OpenStreet, which operates the “hello cycling” shared bicycle platform, announced on January 24 that it will launch a sharing service for “electric bicycles,” which can be ridden sitting down like a bicycle, on January 30, and held a press briefing on the same day.
It is a “pedal-less” two-wheeled, sit-only type of fully electric mobility vehicle, and is classified as a “specified small motorized bicycle,” a new vehicle category created in July 2023 with the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Law. This is the same category as the electric kickboards often seen in urban areas.
The fee is 200 yen per 15 minutes, with a maximum of 4,000 yen for up to 12 hours.
At the beginning of the service, around 200 vehicles will be deployed in some areas such as Chiba City and Saitama City. Thereafter, the service area, number of stations, and number of vehicles will be expanded, with approximately 3,000 vehicles to be introduced by 2024.
Tomoaki Kudo, President and CEO, took the stage at the briefing and presented an overview of the “hello cycling” sharing service and the new “electric cycle” vehicle.
Representatives from Chiba City and Saitama City, which plan to start offering electric bicycles, also came to the meeting and presented their own municipal initiatives.
President Kudo began his presentation by saying, “The most important point of this announcement is that this is the first service in Japan to share a specific small moped of the seating type, not an electric kickboard. He explained the background of the market and the body of the vehicle, focusing on the point of why this form of moped was chosen.
Mr. Kudo also noted that the cities of Chiba and Saitama have strong plans and policies for the development of bike lanes, among other reasons.
© Source travel watch