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Olto sparks electric design revolution
09 January 2026
Olto sparks electric design revolution
Electric scooters are the essence of modernity.
So why, so often, do their designs seek to emulate their combustion-engined predecessors asks Paul Browne?
He’s happy, then, that Infinite Machines has taken the road less ridden and come up with a range of battery-powered scooters that breaks with tradition.
Riding an electric motorcycle that seeks to imitate the design of all those ICE machines that went before strikes me as kind of sad.
That’s why I really like the look of the Infinite Machine range of electric scooters.
The company is based in my very favourite American city, New York. To date it has launched two machines, the P1 and the altogether cooler sounding Olto.
Making commuting easy is one thing, making it look cool at the same time is a talent.
Indeed, my favourite one with the cool name, Olto, is surely all set for the Southside of Dublin.
Street light
Rather like Yamahas Neos, the electric moped is designed for urban use.
There’s no pretence here that the machine is going to take on big journeys.
Rather it has a range of up to 60km and less if you ride it like you stole it and even then it’ll get to 45kph and that’s your lot.
The Americans have modified the beast to meet all those annoying Euro standards so that it includes indicators, brake lights and a few other bits and pieces.
It’s more than capable of carrying a pillion and has three modes; eco, pro and reverse.
It weighs only 80 kilos and takes only 80 minutes to charge to 80%. That’s a lot of 80s. Speaking of which, if it would have been around in the Eighties, RoboCop, would definitely have gotten around Detroit on one.
This would have been quite ironic as Detroit is known as ‘Motor City’ precisely because of its association with the manufacture of big-engined cars that are the polar opposite to EV scoots.
Back to the future
I also do really like the fact that two-wheeled EVs can slowly reverse. I think it’s probably completely unnecessary, but it’s still a novelty that I’m sure won’t grow old anytime soon.
While it’s completely redesigned from end-to-end, the Olto does feature the bits and pieces that we know are part and parcel of two-wheeled magic.
The brake discs are 200mm affairs and the lighting is all LED. I particularly like the front headlight.
The chassis is made of steel which, in turn, is welded to the aluminium bodywork. This renders it waterproof as all the cables are contained within.
The plastics that feature are described as ‘self healing’. I don’t know how that last one works, but I can’t wait to hear more about it.
Remote control
Meanwhile the Olto has a battery that can be removed and charged indoors within a five-hour timescale from flatter-than-a fox-on-a-motorway all the way to maximum.
It locks and immobilises itself when its power is turned off, there’s also a dedicated U-lock holder and even a secret compartment for an Apple Air Tag.
There is no ignition as such. The scooter is married to a smart phone and simply unlocks when the rider walks up to it.
There is of course an app as well as remote functions such as shared ignition, via another person’s smart phone and unlocking remotely.
It also has as an awful lot of accessory options. Most of these are for luggage but there’s a phone holder and a main stand.
My very favourite, however, is the toddler throne that mounts just behind the seat. This thing is so Gen Z if it could talk it’d ask for a kombucha, served in a jam-jar, just like the one it saw on Tik-Tok
The recommended retail price is €2,995, but no one here sells them yet. Drop an email to [email protected] and ask the general to get his act together and send a few our way.
While we wait I’ll leave the final words to RoboCop as he celebrates clean energy, “Thank You For Not Smoking”…
