Russia's Whoosh, China's Segway-Ninebot join forces to develop new generation scooters

MOSCOW. March 28 (Interfax) - Russian electric scooter and bike sharing service Whoosh and China's Segway-Ninebot have agreed on a strategic partnership to develop a new generation of e-scooters for sharing, the Russian company reported.

The project calls for the joint contribution of the latest know-how and engineering solutions to create a new scooter engineering platform. Whoosh will be responsible for the operational efficiency of the new scooters and testing, while Ninebot will be responsible for design and manufacturing, the company said.

Whoosh will get the first models for testing in 2025 and expects to put them into mass service in 2026.

In developing the new model under the partnership, the companies will devote particular attention to how the scooter will be serviced and the cost of this process, including recharging, transport and repair, as well as the issues of vandal resistance and service life. Electronic components that make it possible to collect data and control the device will also be improved to make systems more fault tolerant and responsive, the company said.

The scooter will also have a new design that will factor in user needs and the particulars of the urban environment. "The new model will have substantial advantages for users and for operational service," the company said.

Segway-Ninebot is a developer of smart solutions and robotic technologies for micromobility vehicles. The company holds the rights to over 4,800 of its own inventions throughout the world that have been used in various areas, including innovative mobility, robotics and entertainment.

Whoosh is a developer of micromobility solutions and Russia's largest scooter sharing operator. Whoosh users made more than 149.7 million trips in 2024, 44% more than in 2023. The company now operates in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and South America and has more than 27.6 million users.

PJSC Whoosh Holding, the Whoosh group's holding company, carried out an IPO in December 2022. The company's largest shareholder is CEO Dmitry Chuiko with a 39% stake, and the free float was 19% as of June 30, 2024.