Israeli Scooter Brand Inokim Dips Into the Sharing Economy

Israeli electric scooter brand Inokim dips into the sharing economy with Leo, a new scooter sharing service. The company is set to launch the service in Tel Aviv in March, joining Los Angeles-headquartered Bird and Berlin-based Wind, which launched operations in Israel in August and January, respectively.

Speaking with Calcalist Monday, Inokim owner Kfir Ben Shushan said that the company would start by operating 500 electric scooters, going up to 3,000 units in May and expanding the service to Northern port city Haifa and Southern beach town Eilat. By the end of 2019, the company intends to operate 10,000 scooters, Ben Shushan said. Additionally, he said, the company intends to introduce an electric bike sharing service under the same brand.

Like its competitors, Leo will charge a flat fee of NIS 5 (approximately $1.4) for each ride and additional NIS 0.5 (approximately $0.14) per minute. LEO's app-based service will allow users to book scooters up to 15 minutes in advance, as well as to briefly put the scooter they are using on hold for a nominal fee, Ben Shushan said.

In September, Calcalist reported that San Mateo, California-based electric scooter-sharing company Lime is also looking to enter the Israeli market. Lime posted a job listing on LinkedIn, saying it is looking to hire an operations manager to lead a team of between four and 20 people in Tel Aviv.