This high-tech scooter runs on batteries

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is a long-range electric scooter.

The Dutch electric-scooter company Etergo has developed a model with a range of 240 kilometers (about 150 miles), said Micah Toll at Electrek. That's five times the range of most current scooters. The vehicle, called the AppScooter, has three batteries that fit under the floorboard; it will also operate with just one, so you can commute on a single battery while leaving the others at home for more cargo space.

"The Dutch are accustomed to using two-wheeled vehicles as their main form of transportation," and for those long rides, Etergo's scooters come with features more commonly associated with cars: a 7-inch touchscreen, internet connectivity, and Bluetooth phone controls. The machines could come across the Atlantic, but "we're probably looking at 2020 as the earliest we'll ever see an AppScooter in the U.S."

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