Night riding on e-scooters becomes popular social activity in Canada
Rental PEV companies report strong evening ridership as Canadians use electric scooters and bikes for after-work recreation and group outings.
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Personal electric vehicles are becoming the city's evening hang-out machine.
Rental e-scooter and e-bike companies across Canada report surging ridership from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and all day on weekends. What started as cheap commuter transport is increasingly a social leisure activity, with friends gathering to cruise streets and pathways together after work.
Neuron's head of corporate affairs in Canada, Isaac Ransom, says data shows between 20 and 25 per cent of trips on its e-scooters and e-bicycles happen during "the nighttime economy." In Red Deer, Alta., approximately half of the company's users ride recreationally.
In some cities where Neuron operates, users can add up to five additional riders to their account, enabling companions to grab scooters or bikes together. In cities without that feature, one in five survey respondents said they wanted it.
"The appeal of getting on a scooter with friends and going to the same place at the same time, ending the trip at the same place, is a real selling point for shared e-scooters," Ransom said.
Bird reports similar trends, noting strong uptake from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and Friday to Sunday nights on weekends.
Personal e-vehicle groups like PEV Edmonton have been leading organized night rides for years — essentially modern biker groups on motorized scooters, skateboards, and unicycles. The Edmonton group, which doesn't officially begin its season until June, already has dozens of riders turning out on warm evenings to cruise river valley pathways and city streets, many with custom lighting and personalized machines.