Schwalbe Vintage Scooter Goes Electric with a Bosch Motor

The Italians have done it. The Czechs have done it. And now the Germans are doing it: rolling out an electric version of an iconic motorized scooter.

More than five decades after the first German-built Schwalbe motorized scooter was introduced on the east side of the Berlin Wall, the one-time Vespa competitor is back with an electric model boasting a top-of-the-line Bosch electric drive system with a 40-mile range and a top speed of 28 MPH.

Relying on a four-kilowatt electric motor and and a pair of lithium ion battery packs for power, the rebooted e-scooter resembles its predecessor at first glance. But a closer look reveals modern flourishes like a 4.4-inch LCD display, LED lights and 1,200-watt on-board-charger.

E-scooter (7 images)

Dubbed “a bridge between the past, present and future of transportation” and available in — count ’em — 120 different colors, the electrified Schwalbe is silent to the ears and easy on the eyes. With deliveries starting this summer, the base model scooter is priced around $6,300.

To book ein probefahrt (a test drive), send an email here.

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Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”