When the Scuddy inventors presented their first three-wheeled e-scooter in 2012, it was already designed as a road-legal vehicle and quickly realized. With the Scuddy Premium V2, the Kiel-based company is launching a successor on the market. This progress is based on the trend that more and more people are discovering the benefits of an e-scooter, and not just in urban areas.

The unique selling point of the scuddy is that it combines the performance of a moped with a folding mechanism that allows all versions of the e-scooter to be folded to the size of a drinks crate. Thanks to its compact folding size, a scuddy can be carried free of charge as luggage on Deutsche Bahn trains, for example. There is also no need to search for a parking space in city centers. In practice, the folding design has opened up further uses.

"You now often see scuddys on campsites. This is also due to the increased popularity of motorhomes since the Covid pandemic and the many best agers traveling. While young people are enthusiastic about the fun of driving, older people appreciate the flexible form of mobility and the resulting increase in vacation comfort," explains Jörn Jacobi, Technical Director of scuddy. He points out that the vehicle is now available in five different versions to meet the individual requirements of different user groups, weighing a maximum of 29 kg depending on the equipment. Whether it's a sporty ride while standing up or a comfortable ride while sitting down, a scuddy adapts to your riding needs, says Jörn Jacobi.

Built on damping solutions from ACE right from the start

All versions of the e-scooter, which can be folded to a size of 62 x 53 x 42 cm, have a battery that can be charged at standard sockets. Depending on the configuration and riding style, this provides ranges of up to 70 km. The maximum speeds vary between 15 km/h and 45 km/h. For the 15 km/h model, which is also suitable for use as an invalid chair with special approval, helmets are not compulsory in Germany and it can be ridden anywhere without a driver's license from the age of 15. The versions that reach 20 km/h and 25 km/h fall into the moped category.

A maximum payload of 125 kg is permitted for emission-free transportation. The characteristic two wheels on the scuddy front axle provide a cornering feel similar to carving skiing and ensure a fun ride.

The structural dampers of the TUBUS TR-H family used in the e-scooters are characterized by soft deceleration and high energy absorption. Depending on the type, between 2.7 and 427 Nm/stroke can be achieved with maximum strokes of 15 to 56 mm. © ACE

To ensure that this also applies at speeds of up to 45 km/h and on as many road surfaces as possible, the company founders have relied on damping solutions from ACE shock absorbers right from the start. "The ACE engineering team has always been available to us since 2012 and has also contributed damping ideas to the scuddy developments in order to refine our solutions. The fact that ACE can also provide shock absorbers without deflection kinematics and therefore with a minimum of space is a real advantage," says design engineer Sebastian Vetter about the collaboration.

Different dampers for different weight classes

"It's a bit like skiing. The bindings are adjusted differently depending on the weight of the rider. And it's clear that the body weight also requires different damping when riding over bumps such as potholes, roots or manhole covers," says Jörn Jacobi, giving an insight into the need for individualized damping. The specifications for ACE stated that three different damping systems were required. The first was for the weight class up to 80 kg, the second for the weight class between 80 kg and 110 kg and the third for customers weighing over 110 kg.

Together, the partners used ACE's design software to determine that different structural dampers were best suited for all three classes. The basic types TR64-41H-OS, TR68-37H-OS and TR79-42H-OS were selected. As in the past, ACE provided free samples for the test phases and was able to deliver them immediately thanks to the high availability from the Langenfeld warehouse. During and after the tests, the design engineers integrated the TUBUS components on the swing arm for maximum ride comfort. Unlike its predecessor, this was not done as a tandem design.

While the smaller of the selected structural dampers, which are all made of co-polyester elastomer, has a value of 25 Nm/stroke, the middle one has a value of 66.5 Nm/stroke and the largest 81.5 Nm/stroke. With a service life of over one million strokes, the TUBUS can also be used by real frequent drivers, whereby the maintenance-free elements do not require an additional end stop.

It was just as important to the designers that the assembly was easy to carry out. The radial load of the TR-H series ensures a particularly soft deceleration. The "H" stands for a harder mixture of the material, which leads to the desired high energy absorption compared to other radial damping TUBUS.

Tim Ascheberg, the company founder responsible for marketing and public relations, also points out that the haptics have also become more sophisticated and that the team has succeeded in designing power electronics that can be used beyond the Scuddy and bringing them to market maturity. The fact that this is available as an OEM product for e-scooter manufacturers is proof of both the high quality and the versatility and confidence of the Kiel team.