All the cool new gadgets at CES 2016 - Emicro One foldable scooter

Emicro One foldable scooter

Scooters, scooters everywhere. To me, the two most important questions about electric scooters for commuting are: how easy is it to maneuver and what do I do with it when I'm not scooting. All the other bells and whistles are secondary. The Emicro One sounds like it at least scores on both counts. It's pretty stripped down with respect to controls and it's the lightest foldable model yet -- 16.5 pounds, about the same as the cat I live with who insists upon being carried. That means you can do almost anything with it, even just tote it around when you're not using it. And you'll be able to get one this February for the about $1,000 (about £750 or AU$1,500), the typical price for these devices.

An electric scooter can make your commute fun and fast. Zoom past pedestrians and bicycles, then fold down the scooter (in seconds flat!) and lift it into your car, bus, or train. Problem is, even folding electric scooters weigh a lot -- up to 35 pounds (15kg). That's why the new Emicro One is so exciting.

Available this February for the same about-$1,000 price (about £750 or AU$1,500) as most other high-end electric scooters you can buy, the Emicro One isn't one of those big, heavy machines. It weighs far less at just 16.5 pounds, and it's comparatively tiny.

In fact, it doesn't look much like an electric scooter at all. There's no power button, no throttle or brake levers, because the Emicro One doesn't need them. You just push off with your foot, and the motor built into the rear wheel comes to life automatically for up to 10 seconds. Kick again, or just pull the handlebars toward you quickly, and it'll keep on trucking. It travels at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour (25kmh), and boasts a range of 7.5 miles (12km) on a charge.

Plus, it's got regenerative braking built into that rear wheel -- so efficient, the company claims, that you could fully charge a dead battery in just 15 minutes of constant downhill. (Not that you'd ever ride a scooter down a hill that tall.)