Neuron Mobility Regional Manager New Zealand Adam Muirson, Hamilton City Councillor Mark Bunting and Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor are excited about the new scooters. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Neuron Mobility Regional Manager New Zealand Adam Muirson, Hamilton City Councillor Mark Bunting and Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor are excited about the new scooters. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Neuron launched their electric scooter fleet in Hamilton this week with 250 joining their competitor Lime in the city.
Later in the year, Neuron will also introduce e-bikes to Hamilton, a New Zealand first for the company. Lime already operates scooters in Hamilton and their e-bikes in Auckland and Christchurch.
The two companies have just been granted a 12-month permit to operate up to 500 devices each. Within that number, they can decide how many are e-scooters or e-bikes.
Council's city safe manager Kelvin Powell says: "Up until now, Lime has been the only operator permitted to operate up to 600 personal hire devices in Hamilton and these devices have all been e-scooters. This flexibility will allow Lime and Neuron to determine the best mix for Hamilton."
Regional manager of Neuron NZ, Adam Muirson, says Hamilton is a vibrant city and a great place for micromobility.
Neuron brought a fleet of 250 scooters into the city today. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
"We are expecting a warm reception from users in Hamilton. Our scooters are purpose-built to a commercial grade, specifically for renting. They look a bit different, the wheels for example are 29cm and bigger that from other companies. Our scooters also have a wider footdeck for better balance."
Helmets are available with each device and both firms' e-bikes would not need to be docked at stations. They are bookable via the respective app, the same as the e-scooters. Neuron's fleet will be availabe to hire across Hamilton, including the CBD, Frankton, Dinsdale, Chartwell, Rototuna and Hamilton East.
The Neuron scooters feature a front light, an app-controlled helmet lock, voice guidance to educate riders, an emergency 111 button and a Follow My Ride option which allows riders to share their trip with friends and family in real-time for extra safety.
Councillor Mark Bunting says the bigger wheels of the Neuron scooters will be good for Hamilton's bumpy roads. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
A New Zealand first is that people using Neuron e-scooters will also be covered for liability to third parties during their journeys.
Hamilton City councillor Mark Bunting and Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor already had a try on the new scooters and are excited about the rollout. Taylor said: "I can't wait to use them again, it felt really safe. They will be a good addition to the city."
Bunting was especially impressed by the wheels. "Our infrastructure is rubbish, so the bigger wheels make it much safer to use on bumpy roads."
Council started to introduce scooters with a trial for Lime in 2019 and has now welcomed applications from other personal hire device companies. Current operating standards and restrictions of use, such as low-speed zones, off-street times and no-scooter zones will remain in place.
"Although only in operation for 21 months, e-scooters have become a popular alternative form of transport for Hamiltonians and visitors. During this time, over 427,000 rides have been taken and over 614,000km travelled," says Powell.
Single trips with the Neuron device will cost $1 to unlock the e-scooter and 45c per minute. If users take a selfie wearing the helmet, they get a discount on the next trip. There are option to purchase Neuron three-day, weekly, or monthly rides.
