Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
The app doesn’t have many other features outside of locking the motor, choosing modes, turning on the headlight, and checking the battery. Technically, Morgan tells me the scooter has the hardware needed to enable Find My functionality in Apple’s tracking app, but Bo hasn’t completed Apple’s certification process yet, so this capability isn’t present currently. The Lock and Load mounting point on the chassis lets you secure the scooter with a bike lock and doubles as a spot to hang a backpack as you ride.
All of this comes at a high price, one that many may find unreasonable. In the UK, the Bo M starts at £1,299, but when it launches in the US it’ll cost $2,250 after tariffs. You can easily find scooters with similar capabilities for half that or less in the US, like the Apollo Go. That said, Morgan says Bo’s demographic is people who enjoy the aesthetic of the scooter as much as the performance, many of whom are also first-time escooter riders. It’s why the setup is almost nonexistent when you unbox the Bo M—just make sure the tires have enough air.
The biggest question with new micromobility companies is the servicing story. Bo is currently looking to partner with a dealer network, though the company says it will sell parts online so a customer can make their own repairs if needed. While some of the components are proprietary, Morgan says it’s built in a way that you can use third-party parts to keep the Bo M running forever. For example, the Bo M has a custom motor, but the mounting points are standardized. You could install another motor on the chassis, it just wouldn’t have the same level of optimization.
Make It Faster
The existence of the Turbo can be summarized with one intent: If you can do 100 miles per hour on it, then riding at 25 mph on the Bo M is nothing. That’s because the Turbo is made with the same aluminum unibody frame as the Bo M, just wider and with a dual-motor system. It’s a pure marketing stunt to get people looking at the Bo M while showing off the company’s engineering chops.
The Turbo has a 24,000-watt dual-motor propulsion system, powered by a 1,800-watt-hour battery that theoretically could deliver 150 miles of range at normal speeds (around 18 mph). It has a ram-air intake “inspired by F1 brake duct inlet design” to prevent the whole system from overheating. And it can go faster than 100 miles per hour, the world record it intends to set at Bonneville Speed Week.
Perhaps shockingly, it’s not impossible to purchase. Morgan tells me a Bo M customer in Spain has already ordered a Turbo for an eye-watering $29,500.
Whether it sets the record or not, it’ll be interesting to see what learnings the company will take to improve its future scooters (turn signals would be a nice place to start). Bo isn’t the only company trying to make a splash in the volatile direct-to-consumer micromobility space. New York–based Infinite Machines recently debuted a sleek, all-aluminum $3,495 Olto ebike, pedals and all, and Rivian unveiled a new micromobility company earlier this year, dubbed Also.
These companies are crafting a new breed of good-looking, durable, simplified micromobility vehicles, with higher prices to match. Only time will tell if customers bite.