“Intelligent urban mobility must evolve from the needs of the users. The ultimate goal is to provide users with a smarter and more comfortable solution for getting around in the city,” is the claim of the Niu Design Team in developing its electric vehicles. SQi was to become the first product in the class of light electric scooters on the Chinese market that conveys the riding experience of a motorbike. Functionally, the vehicle, which also has two pedals, is somewhere between an e-bike and an e-moped, while in terms of appearance it is based on an electric motorbike. In the design process, the designers challenged the traditional layout of conventional motorbikes to create space for a truly original solution. The biggest challenges were to make the scooter very light and to find the optimal centre of gravity of the vehicle to achieve a comfortable riding position while allowing easy removal of the battery. The result is the SQi, whose striking appearance is defined by its purist frame design, which the manufacturer itself describes as “industrial exoskeleton” style. The innovative unibody frame is made of an ultra-light magnesium alloy in a high-precision die-casting process, which not only keeps the total weight of the scooter below 55 kg, but also improves rigidity, impact resistance and corrosion resistance. Other striking design elements include the side-opening battery compartment, which ensures convenient access, and the lighting system with its eye-catching halo headlight that appears to float in front of the handlebars. “The SQi is a futuristic two-wheeler that draws the eye. Its design breaks with the idea that an e-vehicle is merely the further development of a vehicle with a combustion engine. Instead, it defines a new language of form, a new style for this type of e-mobility, which could remain relevant for several years to come and is thus trend-setting,” the jury said, explaining their decision. Furthermore, the SQi convinces with many modern and clever details and its extremely high quality in design technology.
