MICROMOBILITY
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
While the British Government has been standing still when it comes to e-scooters, Bo has been doing the opposite. The Bristol-based brand is weeks away from the release of the second-generation Bo M, a high-tech e-scooter which first debuted in October last year. And although it looks very similar at first glance, it’s completely different. “The complete has improved in just 100 tiny ways,” said
Morgan
“With the aluminium monocoque [chassis], over the past year we have been running just endless loops of FEA [Finite Element Analysis] to get more and more stress out.
“So although it looks the same, we’re now seeing 50% of the stress we were.” With Bo pitched as a stylish urban transport vehicle rather than a toy, longevity is one of the key points that the founders have been testing to achieve. “So we’re getting quite obsessed with what component failures we might see,” said Morgan. “For every single component it’s been this process of ‘are you going to be reliable?’ We already knew that people loved how it rode so we didn’t need to make too many changes to that.” Feedback from users of the first Bo M showed demand for additional power, which has been delivered. Safesteer technology has also had 12 months of further optimisation.
Aside from that, the founders have been looking at fractional improvements to ride comfort for daily users. This includes trialling 20 tyres and installing an
elastomer layer to the e-scooter deck - similar to that found on the sole of a Nike Air - to reduce vibration.
IBD OPPORTUNITIES One crucial design element for Bo has been considerations towards repairs and maintenance. With that in mind, the Bo M has been engineered to come apart in a simple and sensible way when handled by a trained technician. “You imagine you’re an independent bike retailer and you’re thinking about going into e-scooters, you don’t want to be spending three hours to repair some minor glitch,” said Morgan “You have to be able to get to the key components in 10
minutes and it has to come apart completely in an hour.” As physical retailers continue to diversify their product portfolio to encourage more visitors, many are considering stocking other forms of micromobility as well as bicycles.
34 | October 2023
This is seeing some forward-thinking IBDs take on e-cargo brands as well as e-scooters. As such, Bo is keen to utilise the experience of independent businesses. “We’re building our distribution model around independent retailers,” said Morgan “For us, having independent, preferably bike shops because they have experience of spannering, in each city centre is the best way to have a distribution network. “We’re trying to make it very clear to people that this
sector is an unreal opportunity because they do need servicing. It’s a vehicle that has to be safe. “So if you’re a bike shop there is an opportunity to be early in and to be a source of experience and have expertise in this whole new vehicle category.”
ON THE FUTURE When speaking to outgoing BikeBiz editor Alex Ballinger last year about the impact micromobility will have on urban transport, Morgan said: “It’s going to be wild.” One year on, does he still feel the same way? “I actually have become more convinced,” he said “We are tester number one, everyone in the company is riding these things and no one’s putting more kilometres onto them than me. So I’m living it. “And honestly, it’s the best life I’ve ever lived.” Although an e-scooter suits Morgan’s lifestyle, he is
very aware of how important the car still is to many households.“We’ve never set ourselves as being head to head or in some way against the car industry,” he said. “People buy a car because they want to go and see their parents 200 miles away or they want to visit a friend in Cornwall. Then, because they’ve got it, they use it in situations which are just not appropriate. “What we’re doing here is we’re saying ‘no, augment your life’, add a bike, add an e-scooter to your garage or your front hall. It’s such an improvement in the way that your day goes.”
www.bikebiz.com
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