Directly from Estonia, tech start-up Äike gives a sneak peek at its upcoming electric scooter that focuses on sustainability and eco-friendliness.
The Äike T is currently available for pre-order (opens in new tab) with a fully refundable booking fee of €69 (about $70), although at the time of writing we saw that the price was €58 discounted. The final price starts at $999 (just over $1,000) and will increase depending on whether you add insurance or change the color. Shipping will start in November 2022, but you’d better act fast as there will only be 500 pre-orders.
We did ask Äike if there are any plans to launch their scooter outside of Europe, especially the United States. They haven’t contacted us yet, but we’ll be sure to update if Äike responds.
Specifications and Features
Coinciding with the pre-order launch, ÄI posted a rather goofy preview video (opens in new tab) starring the company’s CEO Kristjan Maruste citing key features. The “überstrong” Äike T has a sturdy standing deck that can support up to 150 kg (about 330 lbs) and 10-inch puncture-resistant tires. It has a water resistance rating: of IPx5, which means it can survive small water surges and pass through shallow puddles; just don’t throw it in the ocean.
As for security, the Äike T has an anti-theft device that locks the brakes, sounds an alarm and sends you a notification via the official app (opens in new tab) (available on iOS and Android) to alert you to what just happened. The app can also be used to change scooter configurations. For example, you can control how fast the I T can go, enable automatic and regenerative braking (opens in new tab) to charge the battery a bit, or to lock the scooter. In addition to adjusting settings, the Äike app also provides customer support and a 24/7 live feed of the scooter’s location via GPS.
The 583.2 Wh battery stands out for supporting charging via USB-C cables, which the company claims is the “first light electric vehicle” to do so. In addition, the battery is removable, so you can optionally connect it to a phone charger while the Äik T remains in your garage. As you drive, you can glance at a small circular display behind the grips showing a speedometer and the scooter’s battery life.
The Äike T is a bit heavy at 19 kg (about 40 lbs). The machine is 1149mm high (about 45 inches) and 1185mm long (about 46 inches), but the scooter can be folded to fit easily in a trunk. The battery has a range of up to 40 km (just under 25 miles) with a maximum speed of 25 km/h (about 15 mp/h). However, the top speed is subject to government regulations, so it may be slower in certain locations.
Sustainability
ÄI also paid a lot of attention to the materials used to manufacture his new scooter. According to an recent Bloomberg piece (opens in new tab), 42 percent of the Äike T is made from recycled materials and 92 percent of the machine itself can be recycled. The company prides itself on the fact that the Äik T is easy to repair thanks to its interchangeable parts. That said, it’s hard to know how this claim will hold up outside of Europe without easy access to European manufacturing.
What is going well internationally is the USB-C cable support. The European Union has been working to establish a universal charging standard with USB-C as a base. Apparently the EU wasn’t happy with the lack of cooperation between tech giants to set up something, so now they’re taking matters into their own hands. It seems that ÄI is responding to that.
If you are interested in buying an electric scooter, TechRadar has published a “best of” list back in May.