In July, 2017, Amsterdam will introduce a new mode of transport. With the deadline for a zero emissions capital set for 2025, the initiative couldn’t have come at a better time.
Felyx is an electric scooter sharing concept where people can pick up and park anywhere in the Amsterdam metropolitan area.
Felyx, run by Maarten Poot and Quinten Selhorst, managed to get enough funding to be able to launch 200 e-scooters around the city, of which many will be placed near the capital's financial district in the south.
Users will be able to check an app on their smartphone to see if there is a scooter nearby and if it’s free. They will then be able to reserve it.
Whilst there are no designated shelters or charge up stations for the e-scooter, users can leave it at any destination within the city’s boundaries.
If the battery runs below 20 percent, the scooter will give a signal and a shuttle bus will come by and swap the battery over.
Felyx claims that they are "long-range" vehicles, GPS enabled and can connect to the internet.
A ride costs 30 cents per minute, so users only pay from the moment they activate the scooter to when they reach their destination. If you need to go outside of the Amsterdam area, then the ticker will continue running.
Felyx operates on a strict a strict policy; all abuse, vandalism, or misconduct of the e-scooter or service will be punished with a 500 euro fine.
Users are given two chances, after which they will no longer be allowed to use the service. The company claims they can use their GPS navigation system to track you down if need be.
The founders of Felyx were inspired by Car2Go, a similar app for hiring cars, but as many might know, driving through Amsterdam can be a challenge, let alone trying to find a parking space. A scooter doesn’t have that problem.
Whilst the company has managed to raise most of its funding already, Felyx is currently looking for 100 people to "adopt a scooter" for 5.000 euros, which will complete their funding mission.
Amsterdam city council is currently discussing whether they will make helmets mandatory by 2018. If this is the case, Felyx will equip each scooter with a helmet under the seat.