Electric kickboard scooters demonstration tests on Japanese public roads

Electric kickboard scooters are rapidly becoming popular as a form of environmentally less impactful transportation, especially in European countries and the United States. However, in Japan, strict road traffic regulations have prevented them from being commonly used.

Under these circumstances, startup “mobby ride” in Fukuoka Prefecture has been developing electric kickboard scooters sharing service “mobby” to spread the use of kickboards to a wider audience. Now their service has been certified by the government. It has given mobby permission to demonstrate the kickboard scooters on public roads.

Making this possible is the Japanese government’s sandbox program that supports startups to pursue demonstration programs in multiple settings. The city and company simultaneously collect data for use in forming new rules. The framework, established in 2018, supports innovations and new business models in various fields, including health care, mobility and transportation.

Last month, mobby ride provided demonstrations in Fukuoka City to see how it will work in an urban environment. City Mayor Soichiro Takashima was also present at the event, giving a greeting and a demonstration ride on the kickboard scooter. Electric kickboards are legally recognized as motorized bicycles in Japan, and there are various conditions for using them on public roads. However, for this demonstration, they were permitted to run in a lane dedicated to bicycles. The demonstration was the first in Japan to take place on public roads under the government’s approval.

It wasn’t easy for mobby ride to come this far. Up until now, they had been conducting a demonstration project at Kyushu University’s Ito Campus. Their electric kickboard scooter integrates GPS and IoT sensor technology to operate in controlled areas. They proposed how these kickboard scooters can operate in a defined urban space.

The demonstration experiment will continue in areas around Fukuoka’s Nishitetsu Ohashi Station until March 31, 2021. Following Fukuoka, similar demonstrations on public roads are scheduled to take place in Kobe City (Hyogo Prefecture), Onomichi City (Hiroshima Prefecture), and Imabari City (Ehime Prefecture). If the demonstration receives good results, mobby ride intends to make more kickboards and provide opportunities for the general public to experience. Why not try these new electric kickboard scooters paving the way for a next generation of eco-friendly transportation?