UAE-based One Moto aims to create electric bikes mainstream
23 February, 2020
An avid two-wheeler driver, Adam Ridgway’s passion is to design an electric bike that is stylish, eco-friendly, affordable & most importantly sturdy such that it can be utilized daily. That led him to start out One Moto -an electric bike-maker in Dubai.
After working on his idea for more than 3 years, Mr Ridgway finally rolled out the first electric bike of 1 Moto on the UAE roads in October, this past year.
“Not many persons are discussing electric two-wheelers or bikes as of this moment… it appears they are only concerned about cars,” Mr Ridgway, 38, tells The National.
“Being truly a two-wheeler driver for 22 years, nine years in Dubai, I needed a ride that was a minimum of every other petrol bike. It should be strong, durable, fast and sustainable… [and] One Moto was created out of this personal drive.”
Starting at Dh14,485, One Moto bikes target daily commuters likely to offices or shopping and delivery companies. Two different people can comfortably take a seat on these bikes that may go up to the utmost speed of 85 kilometres each hour.
Mr Ridgway first got the theory to begin One Moto when he was buying a sustainable two wheeler but was struggling to find any.
After working closely for 16 months with different partners and regulators, such as Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), One Moto registered its product with the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai in June, this past year. The business made its first sale to a Fujairah resident in October.
“The first vehicle was sold online without the marketing or advertising. We didn't assume that our first order was real until the money hit our account,” says Mr Ridgway.
Globally, electric two-wheeler market is likely to grow at a compound total annual growth rate of almost 4.6 per cent, reaching $6.9 billion (Dh25.32bn) by 2024, from $5.3bn this past year, according to New York-based researcher MarketWatch.
“This market continues to be in its initial stages inside our region, but I believe Middle East, especially the UAE, could have an excellent share in the global industry within the next four to five years,” notes Mr Ridgway.
After registering his products with RTA, Mr Ridgway and his staff first tested them in several climate on Dubai roads to make sure their sustainability before opening for actual sales.
Once fully charged, One Moto bikes can run up to 150km. Battery life is 50,000km and the vehicles require no frequent servicing, the business claims. They feature a swappable battery that may be changed within 30 to 40 seconds when needed.
Drivers will require a normal two-wheeler licence before driving One Moto vehicles in the UAE.
Till now, the business has sold 14 bikes in the UAE and it aims to improve this number to more than 23,000 in your community by 2023.
“We've sold our vehicles to Jumeirah hospitality group and also signed pacts with leading food delivery operators,” says Mr Ridgway, without naming them.
One Moto, which also offers a consultancy team in the UK, is targeting the UAE’s delivery business industry.
Currently, a lot more than 12,000 petrol delivery motorcycles move on the UAE roads plus they produce more than 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, One Moto said in its white paper released last year.
The meals delivery market in the UAE has “grown from $50 million to $450m in the past five years” which has increased the “demand and supply for commercial two-wheeled vehicles”, said Mr Ridgway.
“We have been in talks with big food and last mile delivery companies such as for example Careem, Talabat, Carrefour, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Response is excellent and we've signed few contracts that we will announce in the coming weeks,” says Mr Ridgway.
After establishing itself in the UAE, the business aims to expand its businesses to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain and Kenya in the coming months.
“Though we've an office in the united kingdom but we market our firm as a home-grown business [in the UAE]. Additionally it is the first in support of ESMA and RTA approved electric vehicle company in the emirates… [that] puts us way before our competitors,” said Mr Ridgway.
Source: www.thenational.ae
TAG(s):