Does anyone actually think this is a profitable market? Electric scooters are expensive, repair and charging is expensive. It’s a seasonal business. Vandalism/abuse is fairly common. In terms of any environmental benefit, I highly suspect more gasoline is being consumed to collect and distribute scooters than the offset of a few last mile transports. I suspect the cost to the consumer would have to double for it to m…
I think it’s a great business. They are not expensive. There are no employees except for depot repair and customer service call center. Repair can be handled by driving with a van after dark and collecting all sick units. Easy for a small team. It can be a Chrysler Hybrid minivan if you want to be environmentally conscious. Fuel consumption is a non-factor if done overnight without traffic. Solar can charge the batteries, but so can random people, which is how it is done.
They are not cheap to ride. Riders are paying $20/hr. I paid a few times and found it convenient compared to catching an Uber. Unit cost is less than $1000. You are looking at a month of use before the thing becomes profitable. At their volume, the cost is likely far less.