Bird’s Electric Scooter Test-Ride in Fukuoka City
In a joint arrangement with electric scooter sharing service provider, Bird Rides (hereinafter, “Bird”), Sumitomo Corporation held an event to test ride Bird’s electric scooter in Kaizuka Kotsu Park in Fukuoka City on August 31, 2019.
Recently, use of electric scooters as a means of transportation suitable for short distances has increased around the world. An electric scooter runs at a low speed of about 24 km per hour at a maximum, can turn in a small radius, and can travel about 40 km on a two to three-hour charge. With the accelerator on one handle and the break on the other, such scooters are very easy to drive. Widespread use of electric scooters is expected to lead to a reduction in traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.
Bird provides an electric scooter sharing service in more than 100 cities in countries around the world, including the United States, France, Israel, Portugal, and Germany. In Europe and the United States, many people of all ages use electric scooters because they are simple to operate.
In Japan, electric scooters are currently categorized as motorcycles, and therefore must be equipped with a license plate and turn signals, while drivers are required to carry their driver’s license. With the goal of securing a means of transportation for tourists and alleviating traffic congestion, Fukuoka City has submitted to the Japanese government a proposal for an electric scooter special zone where regulations on electric scooters can be eased almost to the same level as those for bicycles.
About 150 persons, including the parties concerned, visited the test-ride event site. “Riding a scooter is more fun than I imagined,” said one participant, while others commented, “I just kicked at the beginning, and the scooter ran automatically. It’s easier than a bicycle” and “It looks chic and cool.” The event also attracted a large number of media representatives, demonstrating the high level of interest in electric scooters in Fukuoka City.
General Manager Takehide Aibara of Sumitomo Corporation’s New Business Investment Department spoke about holding the test-ride event in Fukuoka City, “It is an honor for us to be selected for the demonstration experiment in the city, which is proposing a special zone and is very enthusiastic about using new technologies. We want to build momentum toward regulatory reform.”
