Terra Motors Unveils Electric Scooter With iPhone Dock

Terra Motors Corporation this week announced the release of its new A4000i electric scooter, which includes a smartphone connection.

The Japanese company said it is the first to mass produce a wireless, smartphone-connected scooter.

The two-person bike comes with a built-in iPhone dock, which can collect and store details like electricity consumption, remaining battery life, average speed and mileage, and navigation information. The Tokyo startup intends to learn from that data to help develop more services over time.

"Smartphone connection can provide new service to customers," the company said in a news release. "[The] electric scooter will be more than means of transportation."

Demand for scooters in Asia is especially strong — accounting for about 80 percent of the worldwide market — due to growing gas prices and high levels of air pollution. As a result, more than 30 million electric bikes are sold each year in China alone. Still, maintenance problems and supply chain issues keep electric scooters from competing with the more popular gasoline motorcycles.

Terra Motors hopes to change that with its A4000i, which will sell in mostly Asian markets for about $4,500, and is compatible with the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, and 5. An iPhone-less A4000 model will also be available, but pricing has not yet been determined. By the end of 2015, the company aims to sell 100,000 electric scooters worldwide, including its older SEED model.

The white-and-blue motorcycle boasts an average range of about 65 km (40 miles); its removable lithium-ion battery can reportedly last up to 50,000 km (31,000 miles). A full battery charge takes about 4.5 hours.

Motorists have been traveling with smartphone-connected cars for years, but usually via an auxiliary cable and a USB charger plugged into the cigarette lighter. Apple last month introduced its solution to snaking cords: iOS in the Car — a service that integrates iOS devices with a vehicle's in-dash system.