Innovation

The founder of this company is Brandon Snyder, a former student from Acadia University and resident of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Whilst being a student, he realized that the local transportation being buses or a single taxi service was not convenient or affordable for students and residents within the area. In 2023, he started Wolfville e-Scooters and in 2024 he had his first e-scooter rental. This company uses fully electric e-scooters which helps reduce the length of car trips. In towns like Wolfville where the population and size of the town are very small, it is very convenient to use the these e-scooter as they are small and nimble, easy to get from point a to point b, and are carbon emission free.  

Inspiration

The founder Brandon Snyder, was inspired to make Wolfville e-Scooters by the lack of transportation within the town of Wolfville. Wolfville, although small, has many residents as it is home to Acadia University. This means that having only one or two modes of public transportation is not enough and the taxi and bus services are not affordable in the long run. The implication of these scooters into the town of Wolfville has been an amazing secondary mode of transportation that is amazing for the environment and friendly to use.  Mr. Snyder explained, "being an Acadia student, I was able to see that only having the taxi service was inconvenient and unaffordable and micro-mobility was a perfect fit for such a small town like this."

Overall impact

The overall impact of this innovation is significant for not only the community but also the environment. Snyder's short term effects led the residents and tourists of Wolfville to cut down on carbon emissions and also change the way people travel around the community going from point A to point B, instead of burning fossil fuels on short travel. Long term effects put into place for Wolfville E Scooters was this innovation helped the environment stay clean by being electric. The evidence of the long term effects are not visible as of yet as the company is still new, but the short term effects can be seen in the day to day activity of the town as the traffic and amount of cars coming through has been visibly lower then before the company was started.

Business benefit

Because Wolfville e-Scooters focused on providing affordable, convenient, and environmentally-friendly transportation solutions, the company has experienced significant growth in multiple areas. The business’s commitment to using fully electric e-scooters has not only reduced carbon emissions but also aligned with global sustainability goals, which has led to increased customer demand. As a result, Wolfville e-Scooters raised revenue by offering an innovative and eco-conscious service that addresses the transportation needs of students and residents in Wolfville.

The company’s success in 2024 with its first e-scooter rental contributed to the creation of new jobs within the community. As the company expanded, it hired local employees to help with operations, customer service, and maintenance, boosting employment in the area. This, in turn, fostered improved employee wellbeing, with the opportunity to be part of a growing company that supports sustainable practices and local development.

Social and environmental benefit

This innovation benefits the environment because the scooters are fully electric so they emit no carbon into the atmosphere and are a cheaper, more efficient way to travel. These scooters reduce traffic and the need for short car rides that are emitting carbon, damaging the atmosphere, creating global warming. Alternative forms of transportation such as e-scooters pave the way for a sustainable future by reducing carbon emissions locally, and hopefully eventually on a global scale. 

Interview

Brandon Snyder, Founder