BBC NEWS—When can I ride an e-scooter legally?

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What is an e-scooter?

They’re two-wheeled scooters with small, electric motors.

Their popularity has grown and scooter-sharing schemes now operate in more than 100 cities around the world – including San Francisco, Paris and Copenhagen.

People can hire e-scooters, often using smartphone apps, in a way similar to city centre bicycle hire schemes.

Electric scooters are freely available to buy in the UK online and in stores, and they cost anywhere from just over £100 to more than £1000.

Are e-scooters legal in the UK?

Currently, you can buy one but you can’t ride it on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement. Anyone who does is committing an offence.

The only place an e-scooter can be used is on private land, with the permission of the landowner.

At the moment, they are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), so they’re treated as motor vehicles and are subject to all the same legal requirements – MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.

So, because they don’t always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they can’t be used legally on the roads.

The law covering e-bikes – which are battery-assisted pedal cycles – doesn’t currently cover e-scooters, but the government wants to regulate them in a similar way in future.

Normal scooters, those without motors, are not allowed on pavements or cycle paths – but they can be used on roads.

So how will the e-scooter rental trial work?

The Department for Transport wants e-scooters rental schemes – similar to those seen in European cities – tried out across England, Wales and Scotland.

Riders wouldn’t need to take out their own insurance to hire an e-scooter, but they would need a driving licence or at least provisional one.

The hired vehicles could be used – legally – within set geographical boundaries.

But it would still be illegal to use a privately-owned e-scooter on a public road, even if you were in a trial area.

The government says it will monitor safety and keep the year-long scheme – part of a £2 billion plan to invest in greener travel – under review.

Where will the trials be?

As well as bringing forward the start date to the beginning of July, the government has – in light of the coronavirus crisis – widened the scope of the scheme across the whole of Great Britain.

Initially, four “future transport zones” were chosen for the trials – the West Midlands; Portsmouth and Southampton; the West of England Combined Authority (Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas); and Derby and Nottingham.

The Department for Transport says: “A high number of areas across Great Britain have expressed an interest in running e-scooter trials.”

According to the BBC’s transport correspondent Tom Burridge, it is hoped the first rentable e-scooters could be up and running in Middlesbrough from the second week of July.

Can I be fined for using an e-scooter?

If you were to use a hired e-scooter outside of any of the trial areas – yes, you could be fined.

Likewise, if you use a privately-owned e-scooter on any public road, cycle lane or pavement.

You could get a £300 fixed-penalty notice and, if you have one, six points on your driving licence.

Who backs e-scooter legalisation?

There are strong advocates for the introduction of electric scooters in the UK.

The London Cycle Campaign (LCC) said: “The arrival of e-scooters offers a cleaner, low carbon alternative to cars and buses for those who can’t or don’t want to cycle.”

“LCC is calling for e-scooters to be legalised and allowed to use cycle tracks rather than be used on pavements.”

Are electric scooters the future of transport in the city?

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Easy to manoeuvre, petrol free and quite a lot of fun on two wheels, e-scooters are fast becoming a feature of the urban mobility scene in the quest for more sustainable ways to travel.

“Under the right circumstances these vehicles can massively reduce congestion and carbon emissions, certainly. I think this is the best solution, especially for trips from 1-6 km,” said Joe Lewin, Founder and CEO of start-up Blue Zoom, which provides a bespoke e-scooter service for commercial and residential properties in Europe and the Middle East.

“We have been talking about traffic and congestion for the last twenty years – how to get people out of cars in city centres. E-scooters are a great option. They are electric, they don’t take up space – You can get a lot of e-scooters in one car parking space,” said Kristina Nilsson from Swedish e-scooter firm VOI Technologies.

“This is a vehicle for sharing. On average, each e-scooter for hire is used 5 to ten times a day,” said Nilsson. VOI launched in August 2018 but now has e-scooters in 40 cities in 10 countries.

It is a nascent, fast growing and competitive market. From highly valued American firms like Bird and Lime which have attracted big investment, to Sweden’s VOI Technologies and start-ups like Blue Zoom, e-scooters are having a moment.

“It is a race for territory. There are so many cities and towns out there craving a micro-mobility solution but it has not yet been fulfilled,” Joe Lewin said.

Micro-mobility is the catch-all for e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards. Billions have already been invested in the market. Research by consultants McKinsey says the European e-scooter market will be worth $150bn in Europe by 2030, up to $300bn in the U.S. and $50bn in China.

Germany, where e-scooters are quite popular, is to allow individual cities to decide on restrictions over where e-scooters are permitted to park and circulate. Credit: Michael Sohn / AP

However, while at MOVE2020, a mobility event in London, the talk was around e-scooters being an entry point into a new, sustainable infrastructure for getting around cities in the future, there are big questions around e-scooters and safety.

“Is an e-scooter classified as a road vehicle or something for pavements? If it is an Electric Vehicle, then there isn’t a problem because they can go in cycle lanes. What you categorize them as is a big challenge,” said Professor Jim Saker at Loughborough University.

Nilsson at Swedish firm VOI Technologies says new technology always needs new rules that can keep up with the fast pace of change.

“E-scooters are for sharing. That means we can make sure that what is on the roads is updated and is the best, latest technology. And what we do is a traffic test. 18-25 years olds are not taking driving tests because they are putting off owning a car, but we need to educate them on the rules of the road,” she said.

Lewin thinks perceptions are changing: “People have become more aware of these vehicles on roads, drivers in particular. And on cycle lanes. Infrastructure is improving so it is a safer environment as time goes on.”

Regulation is keeping up. E-Scooter companies operating in San Francisco now need permits. France has blocked people riding on the pavements. In Singapore e-scooters are only allowed on bike paths.

In the UK, riding an e-scooter is illegal on public roads, but there is a limited trial taking place in London. Plus, there will be a regulatory review in a British government consultation on e scooters. Until there is legislation, there is no way to insist on safety standards or reinforce the rules of the road.

Meanwhile, electric scooter companies in Germany might have to put the brakes on plans to operate in cities like Berlin, as some state governments push for a regulatory crackdown. German politicians were due to vote on amendments to the country’s Road Traffic Act on Friday which could give individual cities the right to restrict where e-scooters are parked – or ban them from the streets entirely. That’s not something Nilsson wants to see.

“I think e-scooters are here to stay in Germany. Certainly in places like Munich. But other cities may opt not to allow them on their streets if they don’t have the infrastructure in place to handle them – the right spaces for docking and for charging and bike lanes to ride e-scooters.”

Are Electric Scooters the Future? How Do They Actually Work?

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Are Electric Scooters the Future? How Do They Actually Work?

If you’re a particular age, then you might have memories of riding a scooter. Those flimsy, two-wheeled scooters that gave you freedom on the sidewalk in front of your house before your acquisition of a bike opened up the whole neighborhood.

Until recently, that image of a scooter as a nothing more than a child’s toy was the one most people carried.

Now, several companies are out to change that perception. They are banking big on the idea that the small, compact e-scooter is a viable personal transportation device.

But is it?

Let’s take a look at where e-scooters are at today, from their fundamental appeal to how they work to their practicality beyond ordinary weekend fun.

The Rise of the Electric Scooter

Although manual and electric kick- or push-start scooters have both been around for some time, the popularity of the latter has risen steadily over the past two decades.

Perhaps the central development in the design and marketing of today’s e-scooters is children are no longer the primary audience.

Make no mistake, the targets are still young. They just happen to have a different set of priorities.

College students on campus.

Young professionals who live and work in urban environments.

People looking for alternative means of transportation in those same cities.

Each of these groups offers a market segment that tends to eschew the norms and traditions of the past. Zipping around town on a low-speed, zero-emission scooter certainly caters to those demanding alternatives.

With a unifying factor that everyone over a certain age will probably look a little goofy riding one, it’s easy to see the appeal. It also doesn’t hurt that electric scooters come across as simple and easily accessible devices that are even easier to operate.

How Do Electric Scooters Work?

E-scooters, much like their non-powered siblings are about as straightforward as it gets when it comes to personal transportation devices.

In their simplest form scooters are composed of a narrow platform or deck, t-stem handlebars with a throttle and hand brakes, two wheels (although some models come with three or four), and front and rear suspension. Most scooters are fold-able, and some models also include a seat.

When it comes to variation, scooters are what they are. Alter the design too much, and they become an entirely different form of transportation. However, they do possess a few key areas where a slight difference makes a significant impact on performance.

It begins and ends with the battery.

Battery

You’ll find one of three battery types in the manufacturing of e-scooters, Nickel Metal Hydride, Lead-Acid, and Lithium-ion:

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)

A long-term market mainstay, NiMH batteries carry the middle ground between the well-known lead-acid and the newer Lithium-ion. NiMH batteries hold a longer charge versus a lead-acid version but are heavier than the Lithium-ion variety. Ultimately, these work well as a practical, cost-conscience alternative to the pricey Lithium-ion.

Lead-Acid

The long-standing workhorse of rechargeable batteries, lead-acid batteries have yet to lose their place as the preferred starter for automobiles and the power source for golf carts. Though a bit cumbersome for widespread use, you’ll still find plenty of these weighty and very inexpensive batteries in larger scooters.

Lithium-ion

The newest battery technology for e-scooters is also the most expensive, but for very good reasons. The Lithium-ion tech is more powerful, holds a charge far longer than either the lead-acid or NiMH, and do so in a much more lightweight package. More and more electric scooters are featuring these batteries and as the tech and production improve, so should the price.

Capacity, Range, Speed

The allure of the e-scooter both as a toy and as a potential vehicle for commuting is the simplicity of the whole endeavor. The other facet of its practicality, especially for adult professionals is its limitations.

Due to the diminutive build of scooters, the size of the onboard battery is typically smaller than a cable box, which means the overall performance of the rideable has its limits. Nowhere is this impact felt more than by the capacity, range, and speed.

More so than most other electric rides, a scooter’s range and speed are dictated directly by the capacity it carries and the terrain it traverses. With few exceptions, most scooter manufacturers provide an ideal set of circumstances to reach optimal range and speed, usually defined as a 120kg rider on a smooth flat surface.

VEHICOOL scooters max out at 25KM/H. Though most e-scooters can top out at speeds close to 30KM/H (with some newer models flirting with the 48KM/H mark) rare is the time an adult rider can achieve this mark.

This works well for riding electric scooters in an urban environment since it lends itself to a more comfortable, confident rider. Plus, anything faster typically invites accidents and potential injuries.

Safety

As with most personal e-vehicles, such as hoverboards, self-balancing unicycles, and Segways, the individual riding the device most often determines just how safe it is. However, staying upright on a scooter is less fraught with danger versus those other options.

The primary safety issue with scooters is when you place them among large groups of pedestrians and cars, which is happening now in a number of major cities across the Europe.

This intermingling of people on foot and those scooting by at a top speed of 25KM/H has created an uptick in accidents between the two, though reliable data does not yet exist on the exact numbers.

Beyond possible run-ins with non-riders, another primary safety concern revolves around the attire of the actual riders. Though every scooter manufacturer and ride-sharing company recommend the use of a helmet, and many cities dictate the wearing of headgear, very few e-scooter riders do so.

Final Thoughts

Few things in this world have ever made the jump from child’s toy to adult necessity. With people clamoring for travel alternatives and a lukewarm response from local governments, it will be interesting to see if the scooter-sharing industry has the wheels to carry it beyond a millennial fad.

If nothing else, it’s a noble attempt to make un-walkable cities a bit more comfortable to navigate and to alleviate some of the stress and congestion of urban living.

Regardless of how that turns out though, a weekend scoot around the neighborhood with the breeze in your hair and a pair of battery-powered wheels at your feet will never go out of style.

The electric scooter market is zooming. Will profits catch up?

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The electric scooter market is zooming. Will profits catch up?

Investors are pouring their money into electric scooter companies like Bird, one of the fastest-growing startups in history.

Marketed as eco-friendly alternatives to cars, scooters can help urban consumers bridge the “first and last mile,” the short distance between commuters’ homes and workplaces and larger transportation hubs, such as bus terminals or subway stations.

WATCH: Why the rise of the electric scooter has been a bumpy ride

The scooters are already on the streets in dozens of cities in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Bird, the first of the major electric scooter companies to launch in the U.S., is valued at $2 billion.

But will all the hype — and billions of dollars in investment — be supported by the business model?

That depends on whom you ask and what numbers you are using. Data leaked to The Information shows Bird has a 19 percent profit margin on its scooters, but that does not cover the cost of replacing the scooters or the cost of management and advertising. Adding those in could make the entire business unprofitable.

So how is a company like Bird valued at $2 billion?

The same question could be asked of electric car company Tesla, which is valued at $58 billion and has never had a profitable year. Or Twitter, which is valued at $25 billion, but only had its first profitable quarter in its 12-year history in February.

Sometimes, “the math doesn’t make sense,” said Harry Alford, the co-founder of the venture development firm Humble Ventures.

The main reason for the disconnect is that investors are betting on future profits, not what a company is making today.

Alford said when companies are just getting off the ground, there are often no profits to assess. Instead, investors look at the quality of three things: the management team, the current product and the market for that product.

When competition is fierce

The market for a product is key. So is being the first to market.

“You really have to think about where you are going to be distributing your product or service before the incumbents figure out what you are even doing,” Alford said.

The scooter market is a good example. Bird launched its scooters in September of 2017. A host of companies–Lime, Scoot, Spin, Lyft and Uber–quickly followed suit, debuting their own two-wheeled ventures this year. (Uber operates JUMP scooters and recently bought a share of Lime. Ford Motor Company announced this week it is buying Spin.)

Now it’s a battle to see who can grab the most market share as companies drop thousands of scooters on the streets for consumers to try.

Bird and Lime operate in dozens of mid- to large-sized cities across the country. JUMP and Lyft’s operations are limited to a few locations.

The companies’ markets often overlap, creating fierce competition. All four companies operate in Santa Monica, California, for example.

“These are network businesses whose competitiveness improves with scale,” i.e. increasing the size of the operation, said Juan Matute, the deputy director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies.

The more scooters a company has on the street, the more likely people are to use that company’s app on a regular basis, and that builds customer loyalty, which boosts profits.

When the profits don’t come in

But expansion does not automatically mean profit. Often, the profits never come.

Investors lose trust that they will make their money back and stop injecting capital, the cash needed to operate its business drys up and the company goes belly up.

This is not at all unusual. After all, nine out of 10 startups fail.

Plus, all of those scooters also come with liabilities, which the companies, and their investors, must take into consideration.

San Francisco and Denver temporarily banned scooters until they could establish regulations.

Bird and Lime have been named in a class-action lawsuit that alleges their negligence led to both riders and pedestrians being injured.

So far, investors still see the potential for profit despite the setbacks.

Keeping an eye on the next big thing

Investors are also looking for companies that are forward-thinking. Remember, the value of a company is all about the future — future profits, that is.

Bird has told investors it is looking for ways to boost its profit margins by reducing the cost of charging the electric-powered scooters and by lengthening the lifespan of the scooters, which cost about $550 each to replace based on The Information’s data.

Lyft and Uber, which are both planning to go public next year, jumped into the scooter market when they saw the potential for profits.

Andrew Savage, the vice president at Lime, told the PBS NewsHour that its business model has been focused on solving the “first and last mile” transportation issues. But he said Lime is already looking down the road to deliver a “second and third mile” solution.

“We’re still a young company. We’re still evolving and developing new products that will help solve the suite of issues that cities are facing around the country and globe,” Savage said.

Lime announced this week that it is launching a car-share program in Seattle.

Valuations are different for private companies as opposed to those publicly owned on the stock exchange. A publicly owned company’s “market cap” valuation, which is based on its stock price and is calculated differently than private company valuations, can change daily.

Take this Macro Trends chart of Twitter’s market cap for example:

The value changes when stockholders react to any kind of news they think could benefit or hurt the company’s future profits. A quarterly earnings report that shows a company is bringing in more revenue, for example, might give investors more incentive to buy the stock and boost the company’s value.

Alford cautions that even long stretches of losses do not mean entrepreneurs and investors should throw in the towel.

“In those situations, you keep trying to iterate and pivot until you find out that sustainable solution,” he said.

That could take years — 12 in the case of Twitter. But, in the end, investors are betting it will be worth the wait.

A Better Life, A Better World, a Manufacturer with Heart

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Improve peoples’ lives. Make the world a better place. These are the simple guiding principles that have inspired every VEHICOOL product, technology and solution for nearly 4 years. For most of that time, that’s meant developing innovative consumer technologies and products. Today, as we approach our fouth anniversary, VEHICOOL is in the midst of an ongoing transformation to pursue the vision set forth by our Founder on a much larger scale, providing integrated technology solutions to businesses and municipalities, empowering them to enhance the experiences of their customers and citizens.

Since the founding of our company in 2015, VEHICOOL Technology co., limited have been providing better living for our customers, always making “people” central to our activities, and thus focusing on “people’s lives.” Going forward as well, based on our innovative electric scooters technology, we will provide a wide variety of electric scooters. In various spaces and areas, we will continue to work hard to offer new value for better living, and help realize “A Better Life, A Better World” for each individual customer.

Every moment of every day, people all over the world turn to VEHICOOL to make their lives simpler, more enjoyable, more productive and more secure. Since our founding, we’ve been committed to improving peoples’ live and making the world a better place–one customer, one business, one technological leap forward at a time. VEHICOOL is a High-End Electric Scooters Manufacturer. We offers a great selection of High-End Electric Scooters to customers all over the world! We strive to deliver an extraordinary experience in Safety, Riding and Quality!

“Our main purpose is to manufacture superior products for daily use that improve the quality of life for everyone. From this point on, our full powers will be devoted to this mission.”

VEHICOOL Located in the most famous technology city in China – Shenzhen. VEHICOOL is one of the largest High-End Electric Scooter Manufacturers in China. We are manufacturing the High-End Electric Scooters for more than 4 years.

And while some may still think of us merely as a electric scooters company, we are a global provider of comprehensive solutions for businesses as well as consumers — solutions for your electric scooters design, your electric scooters business and OEM Service. 

Our Mission

From the very beginning, VEHICOOL has been dedicated to improving people’s lives and making the world a better place. Doing business with us you will see how our products, technologies and comprehensive solutions are helping to do just that.

Building More Joy and Happiness

Wherever you find VEHICOOL, you find a happy meeting. VEHICOOL’s products, services and enhanced technologies make for a better future for all of us. VEHICOOL has been consistently evolving via innovation and changes to its business culture. VEHICOOL will try to make a happier world by fulfilling its role and responsibility as a civilian company without blind adherence to a short-term profit directive. 

Our Future

We look forward to improving our skills and abilities to better serve your needs and your wants. We are excited about the prospect of providing those products and services that will enhance the quality of your life and if we fall short at any time please drop us a line to let us know how we might have done better and we will take actions to correct that in the future. Toward “A Better Life, A Better World”. 

Listening to the needs of our customers is our top priority. We work hard to improve our engineering and manufacturing capabilities and to commit ourselves to the pursuit of better lives for people. That is exactly how we at VEHICOOL aspire to bring “A Better Life, A Better World” to each and every customer.

We are taking a new step forward into our next 10 years. Please join us in our endeavors as we continue to advance toward the future.

From the entire team here at VEHICOOL, we wish you good health and abundant prosperity.