Honda Motocompacto Turns Suitcase into Personal Urban Mobility e-Scooter

Formerly known as Tokyo Motor Show, the name was changed to Tokyo Mobility Show to emphasize the event’s focus on mobility of all kinds, as opposed to just cars. That focus was backed up by introductions of a mobile inflatable chair, a wheeled robot that can climb stairs, and a four-seater vehicle that walks on four legs. 

Honda was in the midst of it, displaying their technology with a powered wheelchair that operates by body movement, a personal Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicle with FAA certification, a robot with nimble multi-fingered hands that can perform delicate operations in dangerous locations, and our subject for this post, a rideable suitcase. Called the Motocompacto, this innovative sit-down e-scooter will soon be for sale in the US, including right here at Honda of Marysville.

Practical for Storage Fun on the Road

The idea of the Motocompacto is that it can be unobtrusively stored in a vehicle’s trunk or against the side of a cubicle and then easily pulled out and turned into a practical electric scooter. Honda sees the scooter as beneficial for the so-called last mile or first mile of public transportation commuting, navigating college campuses, and as a handy vehicle to perform errands in the city. 

When folded, the Motocompacto really does resemble a white suitcase with a height and length of 29.5” x 21.1”. Though its width is more like a briefcase at just 3.7 inches. It has a handle for carrying and weighs just 41.3 pounds. To configure for riding, one swings up the handlebars from the top, pulls out and attaches the seat, pulls the rear wheel back from the body, and swings out two footpegs. Now it looks like a white suitcase with appendages. Built into the front is an LED headlight with an LED taillight in the rear. A welded loop in the kickstand is compatible with most bike locks. 

A 40-Year-Old Idea Rethought

Those of a certain age with a good memory will recognize the Motocompacto as a modern take on Honda’s Motocompo of the early 80s. This gas-powered mini bike also folded up for storage. The Motocompo was both wider and much heavier at just under 100 pounds with a full gas tank.

There is no gas tank on the Motocompacto as it is a battery-electric vehicle. Fully charged after 3.5 hours of charging from a household 110V outlet, the little scooter has an expected range of up to 12 miles and a maximum speed of 15 mph. Unlike almost any e-scooter you can think of, the Motocompacto is front-wheel drive.

Though revealed in Tokyo, the Motocompacto is largely a US invention, having been designed and developed by Honda engineers in Ohio and California where they secured 32 patents in the process. The Motocompacto can be ordered online but will also be sold through the Honda and Acura dealer network, including Rairdon’s Honda of Marysville, with an estimated price of $995.

More Conventional Honda EVs Will Follow

The Motocompacto precedes the introduction of another albeit more conventional Honda vehicle, the all-electric Prologue which will be Honda’s first battery-electric automobile for the US. The Prologue SUV is roughly the size of the Passport, has a range of 250 to 320 miles, and will come with its own collection of innovative technologies. You can expect to see the Prologue in Rairdon’s Honda of Marysville’s showroom in early 2024. These are the first US products to become part of Honda’s global goal of achieving carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050. Honda will introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2030 with an expected global sales volume of 2 million units.