.

The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!

I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.

That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.

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