On April 23, Lime announced the Japanese rollout of its LimeBike electrically power assisted bicycles.
Lime has already been developing electric mobility products in Japan, including the electric seatboard “Lime Racmo,” and in March, the company announced that it would discontinue operation of the standing type (so-called electric kickboard) and integrate it into the Lime Racmo.
The company already offers electrically power assisted bicycles globally, but this is the first time they are being introduced in Asia. Targeting one-mile trips in urban areas and improved sightseeing circulation, the company will first launch the service sequentially in April in the 16 wards of Tokyo.
The LimeBike was developed in-house and is the company’s fifth generation of electrically power assisted bicycles. It is expected to be used by a wide range of users, from 150cm to 190cm in height, thanks to its low frame shape and small-diameter wheels that are easy to pedal.
In developing the new system, Terry Sai, president and representative director of the company, outlined “three basic design principles,” which are to reflect usage data and feedback from the field in the design to achieve “vehicle longevity,” to create a “modular design” that can be upgraded by adding functions as needs change in the future, and to “minimize special parts” that can be shared among multiple vehicle models to reduce parts inventories. He also presented a policy of “modular design” that can be upgraded, and “minimization of special parts” to reduce parts inventory by sharing parts among multiple vehicle models.
As a result, LimeBike has a display that shows battery level and port recognition (whether it can be returned or not), a clamp-on smartphone holder, a thicker handlebar for easier gripping, and smaller diameter wheels (20 inches instead of the 26 inches of the previous generation available overseas) with a thickness of 2.4 (2.4 inches in thickness). It is also equipped with a luggage basket and a one-touch saddle height adjustment lever.
In addition, the system is equipped with multiple sensors that monitor braking, battery level, and vehicle tip-over detection, allowing the company to monitor the vehicle’s condition through the network.
Unfortunately, we were unable to test ride the bike that day due to rainy weather, but we liked the fact that the frame shape makes it easy to ride as it does not require a large leg lift, and the saddle position can be easily changed so that the rider can quickly adjust to his or her riding position.
One thing that bothered me was that the saddle was so thin that it felt a little bit like it was digging into the saddle. One thing I was concerned about was that the saddle was too thin, and I felt a little bit of a bite in it.
The company will also launch LimePrime, a subscription service for 990 yen/month. The conventional fee model is “basic fee + usage fee,” but with Subscription, the basic fee (100 yen) is no longer required, and a single 20-minute ride can be taken as many times as desired for 90 yen. Fees are 45 yen for up to 5 minutes, 90 yen for up to 20 minutes, and 21 yen per minute after 20 minutes, making the fee structure suitable for short-distance and high-frequency users.
© Source travel watch