What in the…?
Ain’t it cute? It’s the Honda Motocompacto—an adorable little electric scooter that looks like something out of The Jetsons. It’s a modern interpretation of the rad Motocompo from the ’80s—something Honda used to sell as a, let’s say, boot bike, where it could fit in the back of the carmaker’s smallest hatchbacks, like the City and the Today. It also starred in an absolutely iconic ad for the Honda City featuring ska group Madness (Honda! Honda! Honda! Honda!).
Here in the year 2023, the Motocompacto sits at the intersection of buzzy phrases like “mobility solutions” and “first mile, last mile.” It’s small enough to fit in the trunks of most cars, and light enough that you can carry it with one hand.
So it’s basically an electric briefcase on wheels?
Now you’re getting it. The whole thing collapses into itself; the handlebars extend out of the body, the seat snaps into place, the rear wheel slides out the back, and the footpegs fold out from the sides. Putting it together and breaking it down takes a sec to learn, but once you’ve got the hang of it, the Motocompacto is super-easy to assemble. It’s got a little ring built into the kickstand as well, so you can put a lock on it and attach it to a bike rack. Don’t want anyone walking away with this little sweetheart, after all.
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Is it heavy?
Nah. The whole kit and caboodle weighs 18.7kg, which is less than half the weight of the ’80s Motocompo. Plus, the Compacto only sits 21.1 inches tall, so you can just lean over, pick it up by the handle, and walk away. Don’t feel like lugging that kind of weight around? You can totally just fold the foot pegs into the body, put the handlebars in their vertical position, and wheel it next to you. The Motocompacto is only 3.7 inches wide, making the whole thing less cumbersome than a rollaboard suitcase.
Oh, and while I’m talking about weight, take note: Honda says the Motocompacto has a maximum rider capacity of 120kg.
Surely it can’t be fast...
Nope. But, like, how fast do you need this thing to be? The Motocompacto tops out at just under 25kph, and on something the size of a FedEx box, that’s plenty. Cruising along at top speed, the Motocompacto is a blast. It takes 7sec to hit top speed, which also sounds slow taken out of context. Come on, how fast do you need a briefcase-on-wheels to be?
When you turn the Motocompacto on, it starts in Level 1, where there’s no power available at 0kph and top speed is reduced to around 16kph. You have to give the thing a push with your feet and then hit the throttle in order to get it moving in Level 1. But in Level 2, you just thumb the throttle and go, all the way up to 25kph. Get to it, speed demon.
Did you topple over and make a fool of yourself?
No! Granted, I only zipped around Honda’s Southern California campus and slalomed my way through a little cone course the company set up in its parking lot. The whole thing feels solid and stable, not the slightest bit rickety or wobbly. Those little wheels don’t exactly make it the sort of thing you could realistically use on dirt or gravel roads, but the Motocompacto handles manhole covers and speed bumps without issue. Go riding with your friends. Also, I’ve decided the collective noun for Motocompactos is “pacto.” A pacto of Compactos. It’s correct, trust me.
Power only goes to the front wheel, and Honda’s got a failsafe built in where power isn’t delivered until all of the bits are locked into place. There’s an LED headlight that flashes during the day and stays illuminated at night, plus you get a little brake light around back. Speaking of which, the handlebar brake feels solid and the thing comes to a halt quickly, but not so abruptly that you’ll lose your balance.
How’s the range?
Not terrible; the Motocompacto will go around 19km on a full charge, which is about the same as those silly scooters that litter the streets of major cities. Plug it into a standard home outlet and it takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge, and oh man, the power cord housing looks like a little tiny Motocompacto. I giggled when Honda showed me.
I want one. You want one?
Oh, yeah, I want one. It only comes in white, but Honda says that’s intentional, to give it “back of a laptop” personalization possibilities. I can’t wait to see these things done up with decals and stickers. I also sincerely hope Honda goes wild with some optional add-on liveries.
Depending on where you are, you’ll be able to buy the Motocompacto starting in November. The cost—$995 (around P55,700). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some budget rearranging to do.
More photos of the Honda Motocompacto:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
