Fonzarelli details 2020 range - Australian electric scooter brand hopes 'sky's the limit'

Fonzarelli – an Australian electric transport brand – has detailed its 2020 electric scooter range to CarsGuide at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association Expo.

A home grown, zero-emissions transport brand that has grown steadily over the past nine years since its inception, brand founder Michelle Nazzari admits that its first product in 2012 was a “commercial failure”.

It has come a long way since then, now offering a four-scooter line-up with a choice of drivetrains to suit urban lifestyles. Ms Nazzari says there are now over 1000 Fonzarellis on the road.

That range consists of the entry-level Arthur ($3990 - $6990), S1 ($6990 - $7290), X1 ($9890), and performance-oriented NKD ($9990 - $14,990). All prices mentioned are MSRP (before on-road costs).

Essentially the range is ordered in both price and performance, but within each range there are options when it comes to what powers each scooter.

The Arthur can be chosen with one of three drivetrains and battery sizes, each named for their top speed. The first two have a max speed of 50km/h and 65km/h (with max power of 3kW and 5.5kW respectively) with a range of 50km and the top-spec 80 has an 80km/h top-speed, but also doubles the size of the battery for a 100km range.

Matte paint is part of the brand's image. The Arthur ships with an LED light as standard.

All Arthurs have removable battery packs, 12-inch wheels, regenerative braking, a reverse mode, a portable charger, LCD screen, and LED lights. All are finished in a plastic body with matte trim.

Next in the range is the S1. The brand’s most popular model, the S1 comes in just one spec with a top-speed of 80km/h and a 100km range from its 3.3kWh battery pack. The S1’s max power output is 8.5kW.

Fonzarelli says the S1 can be charged from a wall socket from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in two hours, and again has a removable battery pack.

The S1 features regenerative braking, “Forza supercharge mode” that maximises performance at the cost of battery life, a portable charger, analog gauge cluster, and range display. The S1 is available to purchase in four colours, with the option of further customisation.

The X1 (the middle scooter) is a higher performance version of the brand's most popular S1.

Toward the top of the range is the X1. A more performance-oriented take on the S1’s design, the X1 has a max speed of 90km/h, with a range of 80km (optionally expanded to 100km). It shares the same removable 3.5kWh battery pack with the S1, but offers more power at 13kW. Regenerative braking is standard, but the X1 also gains hydraulic disc brakes front and rear.

Other enhancements to the X1 include a lightweight frame, ‘luxury trim items’, reverse mode, enhanced gauge cluster and dink grips, a USB charging outlet, and a storage compartment. The X1 is available in three colour trims.

Finally, the pinnacle of Fonzarelli’s range is the NKD. The NKD has a distinct, more aggressive style than the rest of the brand’s urban-focused range and offers higher performance figures to match.

The NKD is offered as more of a recreational scooter rather than a day-to-day runabout.

The NKD is capable of a 120km range on a single charge, with a top speed of 100km/h. On tap is 9.6kW/56Nm and other performance enhancements include dual disc brakes, adjustable sports shocks, and a compact, lightweight frame.

The NKD is offered with the ability to charge from a Type 1 (J1772) connector at public charge stations. It is available in one trim, or in a limited-edition ‘Wenly Andrews’ spec which offers carbon-fibre panelling and other bespoke touches.

NKD models can be had with fast-charging, but from a lower-output J1772 connector.

Fonzarelli offers its range to be purchased directly from its online store, or through dealerships in Sydney and Adelaide. The brand says it can deliver Australia-wide and is hoping to open another location in Brisbane soon.

The brand’s range can be rented on a trail basis for a week, and it also offers a ‘Guaranteed trade-up offer’ which guarantees the value of your scooter if you should chose to swap to a different model within 24 months (the same length as its ‘general component’ warranty coverage). The scooters are also warranted for 12 months.

While the brand says thus far its audience has mostly consisted of “creatives and professionals” from 35 to 55 with a 70 per cent male skew, it hopes to widen that appeal with its more affordable Arthur range, and sportier NKD. It says the average Fonzarelli driver does little more than 100km a week – for which it says the running cost is about $1.

The brand sees a lot of potential in fleet customers, as well as its expanded appeal to private buyers.

While its volume is limited for now, Nazarri says it certainly has the capacity to meet higher demand, and that there are also promising opportunities to be had from fleet customers.