EIT InnoEnergy and maker of Kumpan Electric e-scooters partner to transform European mobility market

Transport is responsible for about a third of Germany’s energy consumption – its decarbonisation is therefore a key part of the energy transition (“Energiewende”). Supporting the vision for sustainable mobility across Europe, InnoEnergy is creating a portfolio of ambitious mobility start-ups and scale-ups, such as e-bility, as part of its transportation and mobility sector mission.

A booming segment of the overall mobility market is the one for electric micro-mobility solutions: according to the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), registration of electric mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles reached 58,295 in the first 9 months of 2019 – a 61% increase on the same period in 2018.

The support provided through the innovation project aims to further ebility’s product and services offering and facilitating their expansion into more European markets. By partnering with EIT InnoEnergy, e-bility will have access to their ecosystem and full range of resources, from technology development to go-to-market support as well as funding of around €3 million.

For instance, the innovation partners will enhance the capabilities of e-bility’s software platform, bringing new services and a superior user experience to business partners and end customers. This will include smart sharing, location and payment features as well as scooter leasing and predictive maintenance functions.

A key project goal is to further complement e-bility’s flagship product family, the Kumpan 1954Ri with 4 kW and 70 km/h and 7 kW and 100 km/h versions.

Moreover, e-bility and InnoEnergy will invest into one of Kumpan Electric’s USPs: their exchangeable, smart battery system. The battery package is a plug and play solution, controlled by AI software, which can simply be detached from the scooter and re-charged in standard sockets, bearing the potential to be applied in a wealth of different products from power tools to lawn mowers.  

While Germany will remain a key market, EIT InnoEnergy’s support will also accelerate expansion into new markets across Europe including Spain, France, Benelux, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.

Commenting on the joint project with e-bility , Christian Müller, CEO for InnoEnergy Germany, said: “e-bility’s vision represents the boldness needed to transition to sustainable models of mobility.

“However, their potential impact extends far beyond mobility. The technology encapsulated within their smart battery system could become a de-facto standard for the sustainable design of all sorts of products. All of that aligns perfectly with our investment strategy in that field and led us to now take our existing collaboration to the next level”.

Patrik Tykesson, Founder & CMO of e-bility said, “Recognising the huge potential of our product early on, EIT InnoEnergy has become a key strategic partner of ours, driving value for us with their incredible expertise and through the network that exists in its European ecosystem.

The innovation project is the logical next step in our joint journey and will accelerate our time to market both in terms of broadening our offering and expanding into further European markets. Coupling the strengths and competencies of both partners will greatly benefit end users and B2B customers in e-mobility, energy storage and beyond.”