Helbiz, a micro-mobility service provider that operates e-scooters and e-bicycles in over 20 cities around the world, has announced an US$8m (£6.5m) investment by China-based electric smart mobility producer Forever Sharing to help accelerate its global growth.
As a result of the investment, Forever Sharing will supply Helbiz with 20,000 electric bicycles and e-scooters by the end of 2019 to deploy globally. All of the certified vehicles will be in compliance with both European and US regulations. Several of the models will be custom designed exclusively for Helbiz using its proprietary technology.
Additionally, Forever Sharing will support Helbiz in developing mobility-sharing services around Asia and other markets and will also supply geo-fence equipped bicycles and e-scooters for optimising fleet management.
Phase one of this partnership will consist of the launch of a new electric bike sharing service that is built upon Helbiz’s existing e-scooter service. The service, which will be accessible to all users within the next few weeks, is based on the company’s electric bike named Greta.
Equipped with a 250W motor and a 14AH battery, Greta provides a range of up to 80km (50 miles) on a single charge and a maximum speed of 25km/h (15.5mph).
“As the micro-mobility industry continues to expand rapidly around the world, we’re excited to invest in and partner with Helbiz to drive the next wave of innovation,” said Stanley Wong, co-founder and COO of Forever Sharing.
“We look forward to collaborating with Helbiz and developing customised solutions that both cater to the current needs of riders and enhance the micro-mobility space.”
