Recently launched electric vehicle company Amble has introduced its first model, the Amble One, a street-legal electric buggy designed for environments where conventional cars are impractical. Built with an open, minimalist design, the lightweight EV combines everyday utility with mild off-road capability, making it suitable for dusty tracks, coastal routes, villages, neighborhoods and other short-distance trips that encourage closer connections with nature and local communities.
The Portugal-based startup was founded by José Antonio Uva, the entrepreneur behind the reconstruction of the 780-hectare São Lourenço do Barrocal estate in Alentejo; Julian Honig, an industrial designer with experience at Audi and Apple; Michael Tropper, founder of London-based creative studio For People; and Adrian Ruiz, entrepreneur and co-founder of design-focused electric bike company Cowboy.
Building on expertise in hospitality, industrial design and electric mobility, the founding team aims to establish a new category of lightweight electric vehicles designed for sustainable, short-distance transportation beyond the traditional car experience.
Adrian Roose, CEO and co-founder of Amble, said: “Cars are engineered for speed, distance and efficiency. Yet many trips are short, and cars for those trips are often too big, too complex and too expensive. Amble is our answer: a new kind of electric vehicle designed for short-distance mobility, where the journey becomes part of the experience.”
To “amble” means to move without any sense of urgency, paying close attention to one’s surroundings. “Amble One is designed to embody that idea in its open, simple design, with no unnecessary separation between interior and exterior, people and space,” said Julian Honig, co-founder of Amble. “There are no doors to close you in, no unnecessary screens to pull you away. It’s about the people on board and how they enjoy the world around them.”
The team developed the Amble One by taking a different approach to automotive design.
“We believe that when you slow down, the world opens up and your relationship with everything around you changes,” said Michael Tropper, co-founder of Amble. “We designed Amble One holistically, shaping the details, textures, materials and even sounds.” With sustainable materials like aluminum, leather, cotton, and cork, the Amble One is designed to not only last long, but to age beautifully.
Amble is backed by investors with experience in the energy, mobility and hospitality sectors, including SolarCity (Tesla Energy) co-founder Peter Rive, Siam Motors co-owner Pete Fornprafa and former Airbnb VP Product Joe Zadeh.
Amble has seen early demand from leading hospitality destinations, with interest in properties including Amangiri in Canyon Point, Mustique Island in the Caribbean, Six Senses Les Bordes in the Loire Valley and Na Praia in Comporta. Jose Antonio Uva said, “The best hospitality properties focus on each guest’s touch point. Emble was created with the same thinking in mind: a vehicle where the journey is part of the experience.”
Initial 2027 delivery slots are currently allocated, with the waiting list now open for 2028.
Amble One is the first manifestation of a comprehensive platform for short-range electric mobility, with future vehicles planned for more urban environments.