SPIN e-scooters – A New Mode of Transport, Coming To A City Near You SOON.
You Can Take a SPIN (e-scooter) for a ‘Spin’ Soon. I Took One For a ‘Spin’ Recently & I Loved It.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Spin is one of the leading micro-mobility companies, and a unit of Ford Mobility (the micro-mobility unit of Ford Motor Company). Spin currently operate dockless electric scooters on campuses and in cities across North America and Europe, with the service due to rolled out here in Ireland later this year. Spin has been recognised for launching the first station-less mobility programme in the United States, and was instrumental in crafting the world’s first mobility permit system. Spin consists of a diverse team of experienced professionals, all of whom are committed to fulfilling the company’s mission – giving people the freedom to move, and bringing people, communities and their urban environment closer together.
Who are Spin?
The Spin team is comprised of urban planners, consumer safety advocates, former government officials, and entrepreneurs. Spin’s employees have previously worked for major innovators and decision makers including the United States Senate, Seattle Department of Transport, MIT, Stanford University, Apple, Lyft, Google, Tesla, and NASA. Everyone at Spin is committed to making our living environments more sustainable, safe and enjoyable.
When are Spin e-scooters being launched in Ireland?
Currently, legislation to allow the use of e-scooters on public roads in Ireland is making its way through the Dail, and it is expected that this will be passed around October or November 2021. Once the legislation is passed, Dublin City Council (along with other town and city councils around Ireland) will begin negotiating with Spin (and other e-scooter companies) with a view to establishing ‘Dublin Bikes’ style services for the use of e-scooters. It is widely expected that the roll out of such a scheme will be a way of reducing the number of cars driving into city and town centres.
How user-friendly is a Spin e-scooter?
Having had the opportunity to put a Spin e-scooter to the test recently, I can genuinely say that it is so easy to use in every way. Simply put one foot on the platform and push the scooter forward with the other foot, while pushing the handlebar-mounted throttle forward for instant acceleration. Also on the handlebar is a warning bell, dual hand-operated brakes, a QR code and a speedometer, while an ID plate, headlight, rear taillight, dual kickstand, reflectors, 10″ pneumatic tyres and a UL Certified long-range swappable battery also form part of the 28kg e-scooter. The Spin e-scooter is capable of reaching a speed of up to 20km/h, while dual suspension provides a smooth riding experience, with anti-tampering features also fitted to prevent theft and vandalism. I can see Spin e-scooters becoming very popular with commuters who will, undoubtedly, see the benefits of ‘scooting’ between destinations in city and town centres.
Don’t miss these important statistics from recent Spin research across Essex in the UK.
Travel behaviour survey data* released on June 2nd 2021 by Spin, shows that riders across Essex have shifted their travel behaviour since the introduction of the shared hire scheme. E-scooters are part of Essex County Council’s (ECC) Safer Greener Healthier campaign and the UK wide Department for Transport trials and they are an alternative mode of transport for many in Essex already.
This “mode shift” is expected to reduce the number of cars on the road and deliver a significant environmental impact across the region. More than three-quarters (82%) of Spin users have opted for a ride with an e-scooter instead of driving alone at least once since the scheme has launched. Furthermore, had the hire scheme not been available in Essex, one-third (31%) of the respondents would have used a car for their most recent journey instead of a scooter.
Survey data shows that e-scooters form an essential part of multimodal journeys where people reach their destinations by using more than one means of transport. During a typical week, half of the riders take two to ten e-scooter journeys in Spin’s service areas. With nearly half of the riders (44%) using an e-scooter to connect with public transport at least once – the findings underscore the scheme’s importance in the towns’ broader transportation eco-systems.
Riders see the e-scooter scheme as a good alternative to public transport, especially during the pandemic. Nine out of ten riders (86%) consider the e-scooter hire scheme as a safer option than public transport in terms of COVID-19 health concerns.
The scheme provides residents an environmentally friendly choice when walking isn’t a viable option often due to distance and people pressed for time. About 38% of the users would have walked in absence of the e-scooter hire scheme. By substantially cutting down journey time in certain circumstances, e-scooter riders can spend their saved time on things that matter more, be it additional time with family, hitting the shops at the high streets or simply to pause, reflect and enjoy a cup of tea.
Commenting on e-scooter schemes leading to a healthier, greener Essex, Steve Pyer, UK Country Manager at Spin said, “It’s exciting to see the shift in rider behaviour in Essex to a more sustainable transport mode, similar to what we have found among our customer base in Milton Keynes. Whether riders are looking for greener modes of transport or not, the demand for e-scooters is there, and the more people that use them, the more we can positively impact the environment and health of the community. We anticipate these trends to continue upwards especially with COVID-19 restrictions being lifted across the UK and more people once again travelling to work, popping to the highstreet to shop or socialise.”
Cllr Lee Scott, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport, said, “Essex County Council has an oversight role for this trial, which will feed into our evaluation once this initial trial period is over. However, these figures released from Spin are encouraging, suggesting e-scooter travel in the trial areas is replacing car journeys, supporting our overall ambition to make Essex safer, greener and healthier.
“This e-scooter trial is just one initiative of our campaign to promote active travel – a consultation launched last week gives all residents of Essex an opportunity to comment on our latest proposals to encourage cycling and walking in the county.”
Spin has nearly 150,000 rides across Essex where it currently operates more than 500 e-scooters in Basildon, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester (shared hire scheme) and in Brentwood and Braintree (long-term hire).
*Survey is based on 519 Spin riders’ responses in Brentwood, Braintree, Basildon, Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea. Data were collected between 1st and 4th May 2021.
For more information and maps of the Essex trial areas and frequently asked questions please visit: here.
