Ginger, a new shared transport service offering electric scooters, has secured e-Scooter trials with cities in the north east of England with help from Enterprise Europe Network.
The company wanted to be among the first to take advantage of new laws allowing people to commute more cheaply, conveniently and safely on electric scooters, with zero carbon emissions.
In July, Ginger began a partnership with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and the Combined Authority, with 100 e-Scooters being trialled as a new and sustainable mode of transport
When the company began working with EEN innovation adviser David Zerny in January 2020, it had two main business objectives.
Covid-19 Business Interruption and Bounce Back Loans
First, they wanted to win a place on one of the first e-Scooter trials in the UK, based around Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
Second, they needed to ensure their business model was robust and viable for the trials.
David helped to review the Ginger business model and pointed them to the Coronavirus Business Interruption and Bounce Back Loan schemes.
He also made introductions to local authorities in Hertfordshire and Ginger has since launched in Milton Keynes and Stafford as well as in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and Redcar.
Their approach is to build a new shared transport service that integrates well with the local areas, and have created a GINGER Shared Transport App which connects to the scooter.
Increase in company headcount
Paul Hodgins said: “David and his team have been great. Extremely positive, and have helped us in multiple ways with advice and introductions.
“Ginger has increased its headcount significantly this year and we will recruit considerably more to join our team. Revenue has ramped up, and we have raised our target investment.”
The Ginger business model extends beyond e-Scooters to embrace shared bicycles, e-bikes, e-microcars, or any other innovative, small-footprint vehicle.
Ginger e-Scooter users need a valid driving licence, full or provisional, and pay £2 per 20 minutes to ride.
