With Volkswagen’s latest concept reveal, the auto world’s attention is now spotlighted on a lightweight, two-wheeled electric scooter. Volkswagen’s E-Scooter concept was revealed last week at the Shanghai Auto Show, rivalling scooters already offered by Smart and MINI.

Volkswagen is setting its sights on the Chinese market where 20 million scooters are sold annually.

Weighing in at 44 pounds, the VW E-Scooter has a 350W electric engine powered by a nickel-metal-hydride battery which is removable for easy, at-home charging. The scooter has a 25-mile range with a 30mph top speed, clearly an automotive product aimed at large urban markets such as China.

Volkswagen has not committed to how exactly the E-Scooter will be marketed. Besides being sold directly to consumers, the E-Scooter has the potential for a ‘bike-sharing’ program where they will be rented out at high-traffic transportation hubs.

The testing phase is tentatively scheduled for 2012 and will take place exclusively in China.