Scooting for success

When I was in Ireland last week I was introduced to the E-Skoot.

It's an electric skooter and it was a hoot.

I wasn't on the open road – just an underground car park – which was probably just as well because it took a little getting used to and I didn't have long to practice.

Travelling in a straight line was easy, turning corners less so. (You have to lean over as if you're skiing.)

The person who insisted I try it was Terence Cosgrave who's on a mission to sell the device to the media and sceptical punters like me:

The E-Skoot, a battery-powered scooter, can reach a speed of 25km per hour on its own power and has a range of 35km. It also recharges fully in two hours by plugging it into an ordinary house socket.

It can travel as slow as walking pace in congested areas with decent stability, and then can pick up speed quickly when congestion clears.

See A skoot around town (Irish Independent).

The device folds up 'and is light enough to be carried on buses and trams'. It felt quite heavy to me but that was part of its appeal. The weight gave it substance. It looked and felt like a well-built piece of kit.

Like the Segway, which Lembit Opik has been championing for several years, the E-Skoot will have to overcome the issue of whether it can be used on the road, in cycle lanes or on pedestrian footpaths.

Ultimately I suspect the weather will prove more of an obstacle – in this part of the world, at least.

Nevertheless, as a recreational device I'd give it top marks. It may not be the future of personalised transport but I'd buy one – if only for the pleasure of overtaking red-faced joggers on my way home from Greggs.