Hi,
I am the owner of a small business in Sydney specialising in the sale and servicing of electric scooters, bikes and skateboards.
It has been my dream since a young age to own and operate a business, and I'm happy to be dealing with products in an industry that has been a hobby of mine for a long time!
If anyone has any questions to ask about eScooters, Electric Skateboards or eBikes, please go ahead
It depends on the product, but will be either LG or Samsung cells.
What did your due diligence look like before deciding to take on this business idea? I.e. how did you scout a location, secure funding, determine feasibility etc
It's a growing space so not as easy to research, as say, a coffee shop.
Congrats and best of luck !
Thanks,
I started online a few years prior, which was a low-risk/easier first stepping stone.
Once I built up a reputation and customer base, I opened our brick and mortar store.
I wrote a business plan, included some core values (which we still follow firm today), and funding was minimal from previous online operations.
Is it legal to ride electric scooters within NSW in the city?
Mostly no;
Not on public roads and infrastructure at least.
Private property and some areas are exempt.
What is your duty of care to your customers and the community, knowing that you are selling a product people are going to use illegally?
We ensure consumers understand the rules, so they can use them legally,
We outline these restrictions clearly:
- In our store with a notice sign
- Mentioned throughout our website and blogs
- On every receipt, and invoice
- In-person
We have a large private courtyard outside our shop, so customers can test-drive legally.
Do car dealerships give notice to customers about speeding???????
@TheOtherLeft: I understand what you are saying but it's slightly different.
Most people don't go into a car dealership with buying a car purely for speeding.
Whereas I'm pretty sure if you're buying a scooter you're most likely going to ride it illegally.
@dasher86: When I was selling tyres / wheels / performance parts a lot of it was illegal for use on public property.
We had a similar process to the OP with a verbal explanation to the buyer of the ramifications of the changes to their vehicle and a sign-off on the invoice. "Not for road use. Private roads / offroad only" (it was longer than that but that was the intent)
We had checked with our solicitor and they said we were operating within the law.
People can choose to use it legally or illegally, it's up to them, and isn't for the seller to enforce.
How do you sleep at night?
Mostly horizontal
The Segway Ninebot with the battery/light/briake problem does replacing the mainboard fix it or does it just happen again?
The latest motherboard units greatly reduce the fault rate - but do not solve the problem completely. It depends on many factors, such as firmware version, ride conditions etc..
One of the major problems stem from the scooter being overloaded - either riding up a steep hill at max power at slow speed or using the regen braking down a steep hill.
Can you get single cells to suit an evolve carbon gt battery pack?
We can - but would not recommend this due to safety and quality concerns.
How much would one be? I have experience with lipo batteries, I just can't find a Puch that matches size wise.
Are they standard size 18650 cells?
@walksmart: No worries, I thought if you did electric skateboards you would definately have experience with evolve. All good, thanks anyway.
Are you actively lobbying the New South Wales government to allow for the legal use of electric scooters on public roads?
No, not directly,
But I am supporting our Australian suppliers who are involved in discussions.
What do you think would be an effective way to lobby for change of NSW e-mobility laws?
I don't think there is much need to lobby from my standpoint. I certainly would not protest for it.
The product is strong and shall fight for itself.
Do most of your sales come from Brisbane where it’s legal?
No, most of our sales are in store in Sydney
What's the lightest possible scooter?
Would like to get one as light and portable as possible, battery life isnt important (15mins is enough), but hopefully also able to get up a steep hill (about 10deg i think?)
We had a model called the "Morath", it is the lightest scooter we sold - about 6-7kg.
Unfortunately, it was not durable enough, and users who were riding every day for their commute often had problems after 6 or so months.
Due to this, we lost a lot of money from refunds and repairs, and are therefore not recommending it.
I would recommend you try the Unagi Model One, M365, or M365 Pro, they have fewer problems - and so we recommend them to our customers.
and users who were riding every day for their commute often had problems after 6 or so months.
I thought its not legal to use electric scooter on public roads?
Is it legal to use it on pedestrian walkway on the side of the road (kerb)?
My first mode of transport was a pup up scooter in 1968, and now 50 years latter, I find myself wanting a Mercane "wide wheel" electric scooter. The thought is placing a smile upon my face as this could be the last mode of transport.
Do you sell the Mercane?
Technology is advancing so much though, that the Mercane, although looking good, seems to lack the advanced electronics.
I would be after at least 1000w - 2000w, and the Mercane is 20kg, but even so, I still find myself drawn to the Mercane.
Do you have the Mercane, or can you source one?
Yes we have the Mercane, they are great and quite popular.
Although it is powerful, I would agree it is lacking in the electronics area. For example, a $1000 Boosted board mini with a ~100Wh battery is almost identical in range, speed and acceleration to the much larger Mercane Dual Motor with a 600Wh+ battery and claimed 2000w hub motors.
Which models have regen braking?
The Morath, Xiaomi, Ninebot Max, Boosted Rev and Zoom Stryder
I really want a scooter with front suspension of the "swing arm" kind. So less Zero 9 and more Zero 8x. What models do you stock that have that feature and what do you think about them in terms of ride comfort over the "normal" suspension set up?
Yes, the suspension is good.
The only model I have seen (and we stock) is the Mercane WideWheel. I can't say I see a difference between the swingarm and normal - given they are many other differences too that affect ride quality.
Having a tubed tyre also makes your ride significantly more comfortable. The Mercane, for example, has a very low profile tyre that is firm - and so despite the excellent suspension - you still feel the small vibrations.
Do any kind of eBikes (electric bicycles) have regenerative braking? As to charge/recharge battery whilst slowing down rather than just squeezing the brakes.
For those eBikes with motors inside the wheels (front, back or both) seems a very simple and obvious thing to do.
But some eBike sellers brand that as "nonsense" and mock and ridicule the whole thing … of course their eBikes do not have that feature …
So is it available? Which models/brands?
Thank you.
Hi,
Regenerative braking is a difficult feature to implement well. Bikes travel faster than scooters, and a poorly designed regenerative system can overload the electrical components. So in other words, it is expensive to put on bikes.
I am unaware of any eBikes that have this feature. Bikes are also much larger than scooters, so a battery 20-30% larger will not make as much difference compared with a scooter.
Thank you for that.
My query came because I read of a mountain bike having that feature of regenerative braking.
Didn't pay much attention to any details and thought it was now a common feature (as for electric cars)… however probably was a VERY VERY expensive mountain bike in the USA as the owner was a "known" rider of some kind (not to me) boasting about his new toy and all extra charge it gets when using it.
EDIT:
Correction
The big deal was constantly braking without burning out brake pads. Not so much "the charge". Cheers
Not sure if this is still active, just wondering what electric skateboards you recommend whether sold or not? I have Fiik around the corner from me and from what I've seen have great reviews just wondering if they're an inflated price or their price justify their product. Or if there's something better / cheaper
what brand batteries do you use?