Scooters And One Wheels

E-scooter corporations trip Adelaide development into new fiscal 12 months

Adelaide’s two e-scooter rental companies, Neuron and Beam, want to capitalize on the increased interest in micromobility as they explore the connection between their CBD offering and a growing number of suburban locations.

Beam and Neuron e-scooters in Adelaide’s CBD (Photo: Thomas Kelsall / InDaily)

Together, the two Singaporean start-ups are delivering 2,300 e-scooters across the Adelaide CBD and in a few select inner-city districts.

Both use mobile apps to charge an unlock fee of $ 1.00 for each trip, with Beam and Neuron charging $ 0.38 and $ 0.45, respectively, from users on a per-minute pricing model.

Since Beam won the bid to operate in the Adelaide CBD in March 2019, Beam has expanded operations in Norwood, Payneham, St.

Beam General Manager Australia and New Zealand Tom Cooper – previously CEO of Melbourne micromobility startup RIDE – said e-scooters are growing in popularity as “people are now realizing they can take them to the suburbs”.

“I’ve been using e-scooters for almost the entire program in Adelaide now, and usage has just grown and grown,” said Cooper.

“We just believe it will get stronger as more suburbs like Norwood, Payneham and St. Peters open up and people can use e-scooters to connect with the suburbs.

“Norwood is probably 5 or 6 percent of our total use in the Adelaide metropolitan area right now, but we imagine that will be much, much higher over time.”

He said the company currently operates 800 scooters in Adelaide’s CBD, which has the added benefit of allowing drivers to scooter on footpaths – a luxury that doesn’t apply in other jurisdictions.

“Adelaide has many beautiful, wide, and well-tended sidewalks, so Adelaide is well positioned for shared micromobility,” he said.

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With only two operators in Adelaide after its former company RIDE exited the Australian market, Cooper said Beam was not in competition with Neuron Mobility and the two companies had a common goal of reducing the number of cars on the roads.

“The number of scooters available is likely not enough to meet demand, so there are many trips for each operator,” he said.

“We work with everyone and we want all drivers to do well because… it’s about getting people out of the cars, that’s what matters.

“We want to reduce these short car journeys and bring people to more sustainable means of transport.”

E-scooters lined up in Victoria Square, Adelaide (Photo: Thomas Kelsall / InDaily)

Survey data collected by Cooper’s micro-mobility colleague Neuron Mobility allegedly shows that e-scooters are hurting Adelaide’s dependence on cars.

The company says its latest driver survey shows that e-scooters “replace 42 percent of car journeys in Adelaide, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions”.

The company also says the data shows that 62 percent of Adelaide e-scooter trips result in a purchase from a store.

Self-proclaimed Australia’s leading e-scooter operator, Neuron has e-scooter rentals in Adelaide, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Canberra, Darwin and Townsville.

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Since then, the company has expanded its Adelaide offering to include the parishes of Norwood, Payneham and St. Peters.

Port Adelaide / Enfield, West Torrens and Charles Sturt with 1150 e-scooters and 300 e-bikes.

Richard Hannah, Head of Australia and New Zealand at Neuron Mobility, said the ability to combine e-scooter rides in Adelaide with the surrounding suburbs has made the city unique in Neuron’s portfolio.

“Our Adelaide operations are in two separate operational zones, including the Adelaide Coast and Adelaide CBD / Norwood,” he said.

“The zones also span five jurisdictions including Adelaide City, Norwood, Payneham & St. Peters and three Western Alliance Coastal Cities.

“This is what makes Adelaide unique and a fantastic example of how multiple communities can work together to deliver a successful micromobility service to their residents and visitors.”

He declined to comment on whether Neuron’s Adelaide operation was profitable, but said the company operates a “sustainable” operation in the South Australian capital.

“After COVID-19, we’ve definitely seen increased interest in e-scooters, with cities and individuals looking for new ways to get around to continue social distancing,” he said.

“Elsewhere in Australia there are tremendous growth opportunities as more cities try to solve problems like congestion and emissions and expand the reach of existing transportation networks.”

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