Innovation

Gas powered vehicles have been the main source of transportation for more than half a century and Airscoot understands the toll it is taking on the environment. They are now here to innovate a transition to limit emission use by providing electric scooters to high traffic common areas incentivizing clean energy transportation.  “Airscoot saw a gap in the electric scooter industry and capitalized immediately, providing clean transportation to people in a specific location.” Says CEO Avery Birch when speaking on what motivated him to create this business model. The electric scooter industry up until now, has pursued a dock less model which is predicated on urban density, but which has been plagued by operational inefficiencies. Placing their scooters in residential and commercial properties allows riders to enjoy the freedom of owning one, without purchasing.  

The team consists of 3 key figures who all bring something different to the table; CEO Mr. Avery Birch provides a sustainable creative vision and interpersonal skills, COO Mr. Steven Lays provides the brains and logistics, and CCO Mr. Ian Whytock provides access to investors and the ability to scale a business. The bulletproof team had this brilliant mission in 2020 after a successful pilot program with 8 scooters throughout Halifax. After receiving government recognition regarding sustainability, they clearly understood that the model did not only create a profit but also succeeded on benefiting the environment. Avery speaks of his long-term mission of “diverting 100 million fossil fuel trips by 2024. We plan to do this by making electric transportation so affordable and accessible that we will be considered the best option.” Airscoot contributes to this goal on a daily basis as their service is used by many all-over Atlantic Canada.  

Inspiration

The business model derives from UN SDG 11.2, to provide affordable and sustainable mobility for cities. The original idea was to provide a convenient and clean form of transportation to those in high density urban areas. Instead of producing emissions, our scooters are fully electric and contribute to the future of sustainability. An issue with the current electric scooter market is the expensive fares and minute by minute pricing strategies. Airscoot found the affordable solution of offering hourly passes, or monthly subscriptions.

The business model allows people to commute to and from locations in the city quickly, efficiently, and cleanly. Airscoot's business partners love it because it not only adds an amenity to their asset but also contributes to future sustainable development. After establishing the global demand for the service, they expanded across Atlantic Canada but quickly understood that the location was linked to harsh seasonality trends. This issue created an interest in expanding across North America which the sunbelt region is currently being pursued.

Overall impact

Air Scoot has used strategic product placement to create an easy, affordable, environmentally friendly way of transportation for society. Their scooters are conveniently placed in high-traffic common areas, to be used for shopping, commuting to work, or for leisure and pleasure. Airscoot has the most efficient operational electric scooter model on the market, allowing them to pass on those savings to their customers to create affordable experiences. The daily and monthly payment subscription options keep electric scooters affordable, unlike those who charge per minute, to ensure that customers can maintain the product throughout durations of time such as running errands without running out the clock. 

AirScoot was set out to provide an environmentally friendly method of transportation. More specifically they implemented SDG 11, “provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all”. By providing electric scooters to citizens of the city, emissions are lowered as people opt out of public transit and personal cars, by choosing an eco-friendlier way of transportation.  

AirScoot has made a huge impact in such a short amount of time. Their environmentally friendly method of transportation has made it easier for citizens to get around town, while also prioritizing the environment. In the long run, AirScoot aims to create an affordable eco-friendly option for those that can’t afford electric vehicles. At this rate, gas powered vehicles may be eliminated completely, leaving electric vehicles as our only option.  

Business benefit

The specific model has benefits on the business regarding ability to expand, create profit, and acquire new customers. Being a model that provides sustainability, Airscoot receives recognition from the government which correlates to additional grants and financial support. Additionally, there are many groups of people who prioritize using sustainable services to contribute to global crises solutions, and Airscoots model attracts those type of consumers. To expand, the business obtains the ability to market themselves as a green company which creates a great reputation leading to future sales.

Social and environmental benefit

The vision of Air scoot company is to develop and provide a new world of green transportation and have innovative mobility accessible to customers. With government regulations banning emission vehicles in the future, Airscoot has a head start on the innovative transportation industry. The environment will benefit from all companies that are making that transition early rather than waiting for the law. As we know global warming is a very serious crisis that has been created from centuries of neglecting pollution and Airscoot provides a clean energy solution contributing to a better societal environment by preserving fossil fuels.

Interview

Avery Birch, CEO