“LUUP” Obtains the First Certification in the Mobility Sector of the Regulatory Sandbox System to Run a Demonstration Experiment
To verify safety and convenience for social implementation of various mobility systems
Luup, Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daiki Okai; hereinafter “Luup”) was certified on October 17, 2019 under the Regulatory Sandbox System for Demonstration of New Technologies (known as the “Regulatory Sandbox System”) for its riding demonstration plan for the implementation of its e-scooter sharing business. This is the first time that the Regulatory Sandbox System has been certified in the mobility sector.
Today’s aging Japanese society faces a variety of challenges, such as traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers and an increase in the number of so-called shopping refugees. In urban areas, public transportation is in excessive demand due to the rapid increase in inbound traffic, while in rural areas, there is a lack of transportation for daily mobility. In order to solve these issues, it is necessary to implement an infrastructure of electric, compact vehicles into society. Luup aims for a future in which a safe and convenient mobility is available to all people, using various electric micromobility devices such as e-scooters.
Based on this certification, we will conduct a demonstration and obtain riding data and submit it to the competent ministries in the effort to determine what riding conditions are necessary for a safe social implementation of e-scooters. Under continuous discussions with the relevant ministries and agencies, we will continue to study the service, the vehicle, and the riding conditions in preparation for the launch of the service.
What is a Regulatory Sandbox System?
The Regulatory Sandbox System is a system in which, when the implementation of new technologies such as IoT, blockchain, and robots, or the implementation of new business models such as platform-type businesses and the sharing economy is difficult in relation to current regulations, a demonstration is conducted based on an application submitted by a business entity and approved by the regulatory authorities for the social demonstration of new technologies and business models, and the information and data obtained through the demonstration are used to reconsider the existing regulations.
Future Outlook
The e-scooter sharing demonstration will be conducted in a part of Yokohama National University’s Tokiwadai campus during the demonstration period, which will last until December 2019. The results of this demonstration will be regularly submitted to the competent ministries and agencies for considering the implementation of a e-scooter sharing service.
Mobility to be used in the demonstration at Yokohama National University
The following two types of mobility will be used at the demonstration to be conducted at Yokohama National University.
1. Two-wheeled e-scooter
The two-wheeled e-scooter is a small, electric-powered mobility vehicle featuring a simple steering wheel operation. Unlike bicycles, e-scooters do not require straddling or pedaling, making them safe and easy for anyone to ride.
2. Four-wheeled e-scooter for the elderly
Luup is the only company in the world that has developed and deployed four-wheeled e-scooters for sharing. Four-wheeled e-scooters are more stable and less likely to fall over than the two-wheeled e-scooters. The maximum speed is lower than that of the two-wheeled e-scooters, making it suitable for the elderly to move around with their families or to take a slow tour of sightseeing spots. *We are currently improving the prototype vehicle as needed. An improved version will be officially announced in the future.
