A fleet of 100 electric bikes hit the streets of Hobart in what is the latest addition to the city’s growing shared transport network.
The Beam ‘Apollo Lite’ e-bikes were launched across the CBD this week as part of a trial between Beam Mobility and the Hobart City Council.
They join Beam’s existing purple e-scooters, which have been operating in the city for several years and exclusively for the past few months.
“Our aim is for the ‘Apollo Lite’ e-bikes to facilitate riding across longer distances and to open up micromobility options to tourists or community members who may not have thought an e-scooter was for them,” a Beam spokesperson said.
“In particular, we believe we’ll see a big uptake of the new e-bikes as part of first mile and last mile transport, providing enhanced connections between buses, ferries and trains across the city.”
The rollout follows a recent community survey that revealed mixed views on micromobility services in Hobart. 57% of respondents supported continuing e-scooter operations, 22% were opposed and 20% remained neutral.
72% of those who used Beam e-scooters said they would have walked if one wasn’t available, while 32% would have taken a taxi/Uber and 26% would have driven themselves.
Among non-users of Beam e-scooters, the most common reasons were a preference for walking and concerns about safety.
Since launching in Hobart, Beam has recorded more than 649,000 trips.
The new e-bikes are available at designated locations throughout the CBD and can be hired using the Beam app, at the same rate as the e-scooters.
