Fold, Charge, Go: Plus Rides E-Scooter Redefines City Mobility

As cities around the world are increasingly more congested, moving around has become more of a challenge. While cars and public transportation are still the go-to for long distances, they don’t always make sense for shorter commutes to work or quick trips to run errands. More than 50% of trips in the US are less than three miles; when you factor in the time spent in traffic, parking costs, and the rising cost of car ownership, it’s no wonder people are increasingly in search of new ways to get around.  

Electric bike and scooter usage has been growing in the U.S., offering a more convenient way to move around with no emissions and a more sustainable way to get where you are going. While renting electric bikes and scooters with rideshare Apps can be convenient, they come with drawbacks such as reliance on government approvals, inconsistent availability, hygiene concerns, sidewalk obstructions, and high costs — averaging $7.50 for a 2-mile trip in Q3 2022. For frequent commuters, owning an e-scooter makes economic sense. However, many come with storage challenges and higher costs, until now. Plus Rides has created an electric scooter that rolls, folds, charges, and stows better than other scooters on the market. 

Plus Rides founder Theodore Ullrich explains, “We wanted to create a scooter product that was better to own because we had found that a lot of the options at the time didn't seem to be doing that. That meant focusing on things like what happens when you aren't riding it, how you carry it, how you stow it, and how you charge it. Among other design aspects, we spent a lot of time thinking about foldability and carrying.”  

One of the biggest challenges the team at Plus Rides tackled was safety. Because other foldable scooters are heavy and have exposed hinges, the user may get hurt while trying to close them. “We created a patented, pinch-proof folding hinge while also trying to make the product fold as flat as possible,” says Ullrich. Beyond being able to safely fold the scooter in one easy motion, the amount of space it would take up when folded was also a concern, which is why each scooter comes with its own vertical storage stand that takes only about one square foot of space, perfect for storing in a corner of the office or tucked away in a closet or apartment entryway. 

When it comes to battery life, Ullrich and his team really focused on balancing charge time, range, and product cost, taking into consideration that most commuters would be taking their scooter between work and home or home and local errands. To make charging more convenient, they focused on incorporating USB-C charging as opposed to less common and bulkier charging plugs or ports. This allows users to fully charge their scooter in less than two hours with a small portable charger that fits into their digital lifestyle. One full charge can last anywhere from eight to ten miles at a speed of up to 15 miles per hour.  

“There’s much more to the electric mobility revolution than fancy four-wheel EVs. This is designed and intended to be affordable for people to buy and use daily. Our goal is to provide a product that helps people access jobs, healthcare, family, and other essential services more easily than they otherwise could,” says Ullrich. 

For Ullrich, Plus Rides has been taking shape for years. After working with several hardware startups in New York City, he started Tomorrow Lab® in 2010, where, among other projects, his team designed and developed various versions of a global dockless bike-sharing bicycle, including the electronic set, the locking mechanism, and much of the user experience. This would be the genesis of Plus Rides. 

He recalls, “In 2019, we set out internally to leverage our expertise, position, and micromobility design to address the electric scooter market. And with that in mind, it was really about a different approach to ownership as opposed to renting them with rideshare Apps. We wanted to create a better product to own, so that's what we did. After all the prototyping development at Tomorrow Lab®, we pushed that into a venture that we could eventually stand up as its own product company.”  

In addition to the scooter itself, Plus Rides is working with the LA Cleantech Incubator in Los Angeles, where Ullrich has run LEV (light electric vehicle) repair workshops, training the next generation to understand what future jobs might be available in the electric vehicle space. He explains, “We want future generations to get familiar with electric motors, batteries, and repair -- all of those items that are wrapped up in the notion of workforce development and having good, well-paying jobs in the GreenTech economy.” 

Plus Rides is currently taking preorders for the limited release of its scooter, but the team already has its sights on future improvements. Because they chose to use a bicycle-style frame design to keep the cost down and enhance repairability, they can make the scooter even more lightweight than it already is through carbon fiber layups. They are also looking into shorter charging times with the help of novel battery technology, with the goal of charging in minutes instead of hours. Think of an e-scooter you can supercharge!  

Plus Rides is reshaping urban mobility by offering a practical, sustainable, and more affordable alternative for shorter commutes. With its forward-thinking design and commitment to continuous improvement, Plus Rides is paving the way for a more efficient and accessible urban transportation landscape. To preorder your Plus Rides scooter, go to get.ridewithplus.com or visit www.ridewithplus.com to learn more.