You think of a member of the British Royal Family – and especially of the current King and the next in line – as the ultimate example of the British upper lip stance: poised, aloof, and dignified. The Prince of Wales, Prince William, is determined to change that, and he's starting by adopting a very surprising method of transportation.
Earlier this week, a video emerged on the socials, showing Prince William, aka the future King of England, riding a motorized scooter on Windsor Castle grounds. The video confirmed a year-old rumor about how the Prince had bought a $6,000 e-scooter just to make the daily commute to and from Adelaide Cottage, where he lives with his wife and kids, and Windsor Castle, his father's home.
According to the report, which came from inside the palace, the purchase showed Prince William's commitment to a more sustainable life. The distance for the commute was just 2 or 3 miles for a round trip (3.2-4.8 km): not far if you're a 10,000-steps-a-day kind of person but far enough for the future King to make it by car so as to be able to stick to his busy work schedule.
An e-scooter doesn't run on gas and doesn't pollute, nor does it require the services of another person as a driver. An e-scooter is zappy enough to be more time efficient, and it's also more fun. In the UK, an e-scooter used like this is one of the two possible scenarios in which you can ride it legally. As of this writing, e-scooters in the UK are only legal on private land, with the landowner's permission, or if they're part of a ride-sharing scheme.
Photo: TikTok/@ashleyxue via TMZ/Mii2
As noted above, the video confirmed that, indeed, Prince William did buy an e-scooter specifically for this purpose. The bad news was that the same video was too grainy to allow positive identification of the make or model of the two-wheeler.
Prince William personally bought the YOO2 in London
That last part was most likely on purpose. If you've been keeping up with Royal gossip (and post-Megxit drama), Royal protocol is usually cover for controlling which story goes out to the press and how it does that through what has been described as a "symbiotic" relationship with the institution of the press. So, even if word leaked that Prince William had bought an e-scooter, there could be no confirmation of that, let alone details on the unit he'd gotten.
autoevolution can reveal that the e-scooter that caught the eye of the future King is the YOO2 model, the flagship model from Tel Aviv-based company Mii2. Mii2 is one of the first Israeli companies to make e-scooters and they've been on the market for the past 15 years, which entitles them to the "pioneer" self-ascribed label.
Photo: TikTok/@ashleyxue via TMZ/Mii2
They also have dealerships in London, UK.
Founder and CEO Ram Peer tells autoevolution that Prince William himself dropped by one of those dealerships last summer to pick up a YOO2. The YOO2 is a 10-inch wheel model, which tracks with last year's report. From this, we infer his is a series unit and not customized in any way for His Royal Highness.
The perks of being a celebrity, even if that means an influencer with a strong following and not much in terms of actual skill, include getting lots of stuff for free. Considering how much they rely on exposure for their relevance, members of the British Royal Family could also be described as celebrities, but freebies are strictly off-limits for them. In certain cases where there's a partnership, like the one the Palace has with Jaguar Land Rover, "freebies" take the form of custom vehicles for private or public usage.
According to Mr. Peer, Prince William would not take any discounts on the e-scooter and refused all perks, choosing to get it at full price. The existence of that viral video means that Mr. Peer can now confirm the purchase publicly.
Photo: TikTok/@ashleyxue via TMZ/Mii2
The YOO2, an e-scooter made with no compromises
The Mii2 is not a brand with worldwide reach, and that's because, to paraphrase them, they choose to do business differently. Mii2 scooters are not assembled in Israel with parts shipped in from China or other countries; they're not "franken-scooters" like most e-scooters are today. As a side note, the same applies to e-bikes.
Mii2 e-scooters are made in-house from scratch, based on a design patented worldwide that guarantees optimal performance and solid build quality. They're stable and safe, with the company promising no corners are being cut in the design or production stage. Mii2 says you wouldn't compromise on the level of safety of your car, so you shouldn't with your e-scooter, either.
The YOO2 is a foldable model that maxes out at 25 kph (15.5 mph) with a colorful design and a one-piece aluminum frame that has no screws and no welding. It's designed for riding on "almost" any terrain on a daily basis, "in maximum comfort," with the promise of safety as the main focus.
Photo: TikTok/@ashleyxue via TMZ/Mii2
Power comes from a 250W brushless hub motor fed by a 48V 13Ah battery rated for 42 km (26 miles) of range on a single 3.5-hour charge. Though the motor might seem underpowered, the YOO2 is rated for 20-degree inclines and has mostly positive reviews for the excellent way in which it handles in everyday situations.
The YOO2 has front and rear disc brakes with 140 mm rotors, and EABS electric braking. It rides on 10-inch wheels clad in airless tires, comes with front and rear lights, and LED strips on the sides, and folds at the handlebar to take up less space in storage. The e-scooter weighs 17 kg (37.5 lbs) and comes with a maximum payload of 120 kg (264.5 lbs).
Available in colors like Fusion Red, Night Sky, Banana Yellow, Fancy Pear, or Onyx Black, the YOO2 retails for ILS3,999, or approximately $1,078 at the current exchange rate. In the UK, you can get one (to ride on private property, of course) for £799.
The initial report claimed Prince William's scooter was a $6,000 affair. The YOO2 is far more affordable than that, but by the looks of it, totally fit for a (sustainably-minded) king.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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