Skip, a new electric scooter sharing service. — AFP Relaxnews
Skip, a dockless electric scooter sharing service with the same founders as Boosted Boards has just launched in Washington, DC and will hit San Francisco next.
Ever heard of Boosted Boards? Founded by Sanjay Dastoor and Matt Tran, it's a brand for premium electric skateboards, designed to feel sturdy and safe. Well, the same pair have set their sights on a new project – Skip, a dockless electric scooter sharing service that hopes to bring robust two-wheelers to major cities.
Commuters download the Skip app to locate the nearest scooter, scan a QR code and they are good to go. And as it's dockless, the rideable can be left anywhere – within reason.
As for the ride itself, Skip's scooters have a 30-mile (48km) range, all-day battery life, can go up to 18 mph (29kmh) depending on the city and has a 36V 350W Hub Motor. Unlike other similar models, these come with high-intensity LED headlights, taillights and brake lights for visibility and safety purposes. Note, riders will be advised to bring and wear their own helmets.
The brand aspires to provide a better-quality, ergonomic ride for a similar price to its competitors: US$1 (RM3.98) starting fee then US$0.15 (RM0.60) per minute.
Speaking of competition, this is a hot new trend on the West Coast, with companies such as Lime-S and Bird already on the scene with similar concepts. However, Boosted Boards is hitting Washington, DC first and according to TechCrunch, the service is already underway having launched on May 17.
Furthermore, the Skip team are working alongside the city, although the company wouldn't guarantee that'd be the case in every city, according to TechCrunch.
“We're the first permitted [dockless electric scooter] system operating anywhere,” Dastoor said in the interview. “A lot of the story around dockless scooters has come from SF, and from companies that have launched without informing anyone or working with anyone....What we saw in DC was the opposite. We're working with the cities to deploy, share data with them, and engage with the community, and we've seen none of the backlash that we've seen in SF.”
Now the big question is, if dockless, where do the scooters get their juice from? “Street Team Charger” they call it. The company is offering to pay people to pick up a scooter or two on their way home from work, plug it in to charge, then drop it off the next day.
It's not known exactly when the Skip scooters will roll out in other cities, however it looks as though San Francisco is next. — AFP Relaxnews
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