Neuron Mobility’s e-scooters begin rolling out in Ottawa

Neuron Mobility’s industry-leading e-scooters will begin rolling out in Ottawa this week with a range of technology enhancements

OTTAWA — E-scooter operator Neuron Mobility will begin deploying its e-scooters in Ottawa on July 6 with a range of technology enhancements. The company will roll out its most advanced e-scooter technology to Ottawa streets for the upcoming season.

Ottawa’s riders have embraced Neuron’s rental e-scooters since they launched in the city in 2021. Last year Neuron users reportedly travelled more than 240,000 kilometres in Ottawa. Seventy-nine per cent of riders used e-scooters to visit restaurants, cafes, and to explore the city, while 67 per cent made a purchase during their most recent trip.

This season, Neuron’s Ottawa fleet of e-scooters will be fully equipped with the company’s High Accuracy Location Technology (HALT) and Rapid Geofence Detection (RGD) capabilities. Ottawa was one of four cities worldwide where these technologies were extensively tested prior to this year. Neuron’s HALT technology is for e-scooter tracking and is reportedly at least 50 times more accurate than the e-scooter industry’s average GPS system. With RGD, the e-scooter can now respond significantly faster when crossing a geofence boundary, such as a no-ride or go-slow zone. These features, combined with a range of smart sensors, facilitate Neuron’s proprietary Dangerous Riding Detection (DRD) system which will help correct or warn of unsafe riding behaviors and provide unparalleled control of how e-scooters are managed in the city.

Using these technologies, Neuron can detect and control sidewalk riding, provide high accuracy geofencing, and designate precise smart parking locations, providing unprecedented control over these aspects of the program.

Ankush Karwal, Head of Market for Neuron in Canada, said: “We are thrilled to be back in Ottawa and this season we are applying some significant new technology upgrades to respond to the city’s needs. Ottawa is the first city in the world to feature our High Accuracy Location Technology across an entire e-scooter fleet. The system means we can more precisely control where e-scooters are ridden and parked. This, along with our Dangerous Riding Detection system, will allow us to improve riding behaviors and better manage how e-scooters are used in the city.”

He continued: “At Neuron, we pride ourselves on being the best partner to cities and our ability to swiftly adapt our technology to meet the complex needs of major municipalities. We are committed to ongoing collaboration with the City of Ottawa to respond to the community’s feedback as the pilot program progresses.”

The e-scooters will be rolling out onto Ottawa streets in phases determined through close collaboration with the City of Ottawa. Starting on July 6, Neuron’s e-scooters will be deployed in key areas of the neighborhoods of Centretown, Downtown, Golden Triangle, ByWard Market, and the Glebe, with additional areas to follow.