Wind unveils new e-scooter with “industry-first” swappable battery

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Posted: 9 October 2019 | Intelligent Transport

The new e-scooter model can now last up to three times longer than the previous model.

Wind, the global e-scooter sharing company, has unveiled its newest scooter model for use in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, and the French cities of Nice and Bordeaux.

Over the eight-month course of development at its R&D centre in Asia, Wind has re-designed its scooters, with amendments designed to make them safer and more environmentally friendly.

The scooters now possess an “industry-first” swappable battery, which aims to better battery life and hardware durability. The battery is durable for a distance up to 80 kilometres.The battery also aims to reduce the amount of downtime for the scooters, meaning there are more scooters on the streets for longer periods of time, available to more people.

The new model comes with bicycle-style handbrakes that allow the rider to stop more steadily, two bright lights to increase visibility and a horn button to replace the bell. It also meets the water resistance standards (Protection grade IPX), so it can withstand one metre of submersion and be reused if ever found in water, which aims to combat the threat of some vandalism and theft cases.

Other new features include full GPS tracking, setting updates and an IOT hardwired into the main board. The latest hardware follows a $50 million investment secured earlier in the year.

Ed Schmidt, EMEA CEO for Wind, said: “More than half of Earth’s population is living in urban environments now, but the way we organise those environments is outdated. We need to make our cities safer, quieter, greener and all around better to live in. Electric mobility will be one cornerstone of this change. It is brilliant to see our new scooters already in use in Tel Aviv, Nice and Bordeaux.”