Beam’s Australian users have surpassed ten million rides on the operator’s e-scooters and e-bikes.
According to the firm, passing this milestone is linked to a larger modal shift happening in Australia that is being bolstered by shared micromobility.
The company has poured AUD $10 million into research and development for its Australian operations across 27 cities, with the goal of setting higher safety and operational standards for the industry.
According to that research, 48% of trips on a Beam in Australia would have otherwise been made by car if shared micromobility had not been available. Surveys showed that while 80% of its riders still own a car, 67% say they have reduced their reliance on cars by having access to e-scooters.
In Brisbane, Australia’s most mature micromobility market, 40% of riders use Beam’s e-scooters between three and 10 times per week. 77% of those riders say that having access to e-scooters has made them reconsider car ownership altogether.
With the introduction of seated e-scooters, trips are also getting longer.
Tom Cooper, Beam General Manager (ANZ), told Zag Daily: “We see the seated e-scooters supporting increased modal shift away from cars. They offer a practical and comfortable choice to those who find standing e-scooters or e-bikes challenging for use, or those traveling longer distances.”
Early data shows that riders travel 30% further on a seated e-scooter, as opposed to a standing one. The average e-scooter trip covers a distance of 2.5km, whereas seated e-scooters have an average distance of 3.5km.
Beam continues to advance the industry through innovations such as Rider Check, a cognitive-based test for deterring drunk riding, which has been active since December 2022. Additionally, the company plans to release its AI-powered ‘Pedestrian Shield’ path detection and rider enforcement technology in September.
