Hardware overview for shared micro-mobility (3/3): Smart locks & Docking stations
At ATOM Mobility, we know there is a lot to consider when starting a mobility company. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a breakdown of some most frequently recommended manufacturers of smart locks and docking stations on the market. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.
Spin tested solar-powered charging stations by Swiftmile in a pilot program
While free-floating model (when scooters and bikes can be parked anywhere within the parking zone) is experiencing a growing demand, it also faces some challenges such as the problem of discharged vehicles, vandalism and pressure form the municipality. In some cases smart locks or even docking/charging station is a good option to take a look at. In this short article we will give a brief overview of manufacturers that in our opinion can provide quality solution for this problem.
Smart locks
Omni is one of the leading providers of smart locks for bike sharing, it is used by companies like Ofo, Mobike and many others. Affordable price and built-in GPS is a winning combination. Optional solar recharge capacity means unlimited time standby and no need to worry about battery life.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 50-70 USD/ 45-65 EUR depending on model and quantity. Will require SIM card with data to track location
Omni smart lock
Linka has two main models - Original and Leo. The difference is that Original lock has not built-in GPS, which means that you will rely on user phone data and will not have real-time information about bike location. This is why we prefer Linka Leo - which is high-quality product with great design.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 169 - 269 USD / 150 - 250 EUR depending on model and quantity. Leo model requires SIM card with data to track location
Lattis offers U-type lock with special case and chain for scooters. It is high quality product, but similarly as with Linka original it does not have bult-in GPS. However, we believe it can be a good additional security layer for scooter sharing (where you already have Iot with GPS data).
Suitable for: scooters, bikes and e-bikes
Price: 150 - 199 USD / 160 - 180 EUR depending on accessories and quantity
Lattis smart lock
Axa from Netherlands has been on the market for a while and their locks are used by Donkey Republic and Zagster. Unfortunatelly, these locks also do not have GPS, so you will need to rely on user phone data.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 130 USD / 115 EUR
Docking and charging stations
If you are interested in charging/docking station you need to take into account that the average price of 1 charging pot for 1 scooter is approximately 650 - 1100 USD / 600 - 1000 EUR. So if you have a small fleet of 100 scooters and you want to have a docking/charging place for 30% of them your budget will be around 30 000 EUR.
Swiftmile is the leader in charging and docking stations for scooters with successful pilots with larger shared mobility operators. They support both docked and dock-less scooter systems and operate using either solar, battery powered or plug-in power systems. Their software is suitable for integration via API. You can connect 4, 8, 12 or 16 scooters/ports to one station.
Duckt modular charging and docking solution is a piece of art, it is small and compact and will look visually appealing almost everywhere. This is why we love it. Another cool thing is that solution is flexible and you can place these modules one by one (1,2,3 and so on).
Knot is a European player that provides charging stations for Segway scooters. It is affordable and by using 1 station you can charge up to 8 scooters.
Kuhmute charging station works with many scooter types, e-bikes and even skateboards. Another cool thing is that they offer monthly subscriptions if you do not want to pay for the stations upfront.
Meredot has very interesting concept for wireless scooter charging (however no docking provided). At the moment startup runs few pilots with first customers.
Contact ATOM Mobility for any additional questions or inquiries you may have about available products and suppliers.
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