Confirming what we suspected last year, Honda has announced the Motocompacto, an electric suitcase scooter sort of thing designed to fit inside the back of your car. Its name, design, and function are obvious references to the Motocompo of the 1980s, a suitcase-shaped foldable scooter designed to fit in the back of the Honda City subcompact car.
The idea of the Motocompacto is basically the same as its predecessor. You can carry it in the back of your car. After parking some distance from your final destination, as you might have to in a congested city, you unfold, then ride the Motocompacto the rest of the way, parking right outside the door like a bicycle. When stored, it folds up into a compact package that may fit on public transportation, or even parked next to your desk.
Unlike many modern retro throwback ideas, the Motocompacto may be an idea whose time has finally come. The original Motocompo weighed a smidge under 100 pounds (about 43 kg), not exactly easy to lift in and out of a hatchback. The Motocompacto weighs less than half that at 41.3 pounds (about 18.8 kg). The Motocompo used a 49 cc gas engine, small enough that a motorcycle license was not required to ride it. The Motocompacto is fully electric, and its maximum speed of 15 mph (about 24 km/h) also means that no extra license is required. Even better, there is no possibility of a messy gas or oil leak inside the back of your car.
Photo: Honda
This is no road warrior. Its boxy design bears a stronger resemblance to a MacBook charger than a motorcycle. The small wheels have obvious limitations. Its range is only 12 miles. While you certainly won’t be taking a long road trip on a Motocompacto, this is still plenty of range for its intended purpose as “last mile” transportation. It can also fully recharge in just 3.5 hours from a standard 110-volt outlet, perfect for topping off at the office, and then riding back to your car on the outskirts of the city.
Starting in November, you’ll be able to buy a Motocompacto directly through Honda, as well as through Honda and Acura car dealers, for $995. Imagine buying a new Pilot or Integra, and selecting the option to equip a Motocompacto in the trunk. You can drive from the suburbs to commuter parking, unpack the Motocompacto, and ride it the rest of the way to work instead of fighting your way across unreliable public transportation. It wouldn’t take long for it to offset the cost of monthly bus or subway passes. Best of all, while Honda obviously makes it easiest to buy for one of their cars, it will work with any vehicle it will fit inside, regardless of manufacturer.
The original Motocompo was a great idea, but perhaps too far ahead of its time to be practical. Fast forward to today, and the Motocompacto might just be the right idea at the right time.
