10X Startup: ONE MOTO introduces clean energy motorcycles in the UAE

You’ve seen delivery boys whizzing around the city on their motorbikes all day long. But did you know that those bikes can be >10X more polluting that the big SUVs on the roads? This is because in spite of being fuel efficiency, they release a lot more carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, along with other hydrocarbons, which are more harmful to the environment.

As we stand at the crux of climate change, we need working solutions to address this issue. Clean energy is the answer, and today we have a working sustainable solution from ONE MOTO.

SME 10X spoke to Adam Ridgway, CEO of ONE MOTO, to understand how his mobility solutions are being implemented in the UAE. For the past three years, he has designed, experimented and developed electric motorcycles with a working battery model that is easy to use by almost everyone.

The electric motorcycles developed by ONE MOTO operate with removable and swappable batteries that can be charged at home with a simple three-pin plug. They take 4-6 hours to reach 100% charge, which gives riders a capacity to ride up to 150 kilometres. However, the fast-charging batteries take only 1 hour to charge up to 80%, with which one can ride 80-90 kilometres depending on usage style.

Moreover, the bikes can be easily parked in most places, are super convenient to charge at home or the office, and is for everyone who wants to green their daily commute.

In spite of costing more than the petrol motorbikes that start from AED 9,500, ONE MOTO bikes are competitively priced, starting from AED 14,500. Even though they cost slightly more, Ridgway claims that the electric bikes can save people over AED 14,700 per bike annually as these bikes do not need fuel, servicing, salik or maintenance.

ONE MOTO currently has three bikes that people can buy on the platform — Electa, Commuta and Byka. The former two are for every commuter while Byka has been specially designed for food delivery — which has massive potential in the ever-growing market.

Ridgway is also offering the Byka on a “50% lease-to-buy” model, which is very helpful for delivery bikers who can pay a small monthly fee and own the bike at the end of a period of years, an asset they could sell.

Moreover, e-commerce companies and delivery middlemen for whom many of these delivery men work, can buy these electric bikes while maintaining their business model, and getting rid of the maintenance costs, while also adding to their corporate social responsibilities.

Furthermore, they can also improve efficiency buy buying more batteries that can be easily charged and swapped and one is ready to go.

The technology has existed, but now it has become accessible. One doesn’t need a Tesla car to green their commute — which currently only has three charging stations in the UAE. They can use Electa, Commuta or even Byka, which are currently available to purchase via ONE MOTO’s website and charge easily at home or the office.

Ridgway is currently looking to raise $3 million in capital funding to accelerate growth, finance the leasing and set up a distribution network globally. He is also looking to introduce delivery vans that are powered by rechargeable batteries by the beginning of 2020.