First of Kind Joseph Cohen: Infinite Ride
Mar 11, 2026
Joseph Cohen, cofounder and chief designer of Infinite Machine, reimagines urban transport with electric 'non-car' vehicles like the P1 and Alto. He discusses designing from first principles, a hard-modernism aesthetic, prototyping tools shaping vehicle form, and building mobility focused on short trips and social freedom.
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Why Non-Car Vehicles Fit Cities Better
- Urbanization plus electrification make cars a poor fit for most city trips under five miles.
- Joseph Cohen argues smaller, smarter non-car vehicles unlock faster, cheaper, and more joyful city travel and a new symbol of freedom.
A Stolen Vespa Sparked Infinite Machine
- A stolen Vespa pushed Joseph and his brother Eddie to explore electric vehicles as a COVID side project.
- They prototyped for ~3.5 years, then realized the market lacked a category leader and went full time.
Design For Getting Out Not Tuning In
- Riding the P1 contrasted sharply with Joseph's Vision Pro demo, crystallizing a preference for embodied experiences over immersive screens.
- That moment reinforced their mission: technology should get people out into the world, not deeper into screens.