Getting off the beaten path is relaxing when you’re on foot, less so when you’re driving something. The roar of the engine, the stereo on blast, all of this noise interferes with the ability to commune with nature, which is theoretically the reason you went off-road in the first place. Now, a new EV startup looks to offer a more open-hearted experience.
It’s called the Amble One, and it’s basically the opposite of the Cybertruck’s ethos. Steel doors and bullet-resistant glass? How about no doors and only a windshield up front. Basically, this little buggy is the Mini Moke reborn in EV form with chunky tires, a friendly face, and a top speed of who cares?
As a project, Amble brings together the designer of the Audi RSQ from I, Robot, the design team behind the Nio Firefly EV, and the co-founder of an electric bicycle company. Perhaps most importantly, one of its co-founders is José António Uva, who turned a 19th-century farming property into a sprawling 780-hectare estate in southern Portugal. How are guests supposed to get around a property this size? Glad you asked.
The Amble One isn’t ever supposed to see a road or mix with regular traffic. Think of it more like the golf cart shuttles that big hotel chains use when it’s too far to walk from reception to your waterfront luxury suite.
For a long time, these vehicles have been nothing but pure utility, nothing exciting or luxurious about them. The Amble One poses the question, “What if the most fun part of your luxury vacation was bopping around on a fun little EV?” Scooting over sandy beaches, snaking down the pedestrianized streets of some medieval European town, or just cruising along a coastal pathway. Wherever cars aren’t supposed to go, the Amble One will get you there.
There are currently no firm specifications for its estimated range or top speed, but don’t expect the Amble One to have a Nürburgring time. A modest range with a modest price would be a far better fit for its intended market: luxury-oriented hospitality destinations. There’s reportedly quite a lot of interest from these already, and Amble is looking to begin delivery next year, with spots open for production in 2028.
Will you be able to park an Amble One in your driveway? Probably not, but getting to experience one is probably in the cards if you like to travel. The best part of such a trip might be found behind the wheel of a little EV buggy, zipping along the beach while the sun dips below the waves.
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Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
