A rather radical new electric scooter design has emerged from Karfidov Lab courtesy of its Chief Industrial Designer, Alexander Yamaev. His unique capsule-shaped scooter is known simply as the “ZID”, and Yamaev hopes that far from being viewed as an unusual or even alien design, his scooter design will offer a durable and compact solution to personal mobility in urban areas.
The compact capsule
Riders of the ZID will sit atop what looks indeed like a long capsule-shaped body, which in turn houses the majority of the visible wheels, as well as the electric powertrain and so on. When one first sees the design, it looks as though this solid object is either skimming along the surface, or perhaps speeding along like a sci-fi vehicle without wheels.
The low-riding seat and well-placed handlebars and foot-rests allow for a comfortable riding position. In addition, there’s a built-in cradle for a smartphone on the handlebars, which allows riders to easily navigate their way around, and it helps keep costs down on the scooter as there’s no need for an expensive digital display.
Handy storage
It may appear to be a very compact design, but the ZID is also packing a great deal of storage. The main and most secure storage space is the rectangular open case that sits right beneath the rider’s seat. On top of this, the front and rear are both equipped with L-shaped “seats” that have handy tie holes, allowing the rider to attach additional cargo as and when they need.
Don’t let appearances deceive
Some have wondered at the design choices made by Yamaev, for example on the capsule design for the bottom part of the scooter. When looking at 3D renderings of the ZID, it makes it look rather heavy and cumbersome, but Yamaev has already expressed his willingness to tweak the design and components to keep the bike light and portable. That’s the big idea, after all.
The advantage of the capsule design, of course, is that it better protects the bike’s critical components, as well as its tires and wheels. It would also be much harder for any would-be thief to steal the wheels from this scooter.
Another element people have wondered about is the presence of visible wires in the prototype design. The main thing to remember here is that this design is a prototype, and not a finalized product design, so the wires are not much of a surprise to those in the know. What’s more, even for a prototype the wires are neatly attached to the center tube via the handlebars, and actually look quite integrated into the main design as opposed to being strewn about as some prototype models can look.
Yamaev has expressed a desire to continue developing the concept with new technological and mechanical partners who can help him perfect the design and integrate further capabilities. Should the vision come to fruition, Yamaev hopes such scooters as this will become the norm as opposed to the noisy, troublesome devices that wake up half the street when they are started early in the morning.
For now at least, it remains just a concept, but watch this space for further developments.
Source: Alexander Yamaev
