British tech startup Hilo EV has introduced its first e-scooter, the Hilo One, bringing automotive EV principles to take micromobility safety standards to a new level.
The Hilo One advanced safety system uses AI computer vision to alert road users of potential dangers with warnings similar to those found in cars.
Its features include the ‘Halo’ illuminating system which enhances e-scooter visibility at night and a rider’s intentions when braking and indicating.
Proximity alerts are integrated with a tactile feedback system and audible signals that provide users with physical sensations in the handlebars and sound cues to enhance their riding experience.
“The importance of the ‘Halo’ technology is making the rider aware of other road users and vice versa,” Robin Harris, CEO of Hilo EV, told Zag Daily today at Micromobility Europe.
EV experience
Hilo EV was co-founded by EV industry leader Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, the former CEO at Aston Martin Lagonda and COO at Nissan.
“We’re presenting a technology designed to challenge the perception that e-scooters are unsafe”, said Palmer, Chairman of Hilo EV. “My ambition is to bring automotive levels of safety standards to micromobility.”
Aimed at the premium private ownership market, Hilo One will start from £1,750. The company has over 4,000 units pre-ordered and will manufacture 500 units of a limited Founders special edition.
Hilo One specs
Hilo EV’s flagship e-scooter has an expanded 12.5” front wheel to provide riders with more stability and control, especially on uneven urban surfaces.
It can reach 15.5 mph and has a 25 miles range, coupled with twin 350w electric motors and powerful electronic, maintenance-free braking.
The ‘Halo’ AI system casts a full perimeter light projection, communicating to other road users if they become dangerously close. A projected pool of light increases its visibility at night.
Hilo EV plans to make the ‘Halo’ illumination system technology available to other micromobility companies developing small, lightweight vehicles.
The e-scooter also includes a folding mechanism that allows compact storage in homes, offices or cars.
EV integration
Built on Android Auto, the Hilo One’s in-car dock provides in-car charging from car boots.
It also has a control unit that allows the scooter to seamlessly integrate with an electric car and share navigation information and charge states bidirectionally.
