The fever of electric skateboards (scooters) is here to stay.
And it is that all the great metropolises of the planet are experiencing similar problems related to excess traffic, parking limitations, saturation of public transport and the consequent loss of time that all this represents.
Hence, a good business idea that emerges as a great opportunity for entrepreneurs has to do with offering micro mobility solutions that allow the user to move quickly and economically from one point to another in the city and at the same time contribute to vial decongestion.
That solution is technology-activated electric scooters.
These are devices operated with rechargeable batteries that in a simple and practical way give anyone the possibility of mobilizing without having to face the problems listed above.
Thus, the business of renting electric skateboards or e-scooters has had a great acceptance by people who longed for a convenient alternative without having to acquire the device themselves, which would have other implications.
The emergence of innovative proposals like these have a high business potential as cities will continue to grow and people will continue to demand long-term mobility solutions.
How does the business of electric scooters work?
Different technology companies such as Inboard Technology, or Wayfree with its Bird brand have been among the first to promote the rental of Electric Scooters under a payment method and geo-location through a downloadable application on the cell phone.
Part of the great secret is that using the service is quite simple and friendly. This is how you get an e-scooter for rent:
- You download the application in your App store (Android or iStore) and create a user with your email address, you only do this once.
- You must associate a means of payment (debit or credit card) to activate the service
- Then continue to locate the scooter available closest to your location.
- You proceed to unlock the skateboard by scanning the QR code located on it
- Once you arrive at your destination proceed to register your arrival with the code
Business operating costs
Basically the investment to start this business is based on 5 main areas:
- Scooters costing approximately US $ 800 per unit
- GPS tracking and locking systems $ 100 US per unit
- The development of the APP $ 2000 approximately
- Regular maintenance
How much can you charge for the service?
There are different collection rates but considering that this service is designed for short distances, a reference of how the scooter service is working in Guatemala and in Spain is:
US $ 1.00 per activation (unlock)
US $ 0.15 per minute of use
* Average rates for reference only
Other advantages of the electric skateboard business
- They are friendly to the environment
- They are silent
- They are light
- They are very easy to maneuver for anyone
Other businesses associated with the emergence of e-scooters
- Skateboard repair and maintenance shops
- Sale of batteries and chargers
- Sale of helmets and accessories
Growth of the e-scooter business globally
The newspaper El País shares some interesting facts:
- In Spain alone, 9,859 operating licenses were distributed to 22 companies at the beginning of the year
- Bolt, an Estonian micro-mobility multinational, has 25 million users in 30 countries
These data confirm that electric scooters are emerging as a global trend whose accelerated growth is unlikely to stop. Ready to get into the e-scooter business?
