What Are the Key Features of a Smart Sharing E-scooter?

Sharing e-scooters is considered the future of micro-mobility. The concept is not new, but feasibility has become possible now due to the widespread use of smartphones and the advent of highly functional IoT technology. The challenges which were not solvable earlier now can be easily addressed with the advent of technology. The rise of e-scooter sharing companies is living proof of that.

According to a TechCrunch report, Stockholm-based e-scooter firm Voi was the latest firm to receive significant VC backing, securing €101.8 million ($115 million) in an oversubscribed Series D round in 2020.

In April, Amsterdam-based startup Dott raised an $85 million Series B funding round to expand its fleet of 30,000 electric scooters used in a dozen cities in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

Another e-scooter company, Tier, completed a successful Series D funding round, raising €172 million at a €1.7 billion valuation in 2020.

If you are also planning to expand your e-scooter sharing business in the e-scooter-sharing segment, which is expected to grow at an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2026) of 15.33% in Europe, it is very important that you invest in the right sharing e-scooter technology.

Features of a Top Smart Electric Sharing Scooter

Features of a sharing e-scooter go beyond the regular features such as speed, power, and durability. Top sharing scooters offer a wider range of functionality which is not required in a regular e-scooter. Have a look at the top five features of a good smart electric sharing scooter.

1. GPS location system

This is the top requirement of a good sharing electric scooter. Without a good GPS system, it is not easy for an e-scooter sharing operator to provide good e-scooter sharing services and make profits out of sharing business. A good sharing scooter comes with a highly accurate GPS system that allows every vehicle to be tracked in real-time to a range of within 5-10 m. This is the industry average accuracy of GPS location systems, but there are some e-scooters that are loaded with GPS location technology that can bring the accuracy range down to 10 to 50 cm.

Choose e-scooters that come with a highly accurate advanced GPS location system. An accurate GPS system makes it easy for the rider to find an e-scooter for rental with a precise location and allows operators to easily locate each and every scooter.

2. Geofencing

Geofencing is another crucial feature of a sharing e-scooter. It informs the e-scooter rider about the geofence areas such as no-ride or go-slow zone. This again comes down to the software capabilities of an e-scooter. For example, the Okai e-scooter uses the new ZK200 IoT built-in local video and image analysis system. It provides you with a stronger positioning system that grants centimeter precise location information with RTK Base Station and fast, real-time geofencing. The average industry time for geofence response is 6-12 seconds. It performs better than most of the geofence systems in the market on rental e-scooters.

Choose an e-scooter with advanced geofencing capabilities. It helps them provide a better riding experience with real-time information about the geofence zones.

3. Advanced IoT functionalities

The latest range of smart e-scooters comes with advanced IoT functionalities such as lane warning, AI video recording, and obstacle detection. This allows the e-scooter fleet operators to provide a safe riding experience. The camera can detect the lane a rider is riding in and display a warning to keep you in the right lane.

Not just that, the camera is constantly recording and analyzing the environment around the e-scooter. Thus, e-scooter fleet operators can learn about the bad rider’s riding habits, such as sidewalk riding, aggressive swerving, skidding, tandem riding, and curb jumping, with the help of real-time monitoring. This helps you to profile different types of riders and give them an individual safety rating.

Other IoT capabilities include smart Lock & unlock through both GSM and BLE 4.1, audible voice prompts and alarm sounds through the onboard speaker, and illegal scooter movement alert / Topple alert.

4. Camera system

Advanced smart sharing e-scooters come with a camera system and LCD/LED displays that can help the rider with an amazing field of view that provides immediate detection of potential obstacles around you.

It also helps with lane indication, smart parking, and video recording. This significantly enhances rider safety, incorporated with other features like safety lighting.

5. Wireless connectivity

Wireless connectivity is another key feature that is found in most of the sharing e-scooters. It allows users to connect their smartphones with the e-scooter to get real-time information on the phone.

Users can connect their phones via Bluetooth or NFC and access a range of features. Many smart e-scooters come with the features of wireless charging.

If you are planning to empower your fleet with smart e-scooters, look for these functions to find a sharing e-scooter with a brain.