Superpedestrian enters micromobility space with launch of LINK e-scooters

Superpedestrian, a mobility engineering and technology company founded by urban transport experts from MIT, has announced the launch of LINK, its new shared micromobility division, after acquiring scooters from Zagster. 

Founded in 2012 by CEO Assaf Biderman, Superpedestrian’s primary business was the design of micromobility vehicles, while Zagster has gained experience from a decade of managing bike and scooter share systems. By combining the two, LINK aims to offer a new, knowledge-driven service to the shared micromobility industry.

“Over the past three years, dozens of scooter operators have used cities as test labs. Unfortunately, many of them have failed that test. Equipment failures posed safety risks to riders and other road users, and both vehicles and businesses saw unnaturally short life spans, often leaving cities in the lurch. Meanwhile, Superpedestrian invested several years in designing and testing an e-scooter platform that could stand up to sustained shared use. Micromobility is a critical tool for the future of sustainable cities, so I’m glad to see LINK combine proven vehicle technology and fleet management with a deep respect for city government,” said Emily Warren, Superpedestrian advisor and former Lyft and Lime policy executive.

 Benefits of LINK are said to include:

• Designed to work with cities: LINK’s approach is distinguished by a commitment to collaborate with cities, developing advanced solutions to encourage safe riding and protect shared public spaces
• Built for rider safety: LINK’s proprietary Vehicle Intelligence System (VIS) monitors the entire vehicle in real-time – including a selfdiagnostic check before each ride – and proactively averting issues that could pose a safety risk down the line. The VIS continually monitors more than 140 indicators of vehicle performance per second, helping to address minor issues, including braking force, battery, and thermal events, before they become major problems
• Engineered to make business sense: Superpedestrian’s e-scooters last more than 2,500 rides and can travel up to 55 miles on a single charge. Resilient vehicles keep per-ride operating costs around 50 per cent lower than other operators, which is said to allow LINK to operate in cities where other companies cannot compete.

“By combining industry-leading operations with Superpedestrian’s intelligent e-scooters, LINK is ushering in a new chapter for micromobility,” said Biderman. “Zagster developed the software and systems to support efficient day-to-day operations long before the Silicon Valley-funded micromobility boom. That’s why we tapped their expertise when it came time to launch this new platform. We’re excited to bring smart e-scooters to riders in the United States, Europe, and around the world.”