Is this the world's fastest scooter? 100mph+ ‘The Turbo' can out-accelerate a Tesla
Bo wants to set a proper Guinness World Record in this mad, bad e-scooter Skip 12 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
This is Bo 'The Turbo'. Not an adorable children's programme about a mischievous anthropomorphic go-kart, but an electric scooter. And not just any electric scooter – a really, really fast one.
It's got twin motors. It features design tricks inspired by Formula One. Heck, the founder of the company building it – that's the 'Bo' – was an engineer on the 1,000mph Bloodhound Land Speed Record car and a former Williams F1 bod. Safe to say this thing'll be fast.
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So fast, it's aiming for no less than a Guinness World Record as the fastest electric scooter on planet Earth. The aim? A giddy 100mph. On a scooter .
'We are firm believers in the spirit of adventure,' said Bo boss Oscar Morgan. 'The UK already has a proud history in this pursuit with the first car to pass 100mph, then Thrust SSC taking the Land Speed record in Nevada. You might like
'I guess you could say the UK has a proud history of crazy Brits constructing vehicles that ought not be possible.'
The Turbo is spun off Bo's 'Monocurve' chassis, featuring CNC billet-machined components, and skinned in aerospace-grade aluminium.
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Then come a pair of 24,000W motors via French outfit Rage Mechanics, who developed a bespoke setup to power the The Turbo to over 100mph. Those motors draw power from a 1,800Wh battery, allowing for 150 miles of range (presumably when not holding on very tight at vmax).
That F1 bit we mentioned? The design of the ram air-intakes was inspired by the brake duct inlet setup on an F1 car, for better cooling of that high-performance powertrain.
Now, having completed 18 months of what Bo's calling 'initial commissioning and shakedown' but what sounds suspiciously to TopGear.com like 'a bloody good laugh', it was unleashed at Goodwood where it hit 85mph piloted by pro-rider Tre Whyte.
Indeed, Bo said the 'surprise in testing was the accelerative performance': it reckons The Turbo can out-accelerate a Tesla Model 3.
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'E-scooters have been revolutionising how people move locally, but they are yet to enter the leagues of mainstream automotive culture,' said Morgan. 'The Turbo is part of our mission to elevate these futuristic electric vehicles into the top tier of automotive performance.'
And sell them, too. Bo's planning a very limited run of The Turbo e-scooters, each costing $29,500. Fancy one?
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