Neuron Mobility’s E-scooters To Arrive In Hamilton With A Range Of Cutting-edge Safety Features

Safety-first, Neuron Mobility, will be launching the first of their e-scooters in Hamilton from 1 July and e-bikes later in the year

The fleet will be available to hire across the City, including Hamilton Central, Frankton, Dinsdale, Chartwell, Rototuna and Hamilton East, providing a safe, convenient and environmentally-friendly way to travel

E-scooters are packed with safety features including: geofencing control, integrated helmets, a 111 emergency button, voice guidance, topple detection and ‘Follow my Ride’

Includes New Zealand’s first -- and only -- third party insurance to protect and reassure riders and the wider community

 Australia and New Zealand’s leading e-scooter operator, Neuron Mobility, has announced that the first of its distinctive orange e-scooters will be on Hamilton’s streets from tomorrow, 1 July 2021. Riders will be able to scoot through Hamilton Central, Frankton, Dinsdale, Chartwell, Rototuna and Hamilton East, with Neuron’s e-bikes to follow later in the year. Neuron was awarded a permit for a total of 500 devices.

Neuron’s next-generation e-scooters have already been well-received in Auckland where the company has been operating since January 2020, and Dunedin where they launched in February 2020. The e-scooters have been purpose-built to a commercial grade, specifically for renting and will provide residents with a safe, convenient and socially distanced way to travel.

Zachary Wang, CEO of Neuron Mobility, said: “We are delighted to launch our e-scooters in Hamilton, it’s a great city for e-scooters, and we look forward to partnering with the City Council to deliver a safe and efficient service. Our e-scooters are packed with cutting-edge safety features, like our app-controlled helmet lock. They deliver the highest levels of safety, stability and rider experience, giving users an extra level of confidence as they travel around the city.”

E-scooters have been on Hamilton’s streets since 2018 however Neuron brings a range of world-first and pioneering safety features, many of which will be new to the city. Neuron's e-scooters have visibly larger, 11.5” wheels and wider footplates than other e-scooters. E-scooters feature an app-controlled Helmet Lock, which secures a safety helmet to the device, electronically releasing it to use at the start of the booking.

Riders will benefit from voice guidance to educate them on how to travel safely; a Follow My Ride feature which allows riders to share their trip with friends and family in real time for added safety; and a 111 emergency button which can tell if someone has had a fall, then help them call the emergency services.

A topple detection feature will alert Neuron’s operations team if an e-scooter or e-bike has been left on its side so it can be repositioned. Geofencing technology will control where they can be ridden and parked, and how fast they can travel in certain areas. Every Neuron e-scooter also has a swappable battery, enabling charged batteries to be easily replaced on the streets without having to transport the entire e-scooter to a charging point, further reducing Neuron’s carbon footprint and supporting their carbon neutral status.

Neuron is a company well known for its focus on safety. In May 2021, the company launched New Zealand’s first -- and only -- third party rider liability insurance for e-scooters, in a move to protect and reassure riders as well as the wider community.

Neuron’s official safety partner, national road safety charity Brake New Zealand, encourages riders to ride responsibly, make the most of Neuron’s safety features, and follow the rules.

Caroline Perry, NZ director, Brake, said: “Neuron’s innovative safety features such as geo-fencing, speed limiters, and third party insurance, make them the leader in e-scooter safety, so it’s great to see their e-scooters launching in Hamilton. Even with all the safety features, the onus is on riders to follow the rules and ride responsibly, so we urge all riders to make sure they know how to Scoot Safe.

Even though helmets aren’t mandatory in New Zealand, every Neuron e-scooter has one and we strongly encourage all riders to wear one to protect themselves, even on the shortest trip.”

Riders will be able to book and use the e-scooters and e-bikes through Neuron’s user-friendly app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play and set up in a matter of minutes. Single trips will cost NZD$1 to unlock the e-scooter and 45 cents per minute thereafter. More frequent users have the option to purchase Neuron Passes, a subscription service, available in three-day (NZD$25), weekly (NZD$33), or monthly (NZD$45) options. The packages will allow users to ride as many times as they want for up to 90 minutes per day for a fixed affordable price. This will result in no additional unlocking fees and savings of up to 96%.

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