More and more countries in Europe are bringing back micro-mobility solutions as part of a national initiative to get people back to work using the sustainable alternative of public transport, as the lockdown have loosened-up. Even the U.K. will hold fast-track e-scooter trails to avail people a sustainable alternative to public transports.

Italian micro-mobility startup Helbiz has already launched an unlimited subscription plan that lets users worldwide take unlimited 30-minute rides on its e-bikes/e-scooters monthly. ‘Helbiz Unlimited’ will be offered in all of Helbiz’s active markets. It has partnered with the Italian Govt.’s COVID-19 Task Force to support the country in gradually lifting the lockdown.

Helbiz currently operates a fleet of 6,000 e-scooters and e-bicycles in Italy – Milan, Turin, Verona, Rome, and plans to increase the fleet to 8000 by next month. Helbiz also operates in Alexandria, Arlington, Belgrade, Milan, Miami, Madrid, and Washington (DC), apart from Italy.

Well, it is the best time to give e-scooter app development thought and if you’re reading this then you have landed in the right place. Let’s have a look at the e-scooter app development process and the most critical features to have in your e-scooter application.

How to build an e-scooter app?

Market analysis: 

In Europe, E-scooter rental is only available in 97 cities as of March 2020 as compared to 112 cities in December 2019. Europe e-scooter market mostly comprises of European players but with smaller fleet sizes. 

USA-based Lime and Bird are present in 63 unique cities collectively as of March 2020 as compared to 22 in March 2019. As per Lime, Paris travelers go on an avg 6 miles/trip, generating the highest revenue/ride globally.

Berlin-based Tier is one of the biggest players in Europe and has recently announced that it will soon offer an E-smart-scooter rental service. Tier is now present in 54 European cities, significantly higher than both Bird and Lime.

As of March 2020, Paris and Berlin seem to be the hub of e-scooter sharing in Europe, followed by Madrid and Stockholm. If the UK lifts the ban by fast-track trials, then it will be a golden opportunity for any e-scooter business to grow. 

Identify potential userbase:

It is very important to identify and approach the right userbase to run a successful business. Study the problems people are facing in the city you want to establish the business and find how you can solve that with the help of an e-scooter startup.

Below is the image of people in the region where the e-scooter sharing service is available, which shows for what purpose people are using the services.

Get permission from the local authorities:

To operate an e-scooter startup, you need to get direct permission from the local authorities of the region. They decide which companies to operate the service and the number of fleets each may handle. 

In 2018, Lime and Bird launched their services in San Francisco without seeking permission from the local authorities. As a result, in June 2018, they had to cease their operation in San-Francisco, and more than that, all kick scooter-sharing companies were banned in San Francisco. 

So getting permission from local authorities to run the e-scooter startup is a must. 

Hardware selection: 

For the successful and smooth operation of your scooter rental business, the selection of appropriate e-scooter hardware is very important. 

A few types of equipment need to be attached to your hardware to collect data from the hardware for various safety and maintenance purposes, such as anti-theft alarm, GPS, Battery meter, Distance meter, Self vandalism, Geo-fencing, etc. 

The essential features of the e-scooter sharing app: 

Customer Panel:

• Login/Registration
• Set up the payment method
• Dashboard
• Find nearby rides
• Start the ride
• In-app navigation
• Emergency button
• End the ride
• Rate and review
• Push notification
• Help and support

Admin panel: 

• Log in with web-link
• Customer management dashboard
• Fleet management dashboard
• Ride management dashboard
• Payment management dashboard
• Push notification
• Data collect/Data analysis

Advanced features to consider:

Onboarding:

Make the sign-up process as simple as possible and allow social media integration. 

You can also provide an interactive tutorial on how to use your app or safety tips for taking a ride. 

QR code scanner:

You can use built-in scanners to read QR codes on an e-scooter to lock/unlock it, just like Lime/Bird. 

ID verification:

You can provide an in-app scanner for driver license verification. 

Smart lock:

It is IoT enabled feature for keyless locking/unlocking of an e-scooter. You need to equip your fleet with a smart system-on-a-chip (SoC) for smart locking.

In-app payments:

Integrate a payment gateway into your application to avail of cashless payment facility for your customers. 

Telematics system:

A telematics system consists of an on-board computer and a telematics device for granting access to vehicles through an app, data analytics, dashboard for fleet management, ride management, and payment management, etc. 

How much does it cost to develop an e-scooter app?

E-scooter app development cost depends on the app features, UI/UX expenses, quality assurance, testing of the app, and the rate of the development team. Considering the basic features and moderate charges, e-scooter app development can cost you somewhere between $10000 to $30000. 

How Coruscate can help you? 

Coruscate is the leading e-scooter app development company across the globe. We have successfully delivered e-scooter apps in the USA, South Africa, Brunei, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and many more. 

Our team comprises of 150+ developers, designers, business analysts, and legal experts to give you a robust business solution and not just the software solution. 

Partner with Coruscate now, expect the solution within just 5 days. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We can provide you personalized quotes and live app demo.