Autoped: The E-Scooter That Started It All

Arnold Kotra

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Oct 18, 2023

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While e-scooters may appear to be a fairly new phenomenon, they are actually old inventions — at least from the Silicon Valley perspective. Meet the Autoped: a sensation that captivated American and European streets more than a hundred years ago.

Joyful Beginnings

Good design often elicits powerful emotions. In the realm of scooters, the design taps into the youthful exhilaration of moving around. This isn’t coincidental — the first scooters were conceived as toys for children in the late 19th century. Their basic design consisted of three skate wheels on a wooden platform, a bar and handlebars nailed together.

The crude, almost cheap design became the scooter’s greatest asset. They were so easy to make that some children made their own out of leftover wood from the factories’ production lines. Bringing so much joy to the youth of the era, kick scooters soon evolved, becoming a cheap, efficient mode of transportation for adults.

Meet Autoped

As the 19th century drew to a close, the world saw the rise of the first mass-produced motorcycle companies. The allure of motorised bicycles soon permeated the kick scooter world. Leading this innovative charge was the Autoped, crafted by the Autoped Company between 1915 and 1922:

In what can be described as a classic tech origin story, the Autoped was invented in a garage. The inventor, Arthur Gibson, described his ambitions with the following words: “The goals of my invention are to create a vehicle that is extremely small, compact and light concerning the load to be carried”. Having secured a patent by 1916, he subsequently set up his factory in Long Island City in Queens, New York.

While developing the product, Gibson collaborated with visionary motorbike designer Joseph F. Merkel. He was the man behind the Flying Merkel, an incredibly successful motorcycle famous for its performance and design. Looking at both vehicles, one can sense a similar design philosophy, driven by innovation, functionality and sleek aesthetics.

The designers went to great lengths to ensure the vehicle was user-friendly. A prime example is the steering handle’s design. Pushing the handlebar forward engaged the clutch, thus enabling the driver to go forward. Conversely, pulling the handlebar backwards disengaged the clutch, activating the brake. As noted by Silodrome, this design held a safety mechanism within itself: “[…] if the rider fell off the back, the handlebars would automatically move back to disengage the clutch and engage the brake.”

The engine was installed at the front wheel and a throttle control lever was located on the side of the handlebar. Other features included a headlight, taillight, a klaxon horn and it came with a maintenance toolbox in case of a problem while on the road. What’s more, one could fold the handlepost, making it portable and easy to store, even under a kitchen table!

In terms of performance, the Autoped closely paralleled today’s e-scooters, reaching top speeds of 20 mph (32 km/h) and an average battery range of 12 miles (19 km). The gasoline version was also known for low fuel consumption — an important factor during the rationing of WWI. In 1918, Eveready Battery Company bought into the company leading to the release of an electric battery-powered version onto the market.

Branding — the 1910s way

Beyond its well thought-out design, a considerate effort was put into branding to amplify the Autoped’s appeal. In a move to enhance the innovative designs of Gibson and Merkel, Empire Rubber & Tire Company crafted bespoke ‘Empire Red No Skid’ tyres exclusively for Autoped, positioning red as its signature tyre colour. Although this bold colour choice added branding flair, the company was keen to highlight that the primary motivation behind the tyre design was performance and safety. The manufacturers also decided to engage in another partnership by affixing a metal plate on the scooter recommending the use of Mobiloil B for the tank — a product of the still up-and-coming Vacuum Oil Company.

Revving Up the Hype

One of the first advertising campaigns hailed the Autoped as “the motor vehicle of the millions”. Though its starting price of $100 (~$2,700 today) may have deterred mainstream adoption, it was still an attractive choice for some. Compared to four-wheeled automobiles, its price and fuel efficiency were notably superior.

The Autoped found a distinct fan base among independent women. Lady Florence Norman, a notable activist and suffragette, utilised the scooter for her London commutes. Revue actress Shirley Kellogg featured in a staged Autoped photoshoot in Hyde Park. Additionally, famed aviatrix and mobility enthusiast, Amelia Earhart, was photographed multiple times using the Autoped, even years after it was discontinued.

The company or the distributors tried to capitalise on this demographic’s affinity. Many advertisements of the day depicted women dashing through city streets on the scooter. Intriguingly, a similar marketing approach employing an ‘empowerment’ strategy would later be adopted by Vespa.

The Autoped Company also managed to enter the B2B sector. Policemen around NYC used autoped to control traffic. The New York Postal Service owned a fleet of Autopeds, though unfortunately, it’s impossible to find any information online how the trial went. However, it’s possible to see how futuristic it looked:

Despite these efforts, not everyone was pleased with the vehicle. Similar to today’s e-scooters, Autopeds also garnered some bad press. Magazines and journals of the time labelled it as a “freak vehicle” or “solo devil wagon”. Instances of reckless driving and fears from pedestrians were reported.

Due to its size, it also proved to be a convenient getaway vehicle for petty crime. An organised crime group called the Long Island Bogtrotters (great band name) led by Fat Burns (great solo act name) terrorised Brooklyn on Autopeds. They even organised an illegal Grand Prix with the vehicles.

The Sudden End

The Autoped was a very innovative and well-made vehicle of its time. It proved to be popular outside the US and was manufactured in Europe under a licence by Krupp in Germany (who added an attachable seat to the design), CAS in Czechoslovakia and U.K. Imperial in England.

Despite the market expansion and ticking all the boxes for commercial success, it wasn’t profitable. Production ceased just seven years after its launch. Perhaps the regulations introduced to curb the automobile boom didn’t work in its favour. When autoped was launched, there were barely any safety regulations on urban streets. Needless to say, NYC introduced traffic lights around 15 years later.

Competition and finding the right market segment might have played a part too. As Smithsonian Magazine points out, it “[…] was more expensive than a bicycle but didn’t offer the seated comfort of a motorcycle”. Not to mention, around the same time mopeds began to emerge in the market. Autoped’s case wasn’t unique during these dynamic yet transient times for the industry.

Autoped Lives On

After almost 60 years of lying dormant, the idea of a motorised kick scooter was revived in 1985. GoPed, designed by Steve Patmont, re-introduced gas powered scooters in a fun, 80s fashion and garnered a loyal following. The early 2000s were also marked by the commercial success of Razor, which made kick scooters cool again among kids.

The real breakthrough came in around 2009 with the development of ion batteries. Because of this, the production of electric vehicles became significantly cheaper. Subsequently, in 2017, Bird introduced their first e-scooter sharing programme, with many others soon following suit, kickstarting a new trend in urban micromobility. But that’s a whole other story.

References

1. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/motorized-scooter-boom-hit-century-dockless-scooters-180971989/
2. https://newatlas.com/original-scooter-eveready-autoped/45714/
3. https://buyvintage1.wordpress.com/page-29-1935-velocette-gtp-250cc/
4. https://silodrome.com/autoped-motorized-scooter/
5. https://unagiscooters.com/scooter-articles/who-invented-the-scooter/
6. https://riderguide.com/blog/the-first-electric-scooters/
7. http://hof.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=229
8. https://www.stolenhistory.org/articles/1915-autopeds-first-electric-and-gasoline-motor-scooters.389/
9. https://electronwheel.com/who-invented-electric-scooter/
10. https://www.legalcheek.com/lc-journal-posts/the-law-killed-e-scooters-in-the-1930s-will-it-kill-again/
11. https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2018/04/from-the-draisine-to-the-mini-scooter/