A 21-year-old French engineer has opened a crowdfunding campaign to take his self-designed electric moped from rolling prototype to series production.
Eliaz Barre, who lives in Alençon, Normandy, started the Barrolex project two years ago while he was still a student at IUT Grand Ouest Normandie, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Production (BUT). The vehicle, publicly unveiled in February 2026 and shown to the press at the Orne Expo fair on February 28, is designed as a lighter, simpler and more repairable alternative to today’s electric scooters. Barre says the Barolex was completely engineered from scratch rather than adapted from an existing moped platform.
The prototype, called Barrolex Type 113, weighs less than 55 kg, while comparable electric scooters weigh on average around 80 kg. It is powered by a 3,000W motor, said to be equivalent to a 50cc combustion engine, paired with a modular LiFePO4 battery pack that can be removed and serviced with basic tools. The Barre is targeting a range of 40 to 50 km, aimed at urban and short-distance use, and has a retail price of under €3,500. The vehicle’s styling is based directly on the mobiles of the 1970s and 1980s, a design period Barre says he associates with simpler, more function-first engineering and longer service life.
Homologation is the next hurdle. Barre has stated that he cannot yet legally ride the prototype on public roads and is working towards EU type approval for the production version. They have received initial support from the city of Alençon, which awarded a €3,000 award through its Fonds Initiative Jeunes in January 2026, as well as support from the Essar MPI Orne-Est entrepreneur network and the Association Germinal – Groupe SOS.
Ulule campaign, title “Baroleux – Inspire des Mobilets des Années 70,” A funding target of €20,000 has been set, intended to cover the next phase of development, including homologation and refinement of the prototype. The goal has already been met, with €20,515 raised at the time of writing (11 July – 11:00 am. This figure is separate from the broader industrialization costs stated by Barre in press interviews – around €500,000 – which includes tooling, production setup and scaling up to series manufacturing down the line. Barre is currently assembling a technical and industrial team to work towards that long-term goal.
