‘World first’ helmet technology revealed as Neuron e-scooters face our road test
As Adelaide’s latest e-scooter company reveals its new “world first” helmet tech, journalist Craig Cook gives the new rides a road test.
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The latest e-scooter company in Adelaide says helmets littering the ground creating potential hazards will be a thing of the past with its “world-first” technology.
Neuron Mobility will launch an 800-strong orange fleet across Adelaide and North Adelaide tomorrow with an app-controlled helmet lock among its main features.
The Singapore-based group – the fourth scooter company in Adelaide after Lime, Beam and RIDE – says it has learned some hard lessons from its competitors.
Neuron Adelaide city manager Valeri Inting said the company had found a way to guarantee that a helmet was available for every ride.
“We know how frustrating looking for a helmet can be for a customer,” Ms Inting said.
“There should be no reason to be riding illegally without a helmet with this technology.”
At the end of the trip, a scooter computer voiceover will remind the customer to replace the helmet.
As an extra incentive, the customer will be billed $15 if the helmet is not replaced.
Another feature of the N3 new-generation scooter – being launched first in Adelaide – is an emergency safety button.
“If the scooter falls to the ground, then the emergency button asks you if you are all right,” Ms Inting said.
“If you’re not, it will immediately dial the (000) emergency number and the global positioning system will display your location.”
Neuron is charging the usual $1 to access a scooter but has a higher rate of use per minute at 38c compared to 30c for RIDE. But the company claims its subscription packages of three days ($25), weekly ($33) or monthly ($89) make each ride cheaper.
Founded in Singapore in 2016, Neuron is currently in four countries but no longer has a licence to operate in its home country.
The company was found guilty of 19 offences and fined $38,000 for breaches by the Singapore government.
Head of communication Joe Oliver, who joined Neuron last month, said the company respected the government stance and had focused on improving safety.
“You can’t eliminate risk totally but when you look at this scooter compared to others, it is greatly advanced, especially with safety features, ” he said.
Neuron is yet to commit to any sponsorship agreements in SA and says it is “something we are looking into”.
The company – which has a two-year contract with the Adelaide City Council – will deploy its full scooter fleet, to reach the capacity of 800 scooters (500 in Adelaide and 300 in North Adelaide), over the next fortnight.
ROADTEST: This novice is a convert
The last time I was on a scooter, I was eight – and it didn’t have a motor. It was the year man landed on the moon, five decades ago, so I confess to being nervous trialling the N3 Neuron scooter.
I don’t even drive, except the two-stroke lawnmower at home, so steering safely is top of mind. Fortunately, the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department is just a scooter ride away if things turn hairy.
The first thing I notice is the colour. It’s bright orange, which will hopefully preclude a few more Adelaide pedestrians tripping over scooters sprawled across the footpath.
Not that these will “sprawl” for very long. The scooter emits a distress message received by one of the team of “mechanics” who attend in minutes to return the scooter upright.
So, I download the app, open the screen, scan the barcode on the scooter and the helmet is unlocked. The large-framed scooter has a wide foot plate so I can comfortably get my size 10s on there.
A squeeze of the accelerator and we’re off … very slowly. With large 12-inch wheels, balance is surprisingly elementary. The dashboard has been designed to be easy to read in the bright Adelaide sun and I can see I’m going a stirring 6km an hour!
The company says it has conquered the issue of the scooters exceeding the 15km/h speed limit but I’m not at the level where I want to test that.
A detour down a small hill, a tour of a car park and a return journey and I’m done. With no damage done. This is was all very painless – including to my wallet as it was a freebie.
The average cost of a scooter ride is $4.50, which isn’t cheap. But, with added confidence, I can easily see me taking one across town during the Arts Festival. From an e-scooter virgin to a convert in one ride.