Velometro Mobility

VeloMetro Mobility, Inc. is an electric velomobile manufacturer and vehicle sharing service provider based out of Vancouver, Canada. The company rents enclosed, electric-assisted velomobiles, called a Veemo, in a one-way, dockless sharing model with rates by the minute. The vehicles do not require a driver’s licence to ride and can be operated on bicycle paths as well as standard roadways.[1]

VeloMetro Mobility Inc
TypePrivate
IndustryTransportation
Founded2014 (2014)
FoundersKody Baker
Sean Boyd
Jonathan Faille
John Stonier
Headquarters1885 Franklin St,
Vancouver
,
Canada
Areas served
Canada
Key people
CEO Kody Baker
CFO John Stonier
ProductsElectric bicycle
BrandsVeemo
ServicesCarsharing
Websitevelometro.com

History

VeloMetro was co-founded in 2014 by Kody Baker, Sean Boyd, and Jonathan Faille of Perkuna Engineering, along with entrepreneur John Stonier.[2] The first prototype vehicle was built in 2014 and they first unveiled their Veemo vehicle at the BC Tech Summit in 2016.[3] The first pilot fleet started at the University of British Columbia in late 2017.[4] The pilot program of 5 vehicles was made available to the public in February 2018.[5][6] The pilot concluded in April 2018.[7]

Vehicle

The Veemo is a single person, pedal-electric hybrid vehicle which is regulated as an electric bicycle to a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) and power limit of 500 watts in Canada.[8] The vehicle weighs 120 kg (265 lbs) and is capable of climbing hills of up to a 20% grade.[9] It is fully enclosed and has sufficient storage space to hold a full-sized overhead baggage suitcase. The internal battery is replenished through a solar panel and battery swapping.[10]

The exterior of a Veemo vehicle
The interior of a Veemo vehicle

Veemo Service

Veemo is similar to car2go, providing a one way fleet sharing service accessible through a website or a smartphone app. Members do not need a driver's license and can register and start using the vehicles immediately. Riders pay by-the-minute rates and can park the vehicles in any valid parking spot within the designated home zone, which are indicated in an in-dash display.[11]

References
  1. Glave, James. "Part bike, part car: Velometro to take cities by storm". National Observer. Observer Media Group. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  2. Spinelle, Jenna. "Veemo: A New Twist On An Old Idea For Urban Transportation". Green Future. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  3. Chang, Andrew. "CBC Vancouver News at 6 PM". CBC News. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  4. Logan, Amy. "Electronic bicycle rideshare Veemo hopes to make in-roads in Vancouver". Metro. Free Daily News Group Inc. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  5. "Electric-assist trike pilot program rolls out across UBC campus | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  6. Devlin, Megan (2018-02-27). "Veemo electric bike-share launches at UBC". British Columbia. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  7. "UBC Veemo pilot success | sustain.ubc.ca". sustain.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  8. McCredie, Andrew. "It's the right place, right time for Vancouver's Veemo". driving.ca. Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  9. Richter, Brent. "Pedal-power hybrid driving change". north shore news. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  10. Jackson, Emily. "Bike slash car: Vancouver company hopes to offer greener rideshare option". Metro News. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  11. Coxworth, Ben. "Veemo velomobile could be yours to use, for 28 cents a minute". New Atlas. GIZMAG. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
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