The transportation sector has almost come to a standstill due to the Coronavirus. Now, most of the countries have introduced lockdown relaxation and are slowly moving towards the new normal. Public transportation and other vehicles pose a threat as people are in close proximity to others. On the other hand, people can maintain social distancing through micro-mobility transport systems like an e-bike.
Prospects for E-scooter post-COVID-19 lockdown relaxations
The reluctance among people to travel longer distances has boosted the engagement of micro-mobility services like e-bikes. Many first-timers are using an e-bike for commuting over short distances. The trend has caught up with North Americans, where the percentage of usage of Bird scooters have doubled compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Technovio predicts 6% CAGR in the period of 2020-2024 for e-scooters.
“As operations continue to ramp up for e-scooter business, teams must maintain diligent sanitation practices,” says Maurice Henderson, director of government partnerships, Bird. The Bird is abiding by all the hygienic practices laid out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). After every ride, the Birds team cleans the entire vehicle using disinfectants.
They offer free rides for front line workers such as hospital staff, doctors, and other members. Bird offers employees the required PPEs such as masks, gloves, protective goggles to safeguard themselves.
Why investing in e-scooter would be the right choice?
It would be the right time to invest in on-demand e-scooter solutions, considering the shift in the trend towards micro-mobility transportation modes. As per Grand View Research, global electric scooters market size was valued at $17.43 billion in 2018 and is expected to witness an annual growth rate of 8.5% till 2030.
Features to consider and technology used to build
Onboarding: Make the onboarding process simple so that users can log in without putting in much effort. Integrate your app with social media handles so that the entire registration process would be simple.
In-app map: Riders can quickly locate the nearby stations and travel quickly without any hassles. For Android mobiles, Google maps API can be used, and Mapkit integration can be used for iOS mobiles.
Smart lock facilities: Users can lock and unlock their vehicles using the smart lock. All they do is place the QR scanner over the vehicle’s sticker. The feature can be implemented using iOS and Android scanner SDKs.
ID verification: There is an age criterion associated with riding the e-scooter. People only above the age of 18 years can ride vehicles in the US. During registration, the age should be checked.
In-app payments: In addition to the digital payment modes, there must also be an in-app wallet to facilitate quick payments. Stripe, PayPal, and Braintree SDK are integrations and technologies to consider for payment gateways.
Push Notification: Notifications can be sent related to upcoming offers, discounts, and special events. In order to develop that, Apple messaging services are used for iOS platforms, and Google cloud messaging is used for Android.
Book History: Users can see the previous transaction in the book history tab. Upon selecting each ride, they can view a detailed view of the ride.
Ensuring a safe ride during COVID-19 crisis
People will look for safe services during the Coronavirus period. Therefore it is essential to revamp the development process with certain precautionary measures.
- Disinfecting bikes after every use: Once the bike is placed in the station for charging, the frequently-used places such as handles, seats, and helmets have to be sanitized more thoroughly. A team must be present to disinfect the bikes with CDC-approved cleaners after every ride.
- Safety badge: The badge would ensure that the bike has been sanitized and is all set for a spin. It is one of the ways to gain trust among users.
- Videos/GIFs: The videos and GIFs of team members cleaning bikes while wearing the necessary PPEs should be part of the app’s home page. Users can be completely sure of their safety and will use the e-scooter rental app more often.
- Seminars: Ongoing crisis has made it essential for people to wear the required PPE. Both riders and employees must wear masks and gloves at all times.
- Update routes: Many areas are declared as red zones. Ensuring the safety of the riders it is important for the app to notify users when they come across isolation zones, and alternate safe routes must be suggested.
Challenges faced during launching e-scooter business
The concept of e-scooter rental apps is fairly new in many places. There is a need to be prepared beforehand as challenges may occur while setting up and running the business.
Getting permission from cities: People were used to taxi-hailing apps, so there weren’t challenges faced for setting up the business. On the other hand, e-scooters seem to be a fairly new concept, so there are certain regulations regarding running it. The emergence of the app should not disrupt other traveling modes. Business owners have to provide details like the number of bikes to be employed at various stations, the station’s location and other aspects of the e-scooter rental business functioning have to be submitted to the concerned government. Once the permission has been obtained, they can start up the service.
Funding: Unlike the other apps, the e-scooter business’s investment cost is related to both software and hardware. For Bird clone app development, there are two methods to follow; the first one involves developing the app from scratch, and the other is getting the white-labeled app from well-known app development companies. The latter method is the most reliable and preferable.
For setting up stations and procuring bikes, the investment cost is high. Entrepreneurs can partner with eminent ride-sharing businesses. It is crucial to have a full-fledged proposal which will represent the e-scooter rental proposal in an attractive way to bring in investors for your app business.
Negligence: Despite having intermittent drop off points across the cities, companies like Bird and Spin are facing criticism as people leave the bikes stranded everywhere. With the advent of IoT, we can easily track the users involved in irresponsible activities and impose hefty fines on them.
Conclusion:
The E-scooter market is flourishing all over the world. Five e-scooter startups in Europe have raised $150 million capital since its launch. Post COVID-19, the demand for Uber for e-scooter app solutions is expected to increase. Invest in these advanced solutions and take your business to the next level.