Honda’s cutesy U Be electric scooter only costs $475

Scooters never quite caught on in the US like they did in many other parts of the world, but perhaps Honda’s latest offering this month could change that. Well, if the company planned to introduce this electric scooter here. This is the Wuyang-Honda U Be. It costs about $475, can go up to 50 miles on a charge and provides a fully seated position for riders to stay comfy in.

Right now, the joint venture company is only focused on Chinese sales, so don’t expect Honda Powersports to start stocking U Be scooters. However, with a price like this and what looks like a very tidy little package, it might be a surprise hit in various parts of the US where owning a car, frankly, sucks.

Wuyang-Honda

As for specs, they sort of reflect an e-bike, and that’s because the U Be qualifies as one. It rocks a set of pedals to help skirt around scooter regulations locally in China, and buyers don’t need a driver’s license to pilot one of these. When riders climb on they’re treated to a very small 350-watt motor that can push the U Be to speeds up to 15 mph. Its three different battery sizes are 720, 960 and 1,152 watt-hours and return an estimated 34, 43 and 50 miles to a charge, according to the company.

As e-bikes have a moment here in the US, maybe it’s not long before scooters will, too. If that happens, the U Be would be one heck of a ride — especially for the price.