Transportation Revolutionaries at Work: Pasadena’s Urb-e

Los Angeles is notoriously a car city – it’s the home of the drive-through, the land of monotonous freeways and it’s probably the traffic capital of the nation. But that may be changing.

“There really is a big shift in the public transportation mindset,” said Peter Lee, CEO and Co-founder of Pasadena-based Urb-e. “People are looking to use public transportation more and millennials are more interested in using public transportation than buying a car.”

Despite the expansion in Southern California’s Metro lines, there is still a problem with “the last mile.” This “last mile” can be the distance between your home and the bus stop or your workplace and the bus stop.

Urban 626, a Pasadena design collective, has a solution to “the last mile.” They are bringing a revolution on wheels. This team of creative entrepreneurs has a laundry list of accomplishments but are all connected by their passion for Pasadena. Peter Lee, Sven Etzelsberger and Grant Delgatti are the trio behind the Urb-e.

“Our goal is to help you live a little more efficiently,” said Lee. This zero-emissions personal transportation vehicle won Innovate Pasadena’s “Most Fundable” award this year.

This lightweight, deceptively elegant electric personal transportation vehicle is the solution you have been waiting for. This 35-pound, foldable electric scooter may look like a toy but appearances can be deceiving. The Urb-e is a revolutionary personal transportation vehicle.

Each Urb-e has over 200 parts but is designed to look seamless, explained Lee. The Urb-e is manufactured from extruded aircraft-grade aluminum and carbon fiber. Lee lovingly explained that each component is like a work of art, “we want to make it beautiful from the inside out.”

“There’s a real value behind the design. It’s designed in Pasadena and manufactured in California. We all live here, we work here and we feel we have a responsibility to this [community],” said Lee.

The machines are assembled by hand in the back of the Urb-e’s store on Colorado Boulevard, which is something rare nowadays. Builders, Junior and Carl, sign each one after the scooters undergo three quality assurance checks.

“There are plenty of naysayers out there,” said Lee. “People say we’re building with too expensive materials, that people won’t use the product…”. The team feels the best remedy for this skepticism is to take one for a spin because riding the Urb-e is an experience unlike anything else.

The Urb-e has a lower center of gravity than a bicycle, which makes for a more stable and comfortable ride. It has a surprising amount of maneuverability and reaches speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and has a range of 20 miles on a single 4-hour battery charge. It’s just low enough to the ground that you can put your feet to the road if needed but there’s also a rear wheel brake. Urb-e is a smooth ride that puts you in the center of your city and reinvents the way you move.

“Everybody rides it and they just smile,” said Lee. The entire staff rides Urb-es to work, so if you see someone zip by you while you’re stuck in traffic, you know what they’re riding.

Don’t just take Lee’s word for it, take an Urb-e out for a spin and start the transportation revolution.

Urb-e is located at 235 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena. Call (626) 460-8113 or visit www.urb-e.com for more information.