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Superpedestrian is expanding into the e-scooter market with a new shared micromobility division, Link.
Link allows riders to rent Superpedestrian’s e-scooters via smartphone, and, according to the company, offers a safer and more sustainable shared mobility service than existing alternatives. Custom technology, it says, improves rider experience and more effectively manages large fleets of vehicles in accordance with city needs.
“Over the past three years, dozens of scooter operators have used cities as test labs,” said Emily Warren, Superpedestrian advisor. “Unfortunately, many of them have failed that test. Equipment failures posed safety risks to riders and other road users, and both vehicles and businesses saw unnaturally short life spans, often leaving cities in the lurch.
“Meanwhile, Superpedestrian invested several years in designing and testing an e-scooter platform that could stand up to sustained shared use. Micromobility is a critical tool for the future of sustainable cities, so I’m glad to see Link combine proven vehicle technology and fleet management with a deep respect for city government.”
Link’s approach is to collaborate with cities, developing solutions to encourage safe riding and protect shared public spaces. According the company, for example, Link scooters can enforce geofences in <1 second thanks to onboard map storage which enables the vehicle to bypass the vehicle-to-cloud lag and autonomously enforce a geofence. This also allows vehicles to safely slow to a stop before entering no-ride zones.
Link’s Vehicle Intelligence System (VIS) is said to monitor the entire vehicle in real-time – including a self-diagnostic check before each ride – and proactively averting issues that could pose a safety risk down the line. The VIS reportedly monitors more than 140 indicators of vehicle performance per second, helping to address minor issues, including braking force, battery, and thermal events before they become major problems.
According to the brand, Superpedestrian’s e-scooters last more than 2,500 rides – ‘far longer than the industry standard’ – and can travel up to 55 miles on a single charge. “This cost advantage allows Link to operate in cities where other companies cannot compete”.
Assaf Biderman, Superpedestrian CEO, said: “By combining industry-leading operations with Superpedestrian’s intelligent e-scooters, Link is ushering in a new chapter for micromobility,” said Assaf Biderman, CEO of Superpedestrian.
