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Alphabet invests in Lime's electric scooter service
You didn't think Silicon Valley's biggest names would stand on the sidelines while the electric scooter trend continued to grow, did you? The Financial Times sources have learned that Alphabet has invested directly in scooter service Lime as part of a larger $300 million funding round that already included Google Ventures. There's no mention of how much cash was heading Lime's way, but GV was reportedly leading the group, and Alphabet put in a similar amount -- there's a lot of money involved. It's not certain why Alphabet is so heavily involved (all the parties involved have declined to comment). However, it would reflect Alphabet's growing interest in transportation as it moves beyond the internet and mobile businesses that are its lifeblood.
Uber is set to join the San Francisco scooter craze
Uber reportedly wants a piece of the growing scooter-sharing biz in San Francisco: according to Axios, the ride-hailing giant has submitted an application for the city's upcoming scooter-sharing program. San Francisco created the year-long program in an effort to regulate the new means of transportation, because its sudden popularity and the lack of rules quickly made scooters an epidemic. People would use them on sidewalks and then toss them anywhere once they run out of power, making it difficult for persons with disability to get past them.
San Francisco temporarily removes electric scooters for permit process
San Francisco is about to end its electric scooter scourge... for a while. The city's Municipal Transportation Agency has posted its permit application for companies wanting to operate e-scooters under a one-year pilot program and accompanying law, signalling that the two-wheelers need to leave the streets until services obtain permits. The firms have until June 4th to remove their scooters without facing impounding and fines (up to $100 per scooter), and have to submit their permit applications by June 7th. No more than five companies will operate at the same time during the pilot period.
Lyft may be getting into the electric scooter game
Lyft seems to be eyeing a move into the electric scooter craze -- the company is considering applying for a permit to run a service in San Francisco, The Information reported, and it's in the early stages of working on prototypes. Some companies like Bird, Lime and Spin already have scooters on the city's streets, but a established brand like Lyft making inroads could change the market drastically, opening the gateway for more big names.
San Francisco proposes rules to fight its electric scooter epidemic
San Francisco officials have been promising rules to curb the invasion of electric scooters, and now we have an idea of what those rules could be. The Municipal Transportation Agency has proposed a two-year permitting test program that would limit the city to five e-scooter permits, and no more than 500 scooters for each permit. In other words, there would be no more than 2,500 scooters in San Francisco at any one time -- a blessing to residents who are practically tripping over the two-wheelers. Companies would have to abide by guidelines to keep those permits, too.
Archos' electric scooter taps Android for directions
It's not just bicycle makers hoping Android will improve your two-wheeled transportation. Archos has unveiled a Citee Connect electric scooter with a 5-inch Android computer in between the handlebars. The hardware won't rival your phone (it an uses unnamed quad-core chip, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage), but it does have 3G built-in for directions and other tasks that might be handy while you commute around town. There's also a dedicated mobile app that can control the scooter's built-in reel lock.
Vespa’s first electric scooter will arrive in 2018
Last year, Vespa announced that it was working on an electric scooter and today it has released some specs and an approximate availability date. The Vespa Elettrica is a silent, fully electric scooter with acceleration capabilities in line with those of traditional scooters, according to Vespa. It has a 62-mile range and can be fully charged in just four hours through a normal wall-mounted electrical outlet. The battery will reportedly last around 10 years, but will drop to 80 percent capacity after 1,000 charge cycles or so. The Elettrica comes in a chrome grey color, but buyers can choose between seven color options for the decorative trim.
Segway's electric scooter offers a ride from your car to your desk
A year ago, CityGo Urban raised over $300,000 for its successful concept: an electric scooter that would zoom commuters to work. Today, it's finally re-emerged in the news -- but as a part of a newly-envisioned "Last Mile" system developed by Segway, which bought CityGo shortly after its Indiegogo campaign ended.
Gogoro's solar-powered scooter battery charging station is here
Electric scooter-maker Gogoro's latest battery-charging location is its cleanest yet. As usual, riders pull up, swap out their depleted batteries (two per vehicle), and drive off with fully-charged ones. The only difference is the new GoStation is the first to run on solar power.
Gogoro 2 makes the electric scooter lifestyle more comfortable
About two years after we first rode the Gogoro Smartscooter, the company is back with a sequel. The Gogoro 2 and Gogoro 2 Plus lightly rework the original, with a second gen motor and powertrain that deliver the same amount of power (6.4kW), but promise smoother torque and more control. The choice of a Sport mode and Smart mode let riders choose between higher top speed and acceleration or increased efficiency and range. Predictably, they also are built for easier maintenance this time around, while larger wheels (14-inch up front, 13-inch on the rear), updated geometry with a longer 51-inch wheelbase and a synchronized braking system improve its stability. Oh, and a longer seat makes it easy to bring a friend along for a ride. Beyond just the new scooters, Gogoro is upgrading its app to version 2.0 with better security that can require a fingerprint or PIN code to start, making its scooters (both old and new) "virtually unstealable." Also, the company expanding its battery swapping Energy Network in Taiwan to offer more than 500 locations by the end of the year. The Gogoro 2 will go on sale in Taiwan in July (preorders are opening today) where pricing can be as low as TWD$38,800/USD$1,295 with all local subsidies applied. Gogoro's website, however, lists the Gogoro 2 starting price at TWD$73,800/USD$2,455 and the Gogoro 2 Plus at TWD$79,800/USD$2,654. It will come to other markets by the end of 2017.
An electric scooter is the perfect vehicle for quick jaunts
We have a plethora of options for getting around in an urban area. Buses, taxis, Uber, monorails, light rail and dirigibles (well, probably not the last one) make travel in big cities easier. But for those looking for a bit more freedom and fun, there are motorized two-wheeled options: motorcycles and scooters. While electric motorcycles are still a bit pricey (but exciting to ride), scooters that need to be plugged in instead of gassed up are appearing on the streets in larger numbers. So how useful are these battery-powered bikes? I decided to test the $3,000 Mahindra Genze 2.0 in Las Vegas during CES earlier this month to see if I would miss hitting the pump.
Kymco's smart scooter combines alerts with a customizable design
Smart cars are everywhere. They talk to your phone and your house. In the future they'll even carry on conversations with you and your passengers. But for now automobiles are rolling maps, entertainment centers and charging ports for our connected lifestyles.
Vespa is making an electric version of its iconic scooter
Electric scooters aren't hard to find, but you haven't had any luck if you wanted the most recognizable scooter of them all, a Vespa -- the Italian machine has run on fossil fuels since its inception. At last, though, the brand is catching up with the times. It recently unveiled a Vespa Elettrica project that, to no one's surprise, runs on an electric motor. You'd still have the style and maneuverability of a classic Vespa, the company claims, but you'd get a cheaper-to-run, eco-friendly powerplant. There will also be "innovative connectivity solutions." It's not certain what those are, but it's easy to envision checking on your scooter with your smartphone.
Zip around Taiwan on the faster Gogoro S electric scooter
Gogoro's battery-powered scooter left us rather impressed after our test ride in Taiwan back in 2015, and the startup has since sold over 14,000 units locally plus rolled out 240 GoStations nationwide for customers to quickly swap batteries -- as opposed to having their electric scooters plugged in for hours. To keep the momentum going, today the company announced the Gogoro S, a high-performance model equipped with the new 7.2 kW G1-S motor which pushes the scooter from zero to 50 km/h or 31 MPH in just 3.7 seconds -- a notable improvement from the 4.2 seconds with the original 6.4 kW G1 motor, which is already quite quick. But for the sake of safety, the top speed is still capped at 95 km/h or 59 MPH.
Gogoro brings on-demand scooter rentals to Berlin
Taiwan-based electric scooter company Gogoro is expanding its reach and business model. Today it announced a partnership with Coup (a subsidiary of automotive-parts supplier Bosch) to bring 200 on-demand rental scooters to Berlin.
As Scoot has grown, so has the size of its rental bikes
Scoot's red scooters, frequently seen weaving in and out of San Francisco traffic like tiny army ants, are getting an upgrade. Not only are the rental scooters getting bigger, but they, thankfully, will look a lot better than the bikes the company offers.
World's fastest mobility scooter hits record 107.6 mph
It must've been a slow week at an Isle of Man bodyshop when mechanics David Anderson and Mathew Hine decided to "tweak" a mobility scooter for a bit more speed. The garden-variety Days Strider model was designed to go 8 mph, so naturally the pair added an 80-horsepower, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled Suzuki motorcycle engine. That made the chassis and tires woefully inadequate, so they also redesigned the frame and added go-cart wheels. "But that's not really a mobility scooter anymore," you may say.
The scooters of CES: Riding the Genze and chatting with Gogoro
While cars grabbed the CES headlines, electric scooters continue to innovate just as quickly and in Gogoro's instance, quicker than their four-wheel counterparts. I rode the Genze electric scooter to In-N-Out and found out that it's totally illegal to lane-split in the state of Nevada. Whoops. Then Gogoro CEO Horace Luke joined Kerry and I onstage to talk about its latest initiative to get its smart scooter into more cities quicker.
Gogoro has a plan to quickly get scooters into your city
Gogoro's smart scooter launch in Taipei this past summer did so well that the company is already planning on launching it's smart scooter and battery-swapping ecosystem in Amsterdam. But according to CEO Horace Luke, the company has received a ton of requests from cities and scooter rides all over the world. So for those jonesing for one those speedy bikes, you may be in luck. Today the company announced a home charger and an initiative to roll out in more cities.
Amazon tells customers to throw out unsafe 'hoverboards'
As a popular destination for self-balancing "hoverboards," Amazon needs to take its safety responsibilities seriously. The retailer has already pulled some models from its store until it can be proved their batteries and chargers are reliable, but now it's taking the unusual step of telling a small number of owners to throw them out. In an email, Amazon has warned US and UK customers that their hoverboard has been deemed "unsafe" and that they should "dispose" of it immediately.
