The deployment stems from an agreement with Austin Commuter Scooter (
Elliott McFadden, executive director of Bike Share of Austin, says the service will link to public transportation needs while reducing carbon emissions and congestion.
Ojo and ACS will share data on usage and ride trends through the scooter’s on-board telemetry with live-feed data transmission. The on-board speakers provide navigation plus alerts for traffic, construction zones, geo-fence approaches, speed reduction zones and nearby docking locations. Users can connect via Bluetooth to play stored or streaming music through the speakers.
The Ojo scooter comes with a swappable 48-volt lithium battery and will allow riders to travel at 20mph to comply with City of Austin Transportation Department regulations. Ojo can control the speeds and geo-fence locations via its application technology and CalAmp telematics.
Both companies say they are working together to determine the best neighbourhoods to deploy the scooters. Also, ACS is to offer a repair and 24/7 telephone support service.
Ojo is not the only company developing electric scooters which come with a seat. Earlier this month, Chinese technology start-up Onemile launched its %$Linker: