New mobility division and scooter concept at SEAT

20 November 2019

SEAT has announced a new strategic mobility business unit as it looks to take advantage of the rapidly growing market.

Alongside this, the Volkswagen Group-owned Spanish brand has presented its first electric e-scooter concept, alongside the e-Kickscooter, another market which carmakers are looking to. SEAT follows fellow VW Group brand Audi in entering the scooter sector.

The new business unit will integrate all product, service and platform-based mobility solutions and is set to market launch the e-Scooter in 2020. Moreover, the new e-Kickscooter concept will also be included in this unit and complement the portfolio that began with the SEAT EXS in 2018. The range of products is designed for final customers (ownership) as well as fleets and sharing services (per-use basis).

Existing platform

SEAT Urban Mobility will also integrate Respiro, the car-sharing platform that operates in Madrid and, more recently, in the city of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. Respiro has a fleet of sustainable vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and will soon be joined by the new Mii electric. The new business unit is also going to manage the kick-sharing service offered by SEAT in partnership with the start-up UFO and will be enabled by SEAT:CODE, the company’s new software development centre.

′This strategic business unit will enable us to focus our efforts on the user’s new mobility needs,’ says SEAT president Luca de Meo. ′SEAT is the micro mobility centre of competence for the Volkswagen Group, and that means developing purpose-designed products for all the Group’s brands, not only for SEAT. In addition, we will also deliver services and solutions defined to reduce noise, pollution and footprint in the urban areas to improve citizens’ life quality.’

The new head of urban mobility at SEAT, Lucas Casasnovas, stated that: ′we aim to become an ally for cities and the SEAT e-Scooter concept is the answer to public demand for more agile mobility. Our collaboration with Silence is an example of how cooperation between partners enables us to be more efficient.’ 

Light mobility

The e-Scooter concept is equipped with a 7 kW motor with a peak rate of 11 kW (14.8 hp), equivalent to 125cc, which delivers instant engine torque of 240 Nm. The scooter reaches a top speed of 100 km/h, enough to accelerate to 50 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. Furthermore, its driving range on a single charge amounts to 115 kilometres, according to WMTC test results.

The battery can be removed and easily charged at home or at public charging stations for an estimated cost of only €0.70 for every 100 kilometres. In addition, the e-Scooter concept has enough storage space for two helmets beneath the seat, it is connected, and users can track its battery charge level or location via a mobile app.