Though Swedish design studio Teenage Engineering is best known for manufacturing stylish, high-priced instruments like the OP-1 and OP-XY, the company has worked on a handful of products over the years that stray from its musical roots into uncharted territory.
The most memorable example of this is surely the much-maligned Field Desk, a piece of flatpack studio furniture that Teenage Engineering rather optimistically priced at $1,599. The company has also lent its design expertise to other brands, linking up with IKEA for a modular lighting and speaker system and working with Rabbit on the R1, a poorly-reviewed AI wearable.
Teenage Engineering's latest extra-curricular excursion marks one of its most unexpected moves to date, as the company leaves the music technology world in the rear-view mirror once again with EPA-1, an... electric moped?
Developed in collaboration with Vässla, an e-bike manufacturer based out of Stockholm, EPA-1 looks almost exactly like what you'd expect a Teenage Engineering-designed moped to look like: sleek, industrial and minimalistic.
The scooter's lofty marketing spiel also bears some resemblance to the company's high-minded house style: "It is not like the others – the new Vässlan. It does not look like the others. It does not behave like the others. It is smarter to own than the others. The idea is simple. To challenge and improve everything that can be done better."
Available in both Class 1 and Class 2 models with a removable 30Ah or 50Ah battery, EPA-1 has a range of up to 120km. Though coloured models will be available at the end of June, the launch edition is all-black, so hardcore Teenage Engineering fans will thankfully be able to colour-coordinate with the new matte-black Field System.
EPA stands for En Passar Alla, which translates as One Fits All, a name that's apparently intended to highlight the ethos of customization behind the moped, which is equipped with 11 reinforced mounts "strategically placed" for accessories and modifications. "They may just look like small screw holes, but they represent great possibilities," Vässla says. "The new Vässlan is a moped you don't just ride. You make it yours."
Screw holes aside, the most surprising thing about EPA-1 is the price. Teenage Engineering has drawn its fair share of criticism over the years for pricing some of its products out of reach of the average consumer.
After angering budget-conscious synth fans by slapping a mortgage-endangering MSRP of $2,299 on the otherwise-fantastic OP-XY, the company recently gave customers the option to pay $9,999 for its OP-1 Field - you know, just in case they had some spare cash sitting around the house that they needed to get rid of.
With that in mind, we half-expected EPA-1 to cost something astronomical. Well, it's priced at 19,990 SEK, about $2,100 - a reasonable amount for an electric moped, but significantly less than the OP-XY's $2,299 asking price. Are they taking us for a ride?
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