HOP, SKIP AND SCOOT
22 May 2018
Scooter sharing has arrived in Washington DC. Dockless electric scooters are a scan-and-go public service that allows tourists and locals to scoot around the city then dock the units anywhere for the next user.
Sanjay Dastoor, the former CEO of electric skateboard manufacturer Boosted Boards, is branching out into two-wheeled modes of urban transport. He has launched Skip, a new scooter sharing service kicking off in Washington DC.
Dockless scooter sharing services have sprung up all over the west coast of the US recently. By their nature, dockless scooters can be left anywhere a user desires, with locals complaining of cluttered sidewalks and the San Francisco City Attorney's Office issuing a cease and desist letter to three companies for "unlawful operation" in the city.
Dastoor points to his track record of not just developing popular electric skateboards, but working with authorities to gain the necessary permits before putting them on the streets, as a reason why Skip will succeed where others have not.
Skip's scooters will also be dockless, powering around the city at up to 29 km/h on a 36 V, 350 W hub motor, with each charge of the battery good for a 48 km range. They are fitted with dual suspension and LED headlights, taillights and brake lights for safety.
Users can hop onboard by first downloading the Skip app. Then once they locate a Skip scooter on the street, they scan a QR code on its handlebars and the system starts logging their route and charging them accordingly (there's no word yet on the exact costs).
Skip does seem to be taking a proactive approach to avoiding a big ol' scooter scrapyard on the streets. The company website advertises for positions as a Street Team Charger, which involves collecting Skip scooters from the street, taking them home, charging them overnight and then dropping them off at designated locations in the morning.
Those roles are available in Washington DC, as well as in San Francisco where Skip plans to launch soon. Time will tell if its more measured approach to rolling out a scooter sharing service has it fare better than its competitors.