In a city where finding parking is often more complicated than getting to your destination, the idea of an electric scooter that folds and drags like a trolley stops seeming like a futuristic design exercise and becomes a concrete solution. It’s called Icoma Tatamel Bike and it is the project with which the Japanese designer Takamitsu Ikoma tries to solve one of the most chronic problems of urban mobility: space.
After years of seeing similar concepts bounce around social media, this time the idea has become reality. The Tatamel Bike has entered production and promises to change the way we get around dense, chaotic and historically complex cities.
How the electric scooter that becomes a trolley works
The heart of the Tatamel Bike is its folding system. In a few seconds, the scooter goes from the driving configuration to the compact one, with a length of 690 millimetres, comparable to that of a trolley. When open, however, it reaches 1,230 millimetres, maintaining contained proportions compared to traditional scooters.
This means being able to take the vehicle with you, instead of leaving it on the street. A possibility that can make the difference in many Italian cities, for example in Rome, where traffic, difficult parking, theft and limited spaces often make even the management of a scooter complicated.
The weight is 63 kilograms, with a maximum capacity of 100 kg, numbers that allow it to be moved and maneuvered without particular difficulties once folded.
Engine, autonomy and battery
From a technical point of view, the Tatamel Bike is designed to move over short and medium distances. The electric motor has a nominal power of 600 watts, with peaks of up to 2,000 watts in acceleration. The maximum speed is limited to 45 km/h, a threshold consistent with city use.
The declared autonomy is approximately 30 kilometers on a single charge, more than sufficient for daily travel in urban areas. The battery uses LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) technology, chosen to guarantee greater thermal stability, safety and durability over time, even at the cost of a slightly higher weight than other solutions.
The cycling compartment adopts a configuration designed to balance compactness and comfort. The braking system combines a front drum and a rear disc, while the suspension is entrusted to an upside-down front fork and a rear monoshock.
The wheels are asymmetrical, with 10 inches at the front and 6.5 inches at the rear, a choice that allows for reduced bulk in the folded configuration without compromising stability while driving, even on irregular asphalt typical of urban contexts.
Internal production and customization
Another distinctive element of the Tatamel Bike is the production process. The scooter is made in the Japanese Icoma factory, using 3D printing and internal mechanical processing. This approach allows for flexible production and a good level of customization.
The side panels are removable and configurable, allowing those who purchase the vehicle to adapt the appearance to their preferences, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view. The price is around 2,758 euros. It is not a scooter designed for everyone, but for those who live the city every day and are looking for a practical solution for getting around while reducing the environmental impact and problems associated with parking.
The Tatamel Bike does not promise to solve all the limits of urban mobility, but it introduces a simple and concrete idea: if the problem is where to leave the vehicle, perhaps it is the vehicle that needs to change shape.
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