In Portland, sustainability, Transportation, Uncategorized
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The GenZe 2.0 Electric Scooter. Complete with groceries!

GenZe (Generation Zero Emissions) just opened the company’s only permanent brick-and-mortar retail store right near our PPP headquarters at 1235 S.E Grand. I attended the Grand Opening soirée and cruised the showroom to check out the sleek GenZe 2.0.

The really sweet thing about GenZe’s electric scooters are the easily removable batteries that can be charged up in any standard outlet. They are also equipped with a smart touchscreen display that integrates with a phone app, helping you to plan your trip and measure battery charge. 

The California-based company is owned by Mahindra — the worlds biggest manufacturer of tractors.  Vish Palekar, CEO of GenZe, spoke about how GenZe is working to help solve the problem of urban mobility with electric vehicles.

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Mayoral Candidate Jules Bailey welcomes GenZe to his district.

Multnomah County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Jules Bailey also stood up to say a few words. “Sustainability is a buzzword and I think it is important to be clear what we mean when we say it,” said Bailey. He emphasized that sustainability is measured by the three e’s: economics, environment, and equity. He said he was happy to support innovators like GenZe whose mission statement supports all three.  

As far as urban mobility goes, e-scooters and electric vehicles like these are certainly environmentally friendly, encouraging short emission-free trips in urban environments. They take up less curbspace, something we are keenly aware of as a bike-based business. Equity and economics come into play when you consider that the price-point for these vehicles is relatively low at $2,999.

I hope to see more of these kinds of vehicles on the road. At PPP, we are always happy to see alternates modes of transport and exciting new innovation on two wheels.