Arevo debuts custom, 3D-printed composite scooter

On May 26, additive manufacturing specialist Arevo (Milpitas, Calif., U.S.) launches Scotsman, a new electric scooter brand whose flagship product is a custom 3D-printed, carbon fiber/thermoplastic composite electric kickscooter.

Scotsman’s entire unibody construction — frame, handlebar, stem and foldable baseboard — are 3D-printed with aerospace-grade Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) carbon fiber and polyamide (PA), constructed seamlessly without joints or glue. Designed for impact resistance and durability, the composite frame is said to weigh 15-20 kilograms (33-44 pounds) plus the weight of the battery pack, which can be removed for lighter-weight transport.

Like Superstrata, Arevo’s 3D-printed carbon fiber/polyamide bicycle launched in July 2020, the Scotsman is a direct-to-consumer product manufactured at Arevo’s Vietnam-based manufacturing facility. Also like Superstrata, each Scotsman is tailor-made for the customer’s height, weight, arm and leg lengths, and riding position — a level of customization said to be a world-first within the scooter industry.

According to Sonny Vu, CEO of Arevo, the Scotsman’s design is intended to bridge the gap between bulky shared scooters and “toy-like” personal use scooters. Notes Josh Morenstein, founder of Branch Creative, the studio that worked with Arevo to design the Scotsman, “In designing the Scotsman, we wanted to elevate the scooter experience to a sophisticated alternative means of transportation that appeals to the urban professional commuting to work as much as the performance geek who wants the latest in electric mobility. Being able to 3D print in continuous carbon fiber composite enabled us to pursue designs not otherwise possible in other materials and fabrication techniques.”

Vu adds, “Scotsman has many features for consumers in terms of connectivity and different customization options, but from a materials perspective, it’s really quite an innovation. Soctsman shows the capabilities of using continuous fiber 3D printing for very complex, curved parts and pieces you just couldn’t make from a traditional lamination approach. You certainly couldn’t customize each scooter.  You’d have to make multiple molded pieces that would have to be glued or welded together, adding weight and reducing the strength. We don’t do any of that. It’s just one piece coming out of the printer because our printer does prints up to a cubic meter.”

The current production facility in Ho Chi Minh City, which will be fully operational this summer, houses 76 of Arevo’s robotic direct energy deposition (DED), continuous fiber composite 3D printers, which Vu says will be capable of printing 2,000 bike/scooter frames per month, or about 1 Superstrata frame per machine per day, and a little faster for a Scotsman frame. He notes that a new, even larger facility, in Da Nang, Vietnam, will open next year housing hundreds of 3D printers for increased production capacity.

Additional high-end features of the Scotsman include:

• high-power motors (up to 2,000-watt output).
• dual motor system for added stability.
• dual regenerative brake system.
• proprietary composite suspension system.
• dual battery bay architecture for extended riding.
• quick release battery system that doubles as a USB-C powerbank to charge any devices.
• fully connected (always on GPS + cellular) riding experience, including Find My Scooter and Unlock features, and a built-in dashcam that has a Record My Ride feature.

“With Superstrata and now Scotsman, our goal is to demonstrate what we can do,” Vu says. “We’re putting out very good products, made at scale, and brought to market really fast.” He notes that Arevo plans to leverage the skills and knowledge gained from both products to manufacture bicycle, electric vehicle and other components in future as well using the company’s 3D printing facilities.

The Scotsman electric scooter will retail for $2,999 and is available for pre-order with special pricing now at Scotsman’s preorder website. Shipping begins in December 2021.