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Today, Otherlab is unveiling a new kind of electric scooter designed to put a smile on your face every time you ride, whether you’re running errands, on a commute or heading out to meet friends.
We call it Lightfoot – a sun-powered cargo scooter for your everyday short trips.
Lightfoot brings together head-turning design, powerful components and modern technology to make getting around town a little easier, a little faster, and a lot more fun. It marries the familiarity of a bicycle with the convenience and effortlessness of an e-scooter, creating an approachable micromobility experience that helps you get more done every day. From standstill to just under 20 MPH, anyone can ride a Lightfoot with confidence.
If you’re like us and are sick of sitting in traffic – ditch the car for a two-wheeled upgrade. Lightfoot is equal parts practical and reliable, transforming errands into escapades and mundane journeys into joyrides. With a room for two on the cushioned bench and just the right amount of storage, it’s a better way to navigate your day. Morning surf session? It’s perfect. Cuppa joe or gallon of milk? Easy peasy. Headed to school? Bring a friend or your kid. First date? You’ll surely get a second.
Inspired by iconic vehicles like the Vespa and the Volkswagen bus, Lightfoot aims to be equal parts eye-candy, functional and fun. Its sleek clamshell body conceals generous, lockable storage that can fit almost anything you need to pack or pick up while you’re out and about. And get this: Lightfoot is actually, legitimately, a net-zero vehicle – no asterisks and no strings attached. Exterior solar panels capture sunshine anytime Lightfoot is parked, continuously charging the battery so that it’s ready to go whenever you are. And on those gray, cloudy days when the sun's playing hide and seek? Just plug in the onboard charger and you're ready to roll.
Lightfoot has no clutch, gears or pedals. With an intuitive twist-and-go throttle and two powerful 750W brushless DC motors that generate a best-in-class 90Nm of peak torque, you’ll have plenty of power to zip around town and turn even steep hills into shortcuts. It’s easy to learn and easy to use.
Our team set out to build something we actually wanted to use ourselves. That’s why Lightfoot’s rugged chassis is made of aircraft-grade aluminum, supported by motorcycle-grade dual suspension and large 10-inch tires with an iron grip that keep the ride feeling smooth no matter what life throws in your path.
Born from a perfect storm of plummeting solar costs and ever-advancing battery tech, we think Lightfoot marks the first step of a new journey in sustainable mobility. Lightfoot isn't just riding this wave of innovation – it's surfing it with style, showing us exactly what tomorrow's transportation can look like today.
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Lightfoot is powered by a formidable 48-volt, 1.1kWh battery that can travel up to 37 miles (60 km) on a full charge, and can be charged to 80% in just 90 minutes using the scooter’s 600W onboard charger and a standard 110-volt wall plug.
The vehicle harnesses the power of the sun to provide up to 18 miles (28 km) of additional range per day, via dual 120W solar panels that recharge the battery simply by sitting parked outside. Each hour of sunbathing recharges Lightfoot with 3 miles of solar-powered freedom.
That extended range keeps you moving so you can get more done between charges. If you only need it for a few short errands a day, park it in your driveway and it will always be ready for you. For many riders, we’re hoping this means saying goodbye to plug-in charging altogether.
And thanks to advanced regenerative braking that captures every bit of energy possible, your rides become even more efficient – transforming each downhill coast and gentle stop into extra range.
Lightfoot features a generous lockable storage compartment measuring more than 1.5 cubic feet (45.2 liters)–comparable in size to a carry-on suitcase. This compartment can comfortably fit up to 33 lbs. (15kg) of cargo, enough space for three large grocery bags, a work bag, a helmet or anything else you need to stash on your travels. Its weatherproof design and sturdy lock protect your stuff from prying eyes and the elements, ensuring your belongings arrive as safely as you do.
Lightfoot keeps you moving to your destination and beyond, offering an antidote to the things that slow people down, stress them out and take the joy out of local travel. Lightfoot can be operated both in bike lanes and on city streets, giving you the flexibility to sidestep traffic and get where you’re going more quickly. Lightfoot’s slender size means you can park anywhere you’d park a bike – no more circling for parking.
Lightfoot’s modular design is built for ultra-low maintenance and fast, easy repairs. The scooter is built with off-the-shelf, highly rated parts that are designed for maximum durability and can be easily fixed at home or at your local bike shop.
The entire Lightfoot vehicle is covered by a 1-year warranty, with an even longer 2-year warranty for the scooter’s most vital components— including its frame, motors, controllers, brakes, lighting, and front suspension. The scooter is also covered by an ironclad buy-back guarantee; if you’re unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason, we’ll buy it back from you.
Lightfoot is available for purchase starting today through http://rollingsunshine.com/, with an MSRP of $4,995 – a stellar price for a premium ride. Deliveries begin in January 2025.
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Lightfoot was built by a small core team located in San Francisco, New York City, Washington DC, Australia and Taiwan, with many collaborators who share our passion for ingenuity, rigor, creativity and down-to-earth craftsmanship. It represents a continuation of Otherlab’s mission to create new products and technologies that enable and excite people to transition to an electrified economy.
Today, nearly 30% of U.S. carbon emissions come from transportation – a majority from fossil fuel-burning cars and trucks. We believe that smaller, more nimble vehicles like Lightfoot will be an integral part of how people get around in the future – and an important way of reducing carbon emissions in the fight against climate change.
But, our experience has taught us that if you want people to live more decarbonized lives, you need to provide them with electrified products that are better than what they’re replacing. With Lightfoot, we didn’t attempt to make an incrementally better bike or scooter: we reimagined the entire experience, from the ground up.
Lightfoot could be an alternative to your car, or an addition to your home’s transportation lineup. As an alternative, it delivers the power, storage and range you need while bypassing the headaches and expense of dealing with a car. As an addition, it’s the fastest and most ready-to-go vehicle in your arsenal, whether you’re grabbing the kid, the milk, the lover or the beer.
With Lightfoot, you don’t need to make a tradeoff between a vehicle that’s fun and one that’s good for the environment. The scooter gives you a zero-emission way to get around your city, town, village, farm, campus –or wherever you call home– without any compromises or extra effort. It’s a cargo scooter that’s as spirited as it is sustainable.
Our goal was to create something so delightful, so useful and so reliable that it becomes your mode of choice for everyday trips. Lightfoot offers you another way –a better way– to get around. We’re excited for you to try it.
Press Kit: Available Here
Inquiries: press@rollingsunshine.com
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Note: The Lightfoot team is doing private press demos of the scooter this week during the Micromobility America conference. If you’re a journalist attending the conference (or are based in Southern California) and would like to try it out, please email press@rollingsunshine.com.