Home / News / Intown leaders eye tech, low-speed electric carts as evolution of e-scooters
Intown leaders eye tech, low-speed electric carts as evolution of e-scooters

Intown leaders eye tech, low-speed electric carts as evolution of e-scooters

Karlos Walkes

Karlos Walkes is co-founder and CEO of tech startup XiQ. He and Polaris are hoping to create the next wave of micro-mobility solutions with a Low Speed Vehicle that can be rented via app.

As the debate over e-scooters rages on in the city of Atlanta and beyond, other intown leaders are tinkering with another solution: riding-sharing using a souped-up, low-speed electric cart.

Representatives from Decatur and Avondale Estates, as well as private business owners, on Aug. 25 took part in a demonstration from XiQ, a local tech startup that's created a keyless, app-enabled ignition called Stinger. The technology was created two years ago to help secure lightweight vehicles, since golf carts are easily stolen.

But Karlos Walkes, co-founder and CEO of XiQ, is now pitching his tech as the next step in the evolution of transportation. Specifically, as a component in Polaris Inc.'s (NYSE: PII) line of "Gem" low speed vehicles, he is priming them for ride-sharing capabilities.

The aim is to build a network of clean-energy vehicles that better serve last-mile connectivity, offering multiple people covered rides around a nexus of intown neighborhoods.

“I think Lime and Bird are great models, and they’ve taught us a lot, but let’s move to the next step," Walkes said.

Let's Ride Atlanta uses a Gem electric vehicle built by Polaris that includes XiQ's stinger keyless technology.

Let's Ride Atlanta uses a Gem electric vehicle built by Polaris that includes XiQ's stinger keyless technology.

The Gems, which resemble enclosed golf carts, come in 2-, 4-, or 6-seaters and offer storage for bags. They reach a max speed of 25 mph, but are approved for driving on streets rated at 35 mph. They work with EV chargers and everyday outlets, but also can be customized for solar power. A Polaris rep said the vehicles also have autonomous upgrade capabilities, although that tech is still being tested in California and Arizona.

Walkes said XiQ raised $200,000 from 16 local private investors to build the Stinger ignition. More investment is needed to further build out the fleet-tracking and ride-sharing software, he added.

Walkes' pitch is aimed at municipalities or private entities facing transportation challenges that would buy a fleet of Gems installed with the $350 Stinger tech hardware. XiQ, which provides a free app, would handle the fleet tracking and analytics for a monthly charge. Let’s Ride Atlanta is in discussions as being a third-party operator responsible for maintaining the vehicles.

It's a model that could resemble Peachtree City, where private golf carts are a main mode of transportation. The difference is people would rent them from via app to use for short trips or full-day excursions.

Walkes said he plans to learn from the mistakes of Bird and Lime, which have been banned in some areas and severely regulated in others. The dockless e-scooters have been criticized because of rider deaths, injuries and a perspective that they are a nuisance.

The Gems, which resemble enclosed golf carts, come in 2-, 4-, or 6-seaters and offer storage for bags. They reach a max speed of 25 mph, but are approved for driving on streets rated at 35 mph. They work with EV chargers and everyday outlets, but also can be customized for solar power. A Polaris rep said the vehicles also have autonomous upgrade capabilities, although that tech is still being tested in California and Arizona.

Walkes said XiQ raised $200,000 from 16 local private investors to build the Stinger ignition. More investment is needed to further build out the fleet-tracking and ride-sharing software, he added.

Walkes' pitch is aimed at municipalities or private entities facing transportation challenges that would buy a fleet of Gems installed with the $350 Stinger tech hardware. XiQ, which provides a free app, would handle the fleet tracking and analytics for a monthly charge. Let’s Ride Atlanta is in discussions as being a third-party operator responsible for maintaining the vehicles.

It's a model that could resemble Peachtree City, where private golf carts are a main mode of transportation. The difference is people would rent them from via app to use for short trips or full-day excursions.

Walkes said he plans to learn from the mistakes of Bird and Lime, which have been banned in some areas and severely regulated in others. The dockless e-scooters have been criticized because of rider deaths, injuries and a perspective that they are a nuisance.

“Carpet-bombing doesn’t work,” said Walkes, an Avondale Estates resident. "What I mean is, taking a lot of vehicles to a specific area and sprinkling them around and saying 'here it is,' instead of taking a targeted, specific community approach. That's what we're doing. We're coming to a community or municipality and finding out how to use the vehicles to best fit their initiative."

Walkes' message caught the ear of intown leaders who are increasingly looking to create walkable, dense environments that draw affluent young couples and families, while also easing congestion and parking with new last-mile solutions.

"It's certainly intriguing," said Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, one of two other city officials at the presentation. "I think these are the kinds of solutions we have to be open to and should be open to."

The owners of Atomic Entertainment, who are prepping to break ground on their $100 million mixed-used Pratt Pullman District in Kirkwood, are also considering the technology as a way to transport visitors to and from nearby MARTA stations.

Maureen Meulen, of Atomic Entertainment, walks with her daughter to an Avondale coffee shop after taking a ride on a Gem vehicle, Aug. 24, 2019.

Maureen Meulen, of Atomic Entertainment, walks with her daughter to an Avondale coffee shop after taking a ride on a Gem vehicle, Aug. 24, 2019.

Sam Collier, executive director of Avondale Estates' downtown development authority, is weighing whether a fleet of adapted Gems could be a piece of the city's larger revitalization, which includes a planned street diet on North Avondale Road and multiple new projects.

"With so much development coming, the idea is that we could be designing with a system like this in mind," Collier said.

Garrett likened the potential of Walkes' idea to Decatur's partnership with ParkMobile, which provides ticketless and cashless on-street parking. But many questions remain: How would people use them? What size vehicles would be needed? How big would the fleet be? What's the liability? How much would it cost? Who will pay for it?

"I had more questions than answers," she said. "There are a lot of pieces that have to be figured out, but knowing about the technology ... at least it gives us a glimpse into those possibilities."

When asked what kind of investment she'd be willing to make on the technology, Garrett responded: "I can't give you a number. I don't even know what that would start to look like. But I think there is enough interest that we would want to at least explore it and what the uses are."

Garrett said her team will look into potential grants and cost-sharing partnerships. The Gem and Stinger are also likely to be discussed during Decatur's 2020 Strategic Planning sessions, with hopes of public input. The city will get its first taste of the technology during the three-day Decatur Book Festival, where Walkes will drive a six-seater Gem as a VIP transport.