Unagi is expanding its electric scooter subscription service to more cities

Stylish electric scooter maker Unagi is bringing its nascent subscription service to more cities. After testing its $ 40-month service in New York City and small parts of Los Angeles, the Oakland, California-based company is expanding its service area in both cities, while also expanding it to seven new markets, including San Francisco Austin, Seattle, Phoenix, Miami and Nashville.

Along with helping to spur its growth, the company closed its first round of fundraising for only $ 10.5 million, led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund with Meno Ventures, Broadway Angeles and Gingles, among others. Flush with cash, Unagi plans to add more cities in the coming months and is also launching in Europe.

“We understood that there are many people who fear commitment,” Unagi CEO David Hyman told The Reporter Door. “It is partly generational. There is a large generation of consumers who prefer access over ownership. “

Picture: Ungi

Unagi first launched its all-access subscription service last August in New York City and some areas of LA. Hyman said the demand was “unbelievable”, although he declined to share any specific figures. Along with the added cities, Hyman said Unagi all-access would be available to more than 30 million people – about one-tenth of America’s population.

There will be some changes to the original membership. Prices are increasing from $ 39 to $ 49 per month. There is still an initial $ 50 service fee, but Unagi now requires customers to have at least three months before canceling. Maintenance and insurance from scooter theft or damage are also included in the monthly fee.

Originally, Unagi promised to deliver scooters to customers within 24 hours. With the expanded service sector and new markets, the waiting time is being extended to 72 hours for at least the first four weeks after launch. After that point, the scooter must arrive via FedEx within 48 hours. Previously, the scooter was being delivered by hand by a courier; Now, they will arrive in the mail.

“It’s almost like a Netflix DVD mailer, but much bigger right now,” Hyman said of the new packaging.

Those wishing to subscribe to a Unagi scooter should check the company’s website to reside in the service area. Another change from the initial service is a range of color options. Members can choose from four different colors for their scooters: “Cosmic Blue,” “Sea Salt” (white), “Matte Black,” and “Scarlet Fire”. (Hyman is a fake deadhead.)

Like most electric scooters, Unagi’s vehicles are made in China. But unlike the multitude of cheap scooters you can find on Amazon, these scooters have a certain premium feel. Unagi’s Model One scooter has two electric motors, which gives it a little more power than your average Lime or Bird scooter.

Apart from another motor, the scooter is still comparatively lighter, clocking in at just 26 pounds. The scooter has three drive modes: Beginner (9–11 mph), Advanced (13–15 mph), and Professional (15–19 mph). Lithium-ion batteries allow for a range of up to 15.5 miles. And Unagi uses a mixture of aluminum and carbon fiber for the frame, helping to save weight.

Unagi will clean each scooter before sending it to customers, but customers are not guaranteed to get a new scooter. Hyman said it serves as a business model.

Unagi is not the first scooter company to dip its toe in the subscription world. Bird and Lime are experimenting with subscriptions to their shared electric scooter with mixed results. And electric bikes are jumping on the membership bandwagon, with Revell in New York City, Dance in Berlin, and Swaffilates and OneMoff as well.

Hyman said that the initial six months of all-access have proved to him that scooter subscriptions can work on a wider scale. Nevertheless, there will be other metrics to track. “We are intrinsically confident, but some things you can only prove over time. Right? “He said.” Like, how long does a scooter last? What are all the service costs to run that scooter for a lifetime? What is consumer retention and churn rate? It is a longitudinal practice that few things only over time. Can be proved. But we feel that the data points we have are quite decisive. “