This $30,000 electric scooter is aiming to set a Bonneville speed record.

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      A UK company named Bo produces a stylish electric scooter known as the Model-M. The top variant boasts a maximum speed of 22 mph and a range of 40 miles for $2,500. While this may seem expensive, it is practical. The prototype Turbo model is set to aim for high speeds at the Bonneville salt flats next month.

      Founded in 2022, Bo appears to be ramping up its marketing efforts—last week, they released a teaser of someone in full Moto GP gear tearing through a tunnel on their Turbo model concept, and they seem to be lending the more socially acceptable Model M to journalists for test rides. My friend Matt Hardigree recently took one for a spin and appeared to enjoy it.

      The Bo website states that the company's engineers left Formula 1 to focus on scooters "because we believe electric scooters are the most significant vehicle innovation of this century." That's quite a statement! I remember the Bird scooter craze while living in LA; I once rode one from Culver City to Marina Del Rey and found it enjoyable, roughly taking the same time as driving through traffic. However, everyone soon grew tired of them, tossed them into the ocean, and I haven't seen one cluttering city streets in years.

      Bo clearly aims to avoid the disposable image, which I appreciate. The Model-M is presented as a high-end alternative to the cheap Bird and Lime scooters. To be honest, it still resembles every other scooter, albeit with an additional layer of aluminum skin for a slightly softer Cybertrucky appearance.

      I'm not criticizing—I find electric scooters enjoyable, and spending $2,500 for a well-crafted one that can travel 40 miles doesn’t seem unreasonable. Nonetheless, there’s no need to be overly excited about everything simply because it has expansive silver panels.

      Regarding the extremely fast Turbo models, Wired reported a price of $30,000, but it seems you need a connection to get one—it's not yet available on Bo's consumer site. It's said to generate over 24,000 watts of power with a powerful dual motor controller created alongside partner Rage Mechanics, a French firm that specializes in high-performance electric microvehicles.

      In my view, this style is more appealing than the typical Apple/Tesla look that’s so popular. That said, I’m still not in the market for a scooter exceeding $25,000.

      This led me to explore the world of electric scooter racing and Rage Mechanics’ previous achievements. The company claims its RM-X model can reach speeds over 106 mph and is priced around $26,500, which, in my opinion, looks way cooler than the Tesla-like Bo. It seems the Bo Turbo will have to outperform this model to truly establish its speed record.

      Check out this incredible situation:

      Bo claims, “Over 24,000W provides incredible acceleration, and advanced traction control redistributes power to the wheel with the most grip, ensuring maximum thrust.” However, I believe Bo mainly wants to highlight its stability assistance technology called Safesteer. This system is designed to counteract rider instability. Top Gear reviewed one of these models in 2023, describing it as utilizing “torsion springs to stabilize the steering and minimize twitchiness and kickback.”

      Safesteer is available on the regular Bo scooters, but the Turbo model lacks the Hope V4 disc brakes, floating rotors, extreme power output, and ram-air intake for cooling.

      As a technological showcase, this stunt is intriguing, and I wish the test pilot success in achieving triple-digit speeds and stopping safely. That wouldn’t be for me—I’m content with neighborhood bicycle speeds on anything with wheels smaller than my face.

      If you find yourself curious about the performance of a more affordable e-scooter, there’s plenty more to discover in this niche. I already found one on Amazon that claims to reach 50 mph for $1,500.

      Have you ridden or created any extreme small-wheeled machine? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a note at [email protected].