Nest co-founder Tony Fadell isn’t just building smart thermostats and smoke detectors. He recently launched Actev Motors, the company’s first Arrow Smart-Kart, which promises to give kids the chance to see what a smart car looks like. Electric maps include GPS, a and WiFi for the safety of younger drivers. Parents, using the mobile app, can geofence the map’s driving area, limit the maximum speed, or press the “Stop” button in an emergency. In other words, even younger children (the main goal is between 5 and 9 years old) can move around without leaving their heads. There is also a proximity sensor for automatic accident prevention.
Older kids can use the arrows too, and this can be customized. You can choose a different body style (there’s a Formula One-inspired kit), install a larger battery, and even buy a drift kit to bring out your kid’s inner Ken Block. It’s no small deal – the starter kit is $600 if you pre-order it, it’s usually $1,000 – but when it arrives in early summer, it easily beats your neighbor’s Power Wheels.
For Fadell, it’s about both education and pampering young people. He explained to Forbes that he wants to “teach the next generation” about electric vehicles. Newlyweds driving an Arrow this year could drive their own electric cars decades from now. Before you ask: yes, an adult version for adult riders is possible.