Riders on bright orange e-Scooters and e-Bikes are now zipping around Coquitlam’s City Centre.
Today (June 29), Neuron Mobility launched its electric vehicles in the neighbourhood as part of an 18-month city micro-mobility pilot project with another partner: Lime.
Neuron hopes to launch its full fleet — 300 e-Scooters and 100 e-Bikes — during the Canada Day long weekend.
“I think it’s a great city to do this,” Ankush Karwal, the Canadian marketing head, told the Tri-City News during a test ride on Thursday.
“Coquitlam is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and it has a very good transportation network with SkyTrain and the bus. What we aim to do is to bring people to and from their homes; it’s called the first and last mile. It just gives them a new and different mode of transportation to get to the transit hubs.”
Coquitlam is Neuron’s 17th city in Canada and second in B.C.; its first provincially was in Vernon in 2021.
@tricitynews e-Scooters are here. 🛴 #tricitynews #coquitlam #citycentre #escooter #escooters #CapCut #whatarewedriving ♬ original sound - TriCityNews
On Wednesday (June 28), the company started in Regina and saw some 500 rides on day one. “It was very busy and a lot of fun,” Karwal said.
For riders, the use is easy: First, you need to download the app.
Then you scan the QR code on by the dashboard to unlock the numbered vehicle and unhook the integrated helmet (you can use your own helmet, too).
Next, the app requests a selfie of you with the helmet on, as well as a credit card number, and asks that you agree to the terms and conditions before lift off.
The cost is $1.15 to unlock an electric vehicle plus 35 cents per minute; passes are also available for three or seven days or for the month at a cost of $25, $33 and $89, respectively. The packages are good for up to 90 minutes a day of riding.
The e-Scooters can travel up to 24 km/h on roads, designated bike lanes and multi-use paths (not sidewalks); however, in areas that see a lot of pedestrians, like the Lafarge Lake loop, the e-Scooters automatically slow to 15 km/h.
And because the vehicles are designed and manufactured in-house, there are a lot of safety features, Karwal said, pointing out the six sensors on the handle, the bright orange colour on the frame, the wide deck to fit both feet, a bell and bigger 11.5” wheels.
In addition, there are safety prompts while the rider is setting up and riding on the bike. If it topples, a female voice asks the user if they are OK and in need of medical assistance.
Karwal said a team of 25 to 30 people in Coquitlam will monitor the vehicles — 24/7 — clean and recharge them for the next day. “Stray” vehicles will be collected and put back into one of the 14 parking locations around City Centre.
“We know all the time what the rider is doing with the vehicle and where it is,” he said, noting users can be banned for misuse.
“Our whole aim is to reduce carbon emissions and make getting to where you want to go easier.”
In the meantime, riders can visit Neuron's online ScootSafe Academy to get free credits for future rides.
