Amble unveils $25,000 electric buggy for resorts and short trips
The Lisbon startup says its lightweight Amble One will serve hotels, estates and buyers who need a small EV for local travel.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Amble, a Lisbon-based electric vehicle startup, has introduced the Amble One, a lightweight open buggy priced from $25,000. The company is pitching it as a short-trip vehicle for places where a full-size car can be awkward, including resorts, private estates and coastal roads, according to WIRED.
The startup came out of stealth with a team that includes veterans of Audi, Ford, Cowboy and Forpeople, WIRED reported. Design lead Julian Hoenig previously worked at Audi and later at Apple, including on the Apple Watch, Vision Pro and the canceled Project Titan car effort.
Amble says the One can travel more than 60 miles on a charge, reach a capped top speed of 40 mph and recharge from a standard home outlet in about five hours, according to WIRED. The company says the vehicle weighs less than 450 kilograms, or 992 pounds.
That weight target is central to the plan in Europe. WIRED reported that the One is designed to fit the L7e vehicle category, which can allow certain lightweight vehicles to use public roads without being regulated as conventional cars. Amble CEO and co-founder Adrien Roose told WIRED that shrinking a car does not solve the problem, because the category leaves little room for excess weight.
The One uses an open, doorless layout, and WIRED reported that the design helps keep the vehicle under the limit. Hoenig told WIRED that the vehicle draws inspiration from NASA’s Lunar Roving Vehicle, with the electric platform left visible instead of hidden under conventional bodywork.
Materials include aluminum, leather, cotton and cork, according to WIRED. Hoenig said the flat windshield nods to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, while a dashboard bar matches motorcycle handlebar diameter so common bike accessories can mount to it. Orange screws mark parts that can be removed or reconfigured, WIRED reported.
Hoenig told WIRED that no technology from Apple’s abandoned car program was used in the Amble One. He said the connection is more about design practice: choosing appropriate materials and letting the manufacturing process shape the final form.
The One is built to be configured for different uses. WIRED reported that the rear seats fold flat, a canvas weatherproofing option is planned, and a lockable front box will be offered instead of the standard basket for city buyers. Amble does not plan hard doors for the One.
The company is also working on a second platform aimed at 2029, WIRED reported. That model, referred to as Amble Two, is planned with removable doors, a lower roofline and a hardtop, and Roose described it to WIRED as a possible second vehicle for households making shorter trips.
Amble is starting with hospitality customers rather than the broader city-car market. Roose told WIRED the company has 12 signed clients, commitments for more than 500 vehicles and over 10 million euros in signed revenue. Customers named by WIRED include Amangiri in Utah, Mustique Island, Six Senses Les Bordes in France’s Loire Valley and Na Praia in Comporta, Portugal.
First hospitality deliveries are scheduled for mid-2027, according to WIRED. Consumer preorders are open in Europe and the United States, with deliveries planned for 2028.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.