British micromobility startup Bo has already realized that its e-scooter of the future needs an equally futuristic charging base. The company today announced bo E, a parking spot that combines a small solar panel and a battery to help you recharge your ride for free. Bo E is a pier that measures 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high by 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) wide and is designed to be anchored in the sunny corner of your home.
The idea is that the base, while you are at work, gently absorbs all available solar energy and charges its internal battery. Then, when you get back home, you can plug in your Bo M scooter and let the electrons flow from one to the other overnight. Bo E also has her own 4G settings, allowing her to control her power status when she’s not guarding the dock. The company says the scooter is energy efficient enough that such a small charge is enough to recharge its 2kWh battery, but we’ll wait until we can test both in the real world before passing judgement.
Naturally, the biggest concern someone might have about leaving their $2,400 e-scooter out in the open is safety. Bo says the E lodges high-strength steel pins in the body of the scooter, making it difficult to remove, and anyone trying to do so will set off an audio alarm. There is also talk of an insurance product that could help reassure wary buyers about the risks inherent in leaving a scooter out in the open.
The Bo M is expected to start hitting customers in late 2022, and there is a tentative release date of Q3 2023 planned for the Bo E in both the UK and US. However, there is no information. about the price, but you can imagine that it will be equally premium.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at time of publication.