EcoReco 20-MPH electric scooter designed for commuters as an alternative to cars and bicycles

Attention eco-conscious daily commuters: park your cars and chain up your bikes, because the quick and sleek electric scooter for urbanites is ready to ride. Called EcoReco, this modern scooter is equipped with a top speed of 20 MPH, folds in five seconds, and weighs in at just 34 pounds. 

The EcoReco scooter has a top speed of 20 MPH and weighs 34 pounds.

Powered by an eco-friendly rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP), the scooter emits neither air pollution nor greenhouse gases during operation. Good for both your health and the environment, it functions as a personal transportation vehicle meant to make your daily commute a breeze. Compared to a gasoline-fueled car which can move about five miles on one dollar of gas, you can travel more than 500 miles for the same price on this modern scooter. 

EcoReco on the show floor during Sensors Expo 2016. 

Introduced by the start-up company with a matching name, EcoReco scooters went into production three years ago. With a focus on overall battery life and safety features, the company teamed up with electronic parts manufacturer ROHM to implement its design goals into its next-generation R series scooter.

From a battery-life perspective, the collaborating companies discussed the overall power operation. “Since the most inefficient power loss of operating the scooter’s motor is seen when power is first applied to the scooter motor, EcoReco wanted to add in a ride mode where users were to kick the scooter to get the motor moving, and when the scooter detected this kick, it would automatically turn the motor on to maintain the kicked speed,” said ROHM applications engineer, Kristopher Bahar. “While this solved the inefficient power curve to start, this mode had one drawback when initially designed.” According to Bahar, when the user is walking with the scooter and not riding it, it was unable to detect if the rider was on the scooter or not, and would engage the motor regardless.

Considered a major flaw with the operation of this mode, the team knew it needed a way to prevent false starts. With the help of ROHM’s RPR-0521 proximity sensor, EcoReco was able to eliminate the issue by detecting the proximity of the user when riding the scooter, allowing the scooter to trigger on when a rider is on board. This also proved better power performance when using the kick amplification mode. 

The image above shows the sensor on the foot pad so that the scooter won't start moving unless the rider is on board.

From a safety perspective, it was important for the team to find a way for the scooter to detect falls and orientation. ROHM’s KXG03 gyro/accelerometer was the answer, providing the six-axis motion sensing to detect the scooter’s orientation and impacts. Thus, if a heavy impact were to occur and the scooter isn’t oriented face-up, a notification would be sent from the accompanying phone app to notify a pre-set emergency contact of the phone’s GPS coordinates. In addition to this, a lock feature was implemented to notify the user and trigger the scooter’s on-board alarm if it’s moved while in its locked state.

So what else does this 21^st -century mode of transportation offer? For starters, it’s equipped with a brushless three-phase hub motor driven by a Sine-Wave motor controller, making the vehicle not just energy-efficient, but smooth and silent as well. It also includes regenerative braking, which provides extended ranges in traffic, and its rear motor drive gives higher efficiency on hills, granting the rider more control over bumps and slippery surfaces.

According to Bahar, the EcoReco is designed specifically for adults — there’s no messing around. Sensors and app-enabled features aside, it also packs Bluetooth modules, advanced battery materials such as LiFePO4 or Panasonic Li-ion cells, an aircraft-quality aluminum/magnesium alloy, certified BMS, a controller, and a charger.

A full-charge for the EcoReco requires four-and-a-half hours, and with its upcoming model R scooter, it’s the first company to offer swappable batteries with an advanced battery switching system.

Currently the company’s M series scooters are available for purchase, with the M3 at $899 and the M5 at $1,199. The S series scooters are available for pre-order, at $999. EcoReco’s R series scooters include the ROHM sensors, and are expected to launch in December. There is no price tag on this specific model as of yet.

To hop on board your own e-scooter or to learn more, visit ecorecoscooter.com.

Download the datasheet for the RPR-0521 proximity sensor below.