Luup Launches Japan’s First Helmet-Wearing-Optional E-Scooter Sharing App on April 23
Safety workshop scheduled for Golden Week at Miyashita Park, as a new means of transportation that avoids close-contact
Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) announces the launch of its e-scooter sharing app on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 5:00 pm. The e-scooter will be introduced within the app of the next-generation electric shared cycle “LUUP,” which has already been released. This will be the first e-scooter sharing service in Japan where helmets are optional under a special government measure. Since this service is also a demonstration experiment of new mobility, a safety workshop will be held at Miyashita Park (*1) during the Golden Week holidays from Thursday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 5.
(*1 If the state of emergency is declared, the decision to hold a safety workshop will be made in accordance with the policies of the facility holding the safety workshop and the parties involved. In case of cancellation, we will announce in advance via our corporate website and official Twitter account.)
Background
With the mission to “create an infrastructure that turns the entire city into a ‘station front,’” Luup is developing a sharing service for electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility vehicles. Luup aims to establish first and last-mile transportation by offering not only e-bikes and e-scooters, but by providing a comprehensive offering of electric, compact, and single-passenger electric micromobility, and create a future where all people can move freely.
Luup has been offering the “LUUP” sharing app using e-bikes since May 2020. In anticipation of the introduction of e-scooters, we developed e-bikes the same size as an e-scooter, enabling the installation of ports in space-saving locations. As a result, high-density sharing has been realized, with the highest density of ports in the available area. The introduction of e-scooters in this service is expected to provide a more convenient short-distance transportation, as well as the collection of riding data that is expected to lead to the discovery of issues for the future rulemaking for e-scooters.
The e-scooter to be introduced in the “LUUP” app is one of the electric micromobility that is widely used in the world. It has the following features and is becoming popular around the world as a new means of transportation that avoids close-contact during covid pandemic.
– There is no need to straddle or pedal, so even people in skirts and suits can ride
– Users can stop immediately when they feel danger because their feet are close to the ground
– The installed IoT device allows area-specific and user-specific control for safe driving in the future
On the other hand, e-scooters are classified as “motorized bicycles” under Japan’s current law, which imposes riding conditions that make it difficult for them to become widely used, which include: wearing a helmet, having a license plate and a side-view mirror, having a driver’s license, and riding only on the road. In an effort to optimize regulations and make rules, Luup has established an industrial association called the “Micromobility Promotion Council,” which has held discussions with related ministries and agencies and conducted a series of demonstration experiments under various conditions. The demonstration experiment plan of Luup was approved on Friday, April 23, 2021 under the “New Business Exception System” under the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act, and the sharing service has now been launched.
Service Details
– Description: E-scooter and e-bike sharing app
– Available Areas: All of Shibuya, Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Setagaya, Minato and Meguro wards where LUUP is already available
– Pricing: 110 yen/first 10 minutes, 16.5 yen/minute (tax included) *Special price for the demonstration experiment
– Number of Ports: Approximately 200 of LUUP’s 300 ports in Tokyo allow users to get on and off e-scooters. The number of ports will be increased gradually.
– Number of E-Scooters: Starting with 100. The number of units will be increased gradually.
– Maximum Speed of E-Scooters: Limited to 15 km/hr
– Conditions of Use: The e-scooters must be used after (1) registering a driver’s license and (2) passing a perfect score on the test to confirm driving rules via the app. Users only using e-bikes do not need to go through these steps.
– Insurance: Property damage, bodily injury, and personal injury are covered by the insurance.
– Note: For safety reasons, we voluntarily prohibit riding on roads where there is a significant amount of vehicle traffic. Roads that are off-limits are indicated in the app, and users are urged to detour around them.
Details of the Safety Workshop to be Held at Miyashita Park
Since this service is also a demonstration experiment of new mobility, a safety workshop will be held at Miyashita Park during Golden Week from Thursday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 5.
– Content: Lecture on how to ride the e-scooter and use the LUUP app
– Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021 to Wednesday, May 5, 2021
– Time: 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
– Location: Shibuya Ward Miyashita Park 1F, space next to adidas (6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
– How to Participate: Please come to the venue during the event time. No prior reservation is required.
– Participation Fee: Free
– Regarding Prevention Measures against Coronavirus Disease: Masks must be worn at all times, temperature checks and alcohol disinfection to be done at the event site
If a state of emergency is declared, the decision to hold a safety workshop will be made in accordance with the policies of the facility holding the safety workshop and the parties involved. In case of cancellation, we will announce in advance via our corporate website and official Twitter account.
How to Use
1. Download “LUUP” and register as a member. App download link: https://luup.onelink.me/Myjb/cfcdb04a
2. Register your driver’s license and take the test to confirm driving rules from the Account Settings screen. It is recommended that you complete the test in advance as it may take some time for approval.
3. Locate the port where you would like to start your ride from the map screen. From the Port Details screen, you can confirm if the port has an e-scooter.
4. Press the “Unlock” button to activate the camera and scan the QR code.
5. Select the destination port and reserve a place to return the e-scooter. The destination port can be changed later.
6. Once the smart lock is unlocked, the e-scooter will emit a sound and the speed display LCD will turn on. Enjoy your ride safely.
7. Upon arrival at the destination port, please return the e-scooter within the frame line.
8. When you send the photo of your return, your payment is completed and your ride is over. *While riding the e-scooter, you can pause the ride, but cannot make an emergency stop outside of the port.
Others – User Guide for E-Scooters https://luup.zendesk.com/hc/ja/sections/1500001008561
[How to ride the e-scooters]
1. Kick the ground for initial speed and place both feet on the e-scooter.
2. Press the throttle slowly to accelerate electrically.
3. Make a gentle turn while kicking the ground with your feet.
4. Under the new special measures, a person pushing a motorized scooter is considered a pedestrian. When making a right turn on a busy road, it is recommended to get off from the e-scooter at the intersection and push the e-scooter across the pedestrian crossing.
5. There is a brake similar in shape to that of a bicycle at hand. When stopping, brake slowly. You can also stop with your feet.
Notes
Please make sure you have proper knowledge of traffic laws and regulations before riding an e-scooter. In particular, please note the following:
– Riding on sidewalks is prohibited.
– If there is a bicycle lane on the road, please ride in the lane.
– On roads with vehicle traffic zones, you must ride in the first vehicle traffic zone counting from the left edge of the road.
– A hook turn is prohibited for LUUP’s e-scooters.
Future Plans
We will be gradually increasing the number of ports and the number of e-scooters available. We also plan to introduce e-scooters to Osaka by the summer. Through this service, we will continue to consider rulemaking for the safe and convenient social implementation of e-scooters and collect data for this purpose.
About Luup, Inc.
Luup, Inc. will create a new short-distance mobility infrastructure that makes the entire city “a station front” through the sharing business of electric, compact, and single-passenger micromobility. 2 ongoing projects include: “demonstration of a new vehicle” to safely and conveniently use new mobility such as e-scooters in Japan, and “demonstration of a new sharing service” to validate the shared mobility experience.
– Location: 16F Link Square Shinjuku, 5-27-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051
– Financial Institutions: Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank
– Representative: Daiki Okai
– Founded: July 2018
– Service URL: https://luup.sc/
● President and CEO of Luup, Inc. Daiki Okai Profile
After graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Agriculture, Daiki worked at a strategy consulting firm, mainly in charge of PMI for listed companies and business DD for PE funds. After that, he founded Luup, Inc. In May 2019, he established the Micromobility Promotion Council, which aims to promote the social implementation of new micromobility technologies, with major e-scooter operators in Japan, and became its chairman. He was selected for “Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia” in April 2021.
Press Contact
● Luup, Inc.
Public Relations: Misato Matsumoto
E-mail: pr@luup.co.jp
