Someone Just Built a Carry-On That Thinks It’s a Moped

One TSA-compliant go kart, coming right up

July 25, 2016 9:00 am

Give a buddy a ride to the airport and you’re a great friend for a day.

Give a buddy a motorized suitcase he can ride to and from the airport, and you’re a great friend for a lifetime.

Built to carry a 180-pound passenger up to six miles at 8 MPH on a single charge, the Modobag is a carry-on suitcase with a 200-watt electric motor powered by UL lithium batteries.

The drivable duffel is controlled by a thumb-action throttle, outfitted with USB ports to charge other devices and links with a GPS-connected app for tracking purposes. The 19-pound bag — which is compliant with TSA, FAA, United Nations and International Air Transportation Association guidelines and offers 2,000 cubic inches of packing space  — plugs into standard outlets and can fully charge in less than two hours.

While we have some doubts about actually getting this thing on a plane, the company’s recently launched Indiegogo campaign indicates we’re in the minority: they’ve already raised almost triple their $50k goal.

Inventor Kevin O’Donnell, who came up with the idea for the Modobag while pulling his kids through the airport, has test-driven the bag at O’Hare, JFK and LaGuardia and calls it “one of the most innovative and exciting advancements to hit the travel industry since rolling suitcases were introduced in the 1970s.”

Given recent developments, we’re not sure if that’s 100% accurate, but the $995 bag does make for one hell of a GIF.

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