Two-wheel electric kick scooters are gaining in popularity as a means of micromobility.

However, as they lack stability, they could easily lead to accidents. 

To prevent these, a growing number of manufacturers are entering the micromobility market with three-wheel motorized scooters.

Use of standup scooters and easier-to-ride vehicles is spreading in Europe, the United States and elsewhere.

An estimate by the Boston Consulting Group shows the global market scale of that means of transport reached nearly 100 billion euros (14 trillion yen, or $109 billion) in 2021. Sales are projected to rise by 30 percent annually through 2030.

Standing out among other such products, e-scooters commercially available in Japan are treated the same as mopeds under the Road Traffic Law.

E-scooter rental agent Luup Inc. in Tokyo has been working with leading convenience store chain FamilyMart to set up lease stations along its outlets for boosting the number of riders.

However, a challenge involves two-wheeler scooters’ difficulty to control while turning smoothly on streets, for example. An accident was reported in September last year where a man riding an electric scooter while not wearing a helmet fell to his death.

While e-scooter rental firms are taking countermeasures, such as promoting the use of helmets and organizing lecture sessions on safety, their three-wheel counterparts are expected to offer more stable rides. 

Future Inc., a Tokyo-based vehicle developer and mobility service provider, has pitched its Gogo! trike to the market in the hope of offering comfortable rides to elderly individuals and female users, in particular.

Riders can sit while operating the tricycle. The 20-kilogram model, lighter than ordinary motorbikes, can travel at a speed of up to 45 kph, with its maximum driving distance being about 60 kilometers.

Gogo! is categorized into the same division as minicars under the Road Traffic Law, meaning riders need to have a regular driver’s license to operate the model, which carries a price tag of 289,300 yen after tax.

The three-wheeler was put in place while taking into account the likelihood that the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) concept may be accepted broadly in the future for people to book a range of transportation offerings in an integrated fashion on their smartphones.

“We will be realizing free mobility and local circulation through combining financial, energy and other services,” said Future President Keiko Ihara regarding her company’s vision.

Major automakers are jumping aboard the bandwagon with their own three-wheelers.

Toyota Motor Corp. marketed the standing-type trike C+walk T in October 2021. It is intended for use at a maximum speed of 10 kph on the grounds of airports, commercial complexes and other facilities outside public roads.

The model’s adaptation to footways is to be released in May by lowering its velocity. A revision to the Road Traffic Law in April allows certain vehicles as slow as 6 kph to run on sidewalks as "pedestrians."

Yamaha Motor Co. is also developing its standup electric tricycle Tritown.

Striemo Inc., a startup in the capital affiliated with Honda Motor Co., is planning to market a one-person electric trike in summer, which was developed by a Honda engineer who had been involved in the creation of the self-balancing technology for motorcycles.

The 25-kph three-wheeler falls into the same category as mopeds under the Road Traffic Law, so drivers need a driver’s license and helmet to operate the model, which is priced at 260,000 yen including tax.

Striemo is seeing a business opportunity in the fact that the class of “specified small mopeds” will be included in the Road Traffic Law in July.

Electric scooters are thought to be covered by the new category defined by their speeds and sizes.

Vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 20 kph can be driven on the left side of roadways or in bicycle lanes under the category of cyclists. Those whose top velocity is 6 kph or slower can operate even on walkways.

Drivers aged 16 and over will be able to operate this type of vehicle without a driver’s license. Donning helmets will not be mandatory, though the practice will still be recommended.

Striemo is moving to roll out another model that will comply with the new requirements.