THE hive , a brand that offers an electric scooter sharing service in Lisbon, was present at this year's edition of MecanIST, where we had the opportunity to chat with Marco Lopes, Global Head of Maintenance at Hive.
MecanIST, which took place at Instituto Superior Técnico, is an event promoted by the Mecânica Forum that aims to bring students and companies closer together, working as a Mechanical Engineering Conference and comprising several conferences.
The theme of electric scooters that now populate some of our cities, has been one of the most publicly discussed in recent weeks. Marco Lopes, from Hive, let us peek “under the hood” of the scooters, where we got to know the requirements and needs of this small electric vehicle.
Automotive Ratio (RA): What are the mechanical requirements of these vehicles?
Marco Lopes (ML): The mechanics of these vehicles are quite simple, as their mechanical part, although it is a majority, is quite basic. One of the biggest concerns is ensure tightening or re-tightening of all screws that make up the scooter since when circulating in the streets of Lisbon, where the sidewalk dominates and the vibration is constant, they loosen up, putting the safety of users at risk and for us the safety of users is our main concern.
In terms of electronics, the requirements are a bit higher, as these vehicles are dependent on all of their electronics and software to work, then we will have to know how to distinguish, weld and replace electronic components, know how to detect and software error interpretation, and have a good knowledge base in batteries, GPS systems and the like.
RA: What normal damage does this type of vehicle have?
ML: In normal use, damage to these vehicles is minimal. In terms of mechanical components, the one I point to as the weakest is without a doubt the rest, although it is one of the most important parts.
I may also refer to worn wheels, damaged handles, play in the steering gear, or cosmetic damage as normal damage from vehicle use. As for the electronics, it is quite reliable and software errors are few and easy to resolve.
RA: How long does the battery last, how many charging cycles does it support?
ML: The battery of these scooters is a high quality Li-ion battery. These batteries comfortably reach 1000 charge cycles, which in regular use means 2-3 years of life. Charging time for a scooter with an external battery is approximately 5.5 hours, without an external battery this time decreases to approximately 3.5 hours.
RA: How many kilometers can you do with a charged battery?
ML: With the external battery and in ideal driving conditions, these scooters can travel 45 km on a full charge. Which makes it one of the best scooters for long distances in the city or for sharing. Without the external battery and under the same driving conditions, this distance shortens to just 25 km.