Insights and news from the ATOM Mobility team

At ATOM Mobility, we know there is a lot to consider when starting a mobility company. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a breakdown of some most frequently recommended manufacturers of smart locks and docking stations on the market. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.

Spin tested solar-powered charging stations by Swiftmile in a pilot program

While free-floating model (when scooters and bikes can be parked anywhere within the parking zone) is experiencing a growing demand, it also faces some challenges such as the problem of discharged vehicles, vandalism and pressure form the municipality. In some cases smart locks or even docking/charging station is a good option to take a look at. In this short article we will give a brief overview of manufacturers that in our opinion can provide quality solution for this problem.

Smart locks

Omni

Omni is one of the leading providers of smart locks for bike sharing, it is used by companies like Ofo, Mobike and many others. Affordable price and built-in GPS is a winning combination. Optional solar recharge capacity means unlimited time standby and no need to worry about battery life.

Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes

Price: 50-70 USD/ 45-65 EUR depending on model and quantity. Will require SIM card with data to track location

Omni smart lock

Linka

Linka has two main models - Original and Leo. The difference is that Original lock has not built-in GPS, which means that you will rely on user phone data and will not have real-time information about bike location. This is why we prefer Linka Leo - which is high-quality product with great design.

Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes

Price: 169 - 269 USD / 150 - 250 EUR depending on model and quantity. Leo model requires SIM card with data to track location

Lattis

Lattis offers U-type lock with special case and chain for scooters. It is high quality product, but similarly as with Linka original it does not have bult-in GPS. However, we believe it can be a good additional security layer for scooter sharing (where you already have Iot with GPS data).

Suitable for: scooters, bikes and e-bikes

Price: 150 - 199 USD / 160 - 180 EUR depending on accessories and quantity

Lattis smart lock

AXA

Axa from Netherlands has been on the market for a while and their locks are used by Donkey Republic and Zagster. Unfortunatelly, these locks also do not have GPS, so you will need to rely on user phone data.

Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes

Price: 130 USD / 115 EUR

Docking and charging stations

If you are interested in charging/docking station you need to take into account that the average price of 1 charging pot for 1 scooter is approximately 650 - 1100 USD / 600 - 1000 EUR. So if you have a small fleet of 100 scooters and you want to have a docking/charging place for 30% of them your budget will be around 30 000 EUR.

Swiftmile

Swiftmile is the leader in charging and docking stations for scooters with successful pilots with larger shared mobility operators. They support both docked and dock-less scooter systems and operate using either solar, battery powered or plug-in power systems. Their software is suitable for integration via API. You can connect 4, 8, 12 or 16 scooters/ports to one station. 

Duckt

Duckt modular charging and docking solution is a piece of art, it is small and compact and will look visually appealing almost everywhere. This is why we love it. Another cool thing is that solution is flexible and you can place these modules one by one (1,2,3 and so on).

Knot

Knot is a European player that provides charging stations for Segway scooters. It is affordable and by using 1 station you can charge up to 8 scooters.

Kuhmute

Kuhmute charging station works with many scooter types, e-bikes and even skateboards. Another cool thing is that they offer monthly subscriptions if you do not want to pay for the stations upfront.

Meredot

Meredot has very interesting concept for wireless scooter charging (however no docking provided). At the moment startup runs few pilots with first customers.

Contact ATOM Mobility for any additional questions or inquiries you may have about available products and suppliers. 

ATOM Mobility - We empower entrepreneurs to launch vehicle sharing platforms.

At ATOM Mobility, we know there is a lot to consider when starting a mobility company. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a breakdown of some most frequently recommended manufacturers of IoT, GPS and connectivity on the market that are currently integrated with ATOM Mobility. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.

To remotely control and monitor kick scooter, e-bike, moped, car or any other vehicle you will need to install so called IoT device which allows to remotely send commands to the vehicle and execute them, as well as monitor real-time location and track possible errors. What IoT & GPS devices are the in the market?

Teltonika

Teltonika is used by the largest shared mobility operators in the world. The company has sold more than 10 million IoT devices during their 10+ years on the market and has more than 500 employees. IoT devices by Teltonika can be used for kick scooters, scooters/mopeds, e-bikes, cars, trucks and even forklifts. The list of supported vehicles is very long. Some examples:

EMB100

Teltonika EMB100 is an e-bike IoT with GNSS, GSM and Bluetooth connectivity. Integrated ECU data reading will expand your capabilities even more.

E-Scooter Tracker

Teltonika E-SCOOTER TRACKERPLUS is a small, professional and waterproof tracker for a variety of electric scooters. The device has internal high gain GNSS/GSM antennas, Bluetooth and high capacity internal Li-ion battery and 10-97 V power supply range for integration variety.

TST100 by Teltonika

TST100

Teltonika TST100 is a kick e-scooter tracking device with integrated GNSS, GSM and Bluetooth connectivity, designed for sharing applications. TST100 enables the possibility to read information from kick e-scooters ECU and control them remotely.

FMB130

FMB130 is tracker with internal GNSS, GSM antennas, configurable digital/analogue inputs/negative input/impulse inputs, three DOUT outputs, Bluetooth connectivity and backup battery.

Suitable for: kick scooters, scooters, mopeds (both gasoline and electric), e-bikes, cars, trucks and more.

Price: 60 USD - 120 USD / 50 € - 120 € depending on model and quantity. No monthly fees.

Omni

Company based in China and provides IoT devices mostly for kick scooters and bikes. It is widely used by vehicle manufacturers that use Omni IoT as a default built in option (like Segway, Acton and many others).

Suitable for: kick scooters, bikes and e-bikes.

Price: 45 USD- 85 USD / 40 € - 80 € per piece depending on model and quantity. In some cases manufacturers that use Omni IoT by default may charge some monthly fee for connectivity.

Comodule

Comodule is rapidly growing startup headquartered in Tallinn (Estonia), with business development offices in Berlin (Germany) and Taipei (Taiwan). They worked with many large companies including Jump and Bolt. Comodule provides both IoT device and cloud server with API. This is why they have additional monthly fees.

Suitable for: kick scooters and e-bikes.

Price: 80 USD - 150 USD / 80 € - 130 € depending on quantity + monthly fees.

Lightbug

We decided to add to the list also Lighbug device that is actually not an IoT device (not connected to the vehicle), but can be used in some cases just to monitor real-time location and trigger alarm sound if needed. Lightbug’s remote GPS solutions can be used in cases if you do not want to integrate to the vehicle. Model has battery that lasts 30-60 days if send location data every minute and up to 10-15 years if update regularity is lower. Great result! You can attach GPS basically everywhere, not only on a vehicle.

Lightbug Pro is industrial grade tracker, designed to have a battery life of up to 15 years

Suitable for: real-time location tracking of any asset or person

Price: 95 USD - 115 USD / 89.90 € - 104.00 €

Connectivity and data

Each IOT device will require a SIM card that has data capability in order to send and receive commands. While some manufacturers offer IoT devices together with SIM cards and data, other give you more flexibility to choose from. Data usage varies depending on IoT device you use and configurations, but in general every SIM card will consume around 5-30 MB/month. Local SIM card providers can offer you a price estimation which should be around 0,5 - 2 EUR/month per SIM card. Some global connectivity providers that focus on shared mobility market:

Twilio

Straightforward pay-as-you-go pricing in 180+ countries. In average around 2 USD/month per SIM card + data.

1ot

1oT has great coverage all over the world and flexible pricing without monthly fees (you pay only for data usage).

1nce

The 1NCE IoT Flat Rate is an all-inclusive price model for IoT connectivity. It is a pre-paid offering to connect IoT devices for up to 10 years at a price of 10 EUR, including all necessary features such as data allowance, SIM card cost, APN, OpenVPN and SMS (250 sms). For 10 EUR you will get sim card with 500 MB (most probably will be enough for 1,5 - 2 years). If you are ready to pay upfront 10 EUR/sim this is the best offer available.

Truphone

Truphone is another great alternative to take a look at. For 12 EUR per SIM you will get 250 MB to use within 3 years.

This is the second part of hardware overview. In next blog post we will cover list of popular smart locks. Contact ATOM Mobility for any additional questions or inquiries you may have about available products and suppliers. 

ATOM Mobility - We empower entrepreneurs to launch vehicle sharing platforms.

At ATOM Mobility, we know there is a lot to consider when starting a mobility company. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a breakdown of some most frequently recommended manufacturers and vehicle models on the market that are currently integrated with ATOM Mobility. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.

What are the most reliable vehicles that are available right now on the market?

Scooters

Acton

Acton specializes in electronic scooters specifically designed for fleet operations. The company currently offers two different e-scooter models, as well as one e-bike model.

The Acton M Pro robust design includes industry-leading strength ratings, heavy duty welds, and proprietary aluminum extrusions.

Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 30.9 KMPH

Range: 30 miles / 48 km

Charge: 6 hours

Price: Contact us or ACTON directly

The Acton Topswap is e-scooter designed to include a patented battery swap system (on the same Acton M Pro model basis)

Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 30.9 KMPH

Range: 30 miles / 48 km

Charge: 6 hours

Price: Contact us or ACTON directly

FitRider

Located in Hangzhou of China. Fitrider is an innovative high-tech company with variety of products: escooters, ebikes, swappable battery solutions, IoT/GPS, smart locks and docking/charging stations.

FitRider Scooter T2S with swappable battery design, 10’inch wheels, solid tyres and drum/disc brakes.

Top speed: 15.5MPH / 25 KMPH

Range: 20 miles / 35 km

Charge: 4-5 hours

Price: Contact us

Freego

Freego is the largest manufacturer and the first exporter of self balancing scooters from South China. 

Top speed: 15.5MPH / 25 KMPH

Range: 30 miles / 48 km

Charge: 3-5 hours

Price: 600 USD / 556 EUR

Okai

Zhejiang Okai Vehicle Co., Ltd. produces professional high quality scooters, both electric and gasoline. Scooters of this company is widely used by largest scooter sharing companies in Europe.

The ES400 model is specifically designed for highly efficient sharing platforms. Swappable battery, very durable and fully hidden cables.

Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH

Range: 16Ah = approx. 32 miles / 51.5 km, 9.6Ah = approx. 24 miles / 39 km

Charge: 3-4 hours

Price: ES400 - 700 USD / 650 EUR, ES200 (non swappable battery) - 595 USD / 550 EUR

Segway

Segway Inc. is the worldwide leader in personal electric transportation. Almost all major sharing companies using or used scooter manufactured by Segway.

The Segway Ninebot ES4 model was the first model widely used for sharing. It comes with a dual-battery offering and solid design. However, the durability of this model is low comparing to other vehicles in this review.

Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH

Range: 28 miles / 45 km

Charge: 6-7 hours

Price: 300-400 USD / 250-350 EUR

The 10-inch pneumatic tires on the Kickscooter MAX can climb slopes that have a 20% incline. Special cable protection. Durable model with option to upgrade to PRO with swappable battery function.

Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH

Range: Approx. 23 miles / 37 km

Charge: 6-7 hours

Price: 480 - 580 USD / 440 - 540 EUR

Superpedestrian

Superpedestrian offers the first micro mobility platform built on intelligent electric vehicles and cloud tools.

The Superdestrian model by US based mobility company of the same name offers a 12+ months vehicle lifetime, real-time safety checks, active protection systems and a robust design offering.

Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH

Range: 56 miles / 90 km

Charge: 7 hours

Price: -

Electric Bikes / Mopeds

Acton Nexus E-Bike

Designed specifically for shared fleet services, this electronic bike model will launch in spring 2020 with fully integrated IoT.

Top speed: 21.75 MPH / 35 KMPH

Range: 35 miles / 56 km

Charge: 6 hours

Price: Contact us or ACTON directly

Niu

NIU delivers electric vehicle in the two-wheel class powered by a Bosch Electric Motor and Panasonic Lithium Battery.

Designed specifically for shared fleet services, this electronic bike model will launch in spring 2020 with fully integrated IoT.

Top speed: 28 MPH / 45 KMPH

Range: 35-45 miles / 50-70 km

Charge: 6 hours

Price: 2593 USD / 2400 EUR

Gonbike

The Gonbike Pab model is a fully integrated e-bike, with native IoT integration and high battery capacity up to 49.7 m / 80 km. 

Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH

Range: 50 miles / 80 km

Charge: 6 hours

Price: 995 USD / 930 EUR

FitRider M2 ebike

Swappable battery design, 14 or 16 ’inch wheels, strong frame, drum brake and build-in IoT/GPS.

Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH

Range: 45 miles / 70 km

Charge: 3-5 hours

Price: Contact us

This is the first part of hardware overview. In next blog post we will cover IoT/GPS devices and then smart locks. Contact ATOM Mobility for any additional questions or inquiries you may have about available products and suppliers. 

ATOM Mobility - We empower entrepreneurs to launch vehicle sharing platforms.

The mobile sharing industry is projected to grow at a rapid rate over the next several years. The economic shift towards micro mobility has shown that bike and scooter use is going to grow from USD $2.5 billion in 2019 to USD $10.1 billion by 2027. With an increasing demand for affordable mobility services, industry leaders are making adjustments to their financial models to accommodate changing regulations, as well as, growing production costs.

We put together a breakdown of the expenses that are currently going in to establishing a profitable MaaS company along with some other considerations to keep in mind.

What are the current pricing levels for leaders in Scooter and Bike Sharing?

The pricing levels for different services being offered around the world vary based upon initial upfront costs, cost per allotted time and total ride duration. These prices are also subject to change depending on the regulatory requirements of each location.

Scooter sharing:

Bike sharing:

At ATOM Mobility we have a specific calculation to determine the total income a scooter or bike sharing service makes based on ride time and pricing fees. This allows adjustments to be made for the different price levels each company offers.

Income Equation: (Unlock Fee + (Average Ride Time X Minutes)) = x

x = Average Price per Ride

How does vehicle ridership impact the financial model?

Ridership is impacted by a multitude of factors, including availability to travel lanes, density of charging/docking stations, level of integration within the overall transportation network, along with the extent of rider outreach and vendor education. Vehicle use rates tend to increase based on volume of available scooters/bikes and ease of access to stations. The systems with larger fleets, as well as wider spread sharing infrastructure tend to experience higher ridership.

According to research conducted by the National Association of City Transportation Officials, scooters are making up to two times more rides per vehicle per day compared to bikes. Bike services complete anywhere from 0.5 to 2.5 rides per day at an average of 1, with trends showing a shift away from traditional pedal bicycles as the interest in e-vehicles continues to grow.

Image source: nacto.org

The region where services are being offered can also influence ridership. Across our partners at ATOM Mobility for scooters, we are seeing from 1.8 to even 5 rides per vehicle per day, with even higher rates in colder regions where the proper infrastructure is in place.

Image source: City of Chicago, E-scooter Pilot Evaluation 

An evaluation of the City of Chicago’s E-scooter pilot program found that over time the number of trips per day decreased from an average of 3.7 to 2.5. This aligns with the seasonality of mobility vehicles, which has been proven to impact ridership. Our research found that there can be decreases between 30 to 50 percent during the off-season.

The average rides per day you can count on for bike sharing services is 0.5 to 2.5, and 1.8 to 5 for scooter sharing services.

What additional factors need to be taken into consideration?

Once we have determined how many rides are being taken and the average price, we can calculate the average income per vehicle per month and outline cost positions. To begin growing revenue, mobility companies need to determine ways to extend the lifespan of their vehicles or off-set the costs once the limit is met. These factors are a major component in developing a successful financial model. In addition, it’s important to review the other expenses that impact vehicle maintenance and usage when constructing an accurate forecast.

Seasonality

Seasonality refers to the time of year a service operates as a result of environmental or weather factors. For mobility services, the usage season usually begins when the average temperature in a month is +10 Celsius or more.

Rides Per Vehicle Per Day

The number of rides each vehicle is taking in a day will impact both revenue but also maintenance and lifespan costs.

Rides

The rate for each ride will need to be considered when developing an overall financial plan for a company.

Maintenance Costs (ex. 13 percent of cost per ride)

Maintenance of the vehicle fleets is required and may vary depending on usage, as well as vehicle model.

Charging Costs (ex. 21 percent of cost per ride)

Whether the fleet uses docking stations or offers free floating services, the cost of charging the vehicles is necessary for continued use.

Bank Commission (ex. 3 percent cost per ride)

This includes any of the banking fees that are acquired.

Marketing (ex. 4 percent cost per ride)

Promoting the services being offered is an essential expense for business growth and expansion within the market.

Customer Support (ex. 5 percent cost per ride)

Most mobility services are offered through mobile apps that require regular support from customer service representatives to resolve customer inquiries and help with reputation management for the company.

IT System Support (ex. 5 percent cost per ride)

These services include IoT systems, sim cards, data, software and other technological requirements needed for the vehicles to operate.

Additional Costs (ex. 3 percent cost per ride)

Mobility companies like any other vehicle service are subject to additional costs such as insurance, city permits and/or other resources.

Our Excel-based Model

To help determine the overall impact of fluctuating costs for scooter and bike services, we developed a financial model that breaks down costs based on a percentage. Through this Excel-based Model we are able to maintain a proportionate evaluation of the expenses for each service.

source: ATOM Mobility

To make calculations we assume an average ride time of 20 minutes then apply that to our Excel-based Model. Costs are shown as a percent from the ride price. Since cost and prices differ country by country, this model allows for the proportions to remain the same. For accurate forecast planning, we recommend using the average of two to four rides per vehicle per day on a period of wholesale. To learn more about our model, please email us.

Where do we go from here?

Mobility as a service is expected to continue growing as additional opportunities for expansion and profitability open in the market. At ATOM Mobility, we want to help your business thrive in the exciting new world of transportation services. There has not been a better time to join other industry leaders than right now. Reach out to us today so we can start building for the future, starting with our scooter sharing software.