Infinite Machine e-scooter is like the offspring of a Vespa and a Cybertruck

Infinite Machine, a New York-based electric vehicle startup, began with a stolen Vespa.  Eddie Cohen, president and co-founder of the company, told The Register that he and his brother Joseph were living together during the COVID outbreak. "His Vespa had gotten stolen and we just kinda had this crazy idea … if we were to …

[Throatwarbler Mangrove]

Uncompromisingly ugly

I happened to see the P1 at what I assume was an Infinite Machine pop-up, and the article doesn't do justice to how slab-sided and brutalist it is. The founders can invoke Lamborghini all they want, but this scooter absolutely looks like it was squatted out by a Cybertruck, possibly after mating with a Lime scooter rather than a Vespa.

Also, not a fan of "anonymized" usage statistics being sent back to the mothership. Given how few of these will be on the streets initially, that's not much anonymity.

[Androgynous Cupboard]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

Christ, you're not wrong. That's just unpleasant.

[Like a badger]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

Whilst agreeing with all the negative comments, I have to observe that we are not the target market (unless there's any Brooklyn moms* amongst us).

* I feel a foot note is deserved, but I can't think of anything that won't result in the immediate deletion of my Reg account.

[LBJsPNS]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

Brutalism at least has a working design philosophy behind it. This thing is just fugly.

[Neil Barnes]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

My first glimpse at the pictures suggested a cardboard box cutout model... to my boring English eyes, there's not a lot to recommend it visually over any other number of electric bikes of one sort or another, and a lot to dislike about it on aesthetic grounds. But I suppose tastes differ. And I suppose new and intellectually exciting visual design cues is why the Cybertruck is so popular and well thought of.

I can see why El Reg didn't include a full picture of either model in the article.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

"I can see why El Reg didn't include a full picture of either model in the article."

I can understand the price. A low production motor vehicle isn't getting any sort of discount on approvals and certification to be allowed no public roads. Let's also take note of where they are headquartered. Outside of Silicon Valley, there aren't many more locations as expensive. I've noticed that under their careers page, they aren't hiring anything hands-on which looks like it's being manufactured off-shore. Unless they stock parts deep in the US (or elsewhere), fixing all the sorts of things that get munched on scooters might be an issue.

Anything with so many straight lines isn't that hard to whomp up over a couple of weekends in a good home shop. A Vespa, on the other hand, with it's front shield and roundy cowling isn't as easy. The front shield is nice to keep the muck off so one doesn't arrive with schmutz all over the front of their pants and shoes. The goo that is around a few days after a rain that's well combined with other ... stuff... or when the snow starts melting and isn't anywhere near white.

[druck]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

The inspiration for this was having a scooter stolen, and obviously to make something no would ever want to.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

I doubt it will pass any EuroNCAP crash test rating looking like that. Same as the Cybertruck.

[UnknownUnknown]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

I doubt it will pass any EuroNCAP crash test rating looking like that. Same as the Cybertruck.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Uncompromisingly ugly

"Also, not a fan of "anonymized" usage statistics being sent back to the mothership. Given how few of these will be on the streets initially, that's not much anonymity."

There's that and a lack of use without a phone app (apparently). That means that if Apple pushes out an update that breaks their app or deletes them from the app store, that's it. I didn't see any mention of an Android or other mobile OS.

It's been a long time since I've ridden on a scooter, but I don't think I'd be comfortable on something so small at 60mph. I'd prefer a slower speed and much more range. Changing the gearing and adding a bit more ground clearance would make it fun for off-road/unimproved road use.

All of the tech whizz-bang stuff is rather useless for a scooter. If you really needed SatNav, you could bolt your phone to the scooter and use that rather than needing Apple Scooter-play or some such. That would allow getting the display to a more comfortable position as well as being yet one more thing that isn't going to break and brick the scooter. A physical key slot in any case would be important. Put it under the seat so unlocking and lifting the seat is needed. Yes, one more step, but another layer of security.

An eScooter IS a good solution for local travel. Shopping would mean needing a backpack, but many shops are banning bringing in a backpack so some sort of way to have one will need to be worked out. I had a friend in San Francisco and her sole motorized transport was a scooter. The cost to park a car was nearly on par with the rent on her flat. Public transport wasn't good enough many times and the city is famous for hills. The scooter was a great compromise as long as it wasn't hissing down with rain.

[SnailFerrous]

For watcher's of Dr Who in the 1970s

My first thought on seeing the picture.

It's the scooter K9 would ride.

Very last century BBC budget scifi prop.

[Bebu sa Ware]

Re: For watcher's of Dr Who in the 1970s

First glance of the picture I thought it was K9 with his head up his arse. Fug ugly. A bloody dalek has more chic.

The things are apparently soundless so perhaps calling them "The Silence" might be appropriate, their being not the prettiest lifeform in the Whoniverse and of course canonically "Silence Must Fall."

(Unfortunately one doesn't instantly forget these things once out of sight. :)

_{"Very last century" ? — K9 and Sarah Jane made an appearance in the 21st century (2006) School Reunion (S02 E03)}

[Sam_B.]

Re: For watcher's of Dr Who in the 1970s

K9 was appearing in The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-off right up to 2010

[JPCavendish]

It's a Sinclair C5 that's missing a wheel. Except the C5 was a looker compared to this monstrosity.

[the spectacularly refined chap]

I thought of that too, and also it's amazing you can design something to make the BMW C1 look stylish.

[David Hicklin]

I only ever saw in C1 in the road on the M42 , same as the Sinclair C5 which trundled down our street one day.

[RockBurner]

I've ridden a C1, it actually worked (rather top heavy admittedly), and if I'd had a non-motorway commute at the time, I would seriously have considered one. It just needed a couple of "curtains" across the sides to make it properly weatherproof as well.

I also had fancies of shoe-horning a BMW F650 engine (or similar) into one.....

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

Why does everything these days have to look like Mad Max was a documentary?

[ecofeco]

Because money can't buy class or style.

[Kurgan]

This thing is much uglier than any Mad Max prop. Give me a rusty, spiky, flaming car please.

[Anonymous Coward]

What, like a cybertruck doing what many Teslas eventually do?

:)

[MachDiamond]

"This thing is much uglier than any Mad Max prop."

They wouldn't get approved off-the-shelf for Wasteland Weekend even so. <www.wastelandweekend.com>

[Pen-y-gors]

Form over function?

They designed everything from scratch. Why?

How about taking a Vespa (or similar) and working out how to switch to an electric motor and shove in some batteries? The design works. And under £5000

[JPCavendish]

Re: Form over function?

Because it's been done.

[Jan 0]

Re: Form over function?

Mmm, bellissima!

[tiggity]

Re: Form over function?

Looking at the spec on that linked electric Vespa, top speed is very low (45 kmh FFS) , not what I would expect from a moped, - I could overtake that on my cycle (assuming a flat or downhill stretch of road).

[Kurgan]

Re: Form over function?

Actually in Italy 45 Km/h is a speed limit for a class of vehicles that can be used by 14 yo boys without a license. This is why it's limited to that speed (and of course it's crackable to go faster).

[MachDiamond]

Re: Form over function?

"Actually in Italy 45 Km/h is a speed limit for a class of vehicles that can be used by 14 yo boys without a license."

It's also fairly common for use in bike lanes/paths/boardwalks and often less than that in some locales.

[NetMage]

Re: Form over function?

Because the disadvantages of modifying an ICE design for EV in a car are all magnified in a scooter or motorbike.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Form over function?

They designed everything from scratch. Why?

To ensure a shortage of spare parts?

As a rule of thumb, the smaller your production run, the fewer custom parts you want: their costs are harder to amortize and they increase your dependence on individual suppliers. But if you've torn up all the design rules, why stop there?

[MachDiamond]

Re: Form over function?

"As a rule of thumb, the smaller your production run, the fewer custom parts you want: "

When I was in aerospace, we strove to find as many off the shelf parts as we could. Some things had to be custom and some "store-bought" parts had to be modified, but we weren't designing and building our own solenoid valves and pressure regulators. Major electronics components such as computers were employed with our own interface PCB's to tie things together. There wasn't time or budget allocated to reinventing wheels.

[RockBurner]

Re: Form over function?

It also shows up that there's some serious lack of knowledge about real-world riding.

Without a proper front mudguard (ie one that covers the wheel for at least 15 degrees forward of the wheel hub) the bike and rider will get very wet and very dirty, very quickly as soon as it rains.

[elsergiovolador]

Competence

Likely they couldn't find competent sheet metal fabricators in the West.

Even those supplying military are struggling with bends that are other than basic.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Competence

lmao, sure,

[MachDiamond]

Re: Competence

"Likely they couldn't find competent sheet metal fabricators in the West."

It doesn't seem like they're producing these anywhere that could be called "West".

[Michael Hoffmann]

Nope

Can't see them doing a re-shoot of Roman Holiday with this thing.

I think. I hope. Oh gods, did I just give Hollywood another utterly stupid idea?!

Nor can I see any Italians riding about on it going "ciao". (bonus points for getting that reference)

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Nope

Not just Roman Holiday, but Quadrophenia? Imagine the first MOD who comes over in one of these - he'd be chased out of town. Guess being able to out run a Vespa will be an advantage there.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Nope

Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txo7AiiHid0

Leslie Ash - Quadrophenia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thtIUN4Z1O0

Ms Hepburn & Ms Ash in the same post - perfect!

[DJV]

Re: ciao

Mr/Ms Izzard?

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: ciao

Nah, hasn't got the legs.

[Doctor Syntax]

"anodized aluminum and steel"

Steel isn't exactly a new material in motor cycles. Not even in scooters. I suppose the reference to Cybertrucks and De Loreans means it's stainless steel and the difficulty of working with that explains the fuggliness.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would you not just make out of Alumin-i-um due to the weight benefits ?? A scooter will magnify that benefit.

[MachDiamond]

"it's stainless steel and the difficulty of working with that explains the fuggliness."

One could use a thin gauge of SS over an injection molded plastic backing. It could also be aluminum coated to look like SS.

I'd want something white so I'd not lose skin if it were parked in the sun on a summer day.

[Anonymous Coward]

$10,000 electric seated scooter

That is going to send sparks into all the wrong places: "let me light you up".

Now, if it were a seated electric scooter...

[James Anderson]

Re: $10,000 electric seated scooter

The Chinese have been making electric scooters for decades. Mostly domestic market only as cheap short range transport.

[MachDiamond]

Re: $10,000 electric seated scooter

"Mostly domestic market only as cheap short range transport."

In high school and community college, my travel was about 1.5 miles each way. Where I worked flinging pizza dough was 3 miles each way to/from home. Having a scooter was a very cheap way to get around. Electric would have been so much better as the closest petrol station was further away in the wrong direction.

[Anonymous Coward]

Gives ugly an even worse name

Is design dead?

And $10,000?

WTAF

[simonlb]

Re: Gives ugly an even worse name

Ten grand? Well it does say specifically in the article that you can connect your iPhone to it, so it seems to be aimed at those with more money than sense. Android peasants need not apply.

[xyz]

Looks like the lovechild of...

Judge Dredd's bike and a 1950's radiator. Maybe they're hoping Elon will buy their company for gazillions.

[Little Mouse]

Re: Looks like the lovechild of...

Totally this - Because they can't actually simply be hoping to get rich by "inventing" the e-moped.

a: it's been done already

b: not that many people want them* (anecdotally from where I'm sitting anyway)

(My eldest daughter has an e-moped. It's an awesome bit of kit, and totally "green". But when she tried to sell it on after a couple of years' use she didn't get a single sniff of interest)

[MachDiamond]

Re: Looks like the lovechild of...

"(My eldest daughter has an e-moped. It's an awesome bit of kit, and totally "green". But when she tried to sell it on after a couple of years' use she didn't get a single sniff of interest)"

Looking for a trade might be a better way to move it along. Many people that could make good use of it might not have much cash.

[Snowy]

Not think of the pedestrian

WIth all them sharp edges a collision with a pedestrian is not going to go very well..

[Neil Barnes]

Re: Not think of the pedestrian

Nor is tripping over one, should they be bought by some crazy buyer in the ebike rental sector, and dumped all over the pavements like their cohorts already are...

[Claude Yeller]

What's new?

I visited China in 2010. The streets in the cities were filled with electrical scooters as gaz ones were prohibited because of air quality (which was already horrible). They looked just like Vespa's.

They were sold for $400.

So what's so special?

[Timo]

Re: What's new?

The origin story and the whole tired Northern California and silicon valley narrative is what is new. You know, where a couple of startup nerds try to tell you how to perceive things. And how they co-opt normal words to mean something completely specific to them, like a cringey inside joke that you're not enlightened enough to be in on.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: What's new?

One of these days, expect a disruptive rethink/design for the wheel to come from Northern California. One that is not circular

[Little Mouse]

Re: What's new?

Shark Wheel.

Sorry to nit-pick, but the inventors appear to be based in the southern half of California.

[Kurgan]

Re: What's new?

What's so "special"? Its price, of course. And probably the people who will buy it, too.

Of course here "special" means "not normal".

[joed]

Re: What's new?

I'm not sure that UL2271 certification alone justified the premium but this may be the only worthwhile "novelty" for the e-scooter market.

[MachDiamond]

Re: What's new?

"So what's so special?"

It has an app!

[Anonymous Coward]

So what's so special?

Let's see ...

Ugly as ugly can be, is iPhone whatever and costs 10K?

Like it says above: ... aimed at those with more money than sense.

.

[Anonymous Coward]

Overpriced plastic that will never replace the Honda Super Cub.

[gnasher729]

Looks absolutely dangerous to me. Very sharp metal edges all over the place. And you can bet someone will use it in pedestrian-only spaces.

[nematoad]

Musk's Cybertruck is illegal in the UK for a number of reasons one being the sharp angles and edges posing a threat to pedestrians.

This thing looks like it will follow the same way and I for one am very glad of the Construction and Use regulations in force in this country.

With luck we will never be afflicted with the sight of such a horrible thing.

[Dan 55]

Even the one designed as an e-bike (the Olto) reaches 33mph which means it won't be able to be used in pedestrianised spaces or bike lanes in Europe. So unless they set a top limit which can't be tinkered with, they're not going to be able to launch it on the right side of the pond.

[MachDiamond]

"And you can bet someone will use it in pedestrian-only spaces."

Be fair, that can be said for any sort of eBike/scooter. The cops have a hard time catching them and they know it.

[An_Old_Dog]

Crash Hazard

So these boys will be having you ride this thing, which you must balance, with a single hand, while you look at at a touchscreen, poking and sliding controls with your other hand.

When you are doing that, your primary visual focus is on the screen, and not where it should be -- on your environment.

[JJMorgan]

Re: Crash Hazard

Aside from that there cyclists are now questionning the legality of motorized vehicles, like the e-bike, on bike lanes. It's a complex issue, but by the time this company gets this expensive model out, it may be highly restricted.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Crash Hazard

"Aside from that there cyclists are now questionning the legality of motorized vehicles, like the e-bike, on bike lanes."

I don't see the problem of eBikes on bike lanes/paths as long as they are "eBikes" and not just undersized motorcycles and ridden at a proper speed. I'm of an age where riding my bicycle very far is exhausting. An eBike would let me use a bike more often for small errands and do more than a slow walk around the block. Fortunately, it's mostly flat where I live now. When I was in my twenties, the last part of a ride was getting up the hill from the coast to my flat and after a 50-60 mile trek, that was a chore.

[ComicalEngineer]

Blue Peter school of design

Looks like it was designed by dear departed John Noakes using a cereal packet and a roll of aluminium foil.

Basically someone who ran out of ideas for making something aethetically attractive and decided that a return to brutalist was a good idea.

Even le Corbusier would consider that ugly.

[Ianab]

Re: Blue Peter school of design

Maybe inspired by the famous Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust?

[Fruit and Nutcase]

only 60mph

A good thing it can't attain a speed of 88mph (on level ground - being dropped from height doesn't count)

[Kurgan]

Re: only 60mph

60 mph on that thing is already a suicide speed.

[Vulch]

Re: only 60mph

I doubt the battery will hold 1.21 gigawatts either...

[FirstTangoInParis]

Get over yourselves

Ok I’m going to get record downvotes here but I actually liked it. Oh the price that’s astronomical, but as a concept from a startup it made be sit up and take notice. They need a cheaper model and make it even more theif proof. I’m not convinced Olto will be legal in the UK with no license or insurance, looks like a moped to me. E bikes in the UK are limited to 15 mph IIRC except that local oiks will flash around on illegal modified versions and hopefully get themselves seriously injured so they will learn not to be dickheads.

A Triumph or Kwacker it is not, but those aren’t for everyone either.

[Dan 55]

Re: Get over yourselves

As a concept from a start-up they perhaps should have looked at a design which is road legal in more than one country?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Get over yourselves

We seem to be heading for an era in which it's not only inadmissible to have any restrictive barriers to the purchase of American technology, but there will be mandatory quotas...

[Ashentaine]

Don't worry, this looks pretty much like yet another startup either fishing for a quick grab at investor cash to run away with or attempting to get bought out by a larger company who intends to patent their tech and squat on it. The design looks like it was made specifically to flag down Tesla investors who are known to throw good money after bad at anything that promises to be "disruptive", so I'm guessing the former myself.

Either way, barring some financial scandal this is probably the first and last time you'll ever see one of those things outside of some Youtube video essay in a year or so.

[Anonymous Coward]

To quote Jeremy Clarkson

"It has the aerodymnamics of a cathedral"

It'll need a cult to sell it, like the Cybertruck.

[Herring`]

Electric

Just as an FYI, the fastest production motorbike is electric - the Lightning LS-218. It looks like a regular motorbike. I would buy one except that I don't have a bike licence, I can't afford it and I would be dead within the first week

[David Hicklin]

Re: Electric

> I would be dead within the first week

I'm not sure that you would survive the first bend in the road.... 218mph bike (although that was a modified version on a race track)

[Ken Y-N]

Agree with the fugly

Even lower polygon count than the WankPanzer, though I can sort of see the Vespa-ish back end, I suppose.

There's holes for I presume rear-view mirrors - are they an optional extra? - and the switches look very much designed for Californian sunshine. A very big meh from me.

[PeteDonnell]

Meanwhile in Vietnam, dat.bike (confusingly that's their URL) has a few models that are focused on practical considerations like range and storage compartment capacity, for a fraction of the price. Shame they're not available internationally. It seems crazy to spend the price of a car on what should be a cheap runaround...

[el Jaimito]

It clearly wasn't designed by Italians! What happens when those sharp edges encounter the human body in a crash? Brutalism has its attractions, but this doesn't - at least, not for me...

[goblinski]

New York City is as beneficial to such moneygrab incubators as it is to rats: there are so many leftovers and they are so juicy, that they thrive, where they shouldn't exist at all.

It's such a beautiful ecosystem of sustainable hipstidiocy, it's endearing.

And the origin story is top notch too. Reminds me of the Chobani founding: "...the guy was sitting on his desk going through papers, then something flashed in his mind, and he dug back through his trash paper bin - and THERE it was, that crumpled newspaper stating that a milk processing plant was for sale in upsate New York! Then it hit him: Hey, he NEEDS a milk processing plant ! So he bought it..."

Of course, THIS is what a Brooklym mother needs. A $10k atrocity to drive her kid to school with - because getting splattered with your kid by a taxi on a Chinese one is not classy enough.

[Paul Hovnanian]

Mode 1?

Kids take hacked E-bikes out on the highway today with no licenses.

[Simon Rockman]

This will be the thing to be seen on in the F1 paddock next season.

[FuzzyTheBear]

Ugly

Who'd want such an ugly machine ? Totally disgusting.

[martinusher]

A visit to the local motorcycle dealer migtht have been good market research

Motorcycles (and scooters) fall into two broad categories -- utility transport and prestige symbol. There are lots of great machines around in the $10K to $30K range with a range of performance and features but none of them are what I'd call 'utilitarian' (you mostly don't use them as your daily driver). Going to the sub-$10K range there's a whole bunch of really good, useful, machines available -- mature designs from established manufacturers that have a good service and support network.

Their product just doesn't fit in. Its too expensive for a machine of that size and performance and its just not competitive with a real motorcycle. This is what marketing is all about -- identifying a niche and building to fill it. You don't just build a custom machine and hope people will buy it because its different. (Especially so -- its a real pain to get spare parts for some makes.)

(FWIW -- Pedal cycles have their own ecosystem. You can spend $10K+ on a push bike which will have all sorts of exotic features but most of us just need one to get to the shops on.)

[anotherblowhard]

And by the next shareholder meeting...

We'll be activating full autonomous driving just after you approve my trillion dollar ceoing.

oh and we will commandeer all sold units to go into robot mode to uber people for a fee and make us loads...