The developer of a charging infrastructure for electric mobility fitted the German smart gadget to a number of e-scooters as part of a pilot project in the spring. The real test came six months later: the GPS tracker, actually developed for e-bikes by Darmstadt-based IoT Venture, was required to demonstrate its capabilities. The motorised scooter was connected to a charging station and secured with a lock in Marbella port at the time. The thief broke open the lock and rode off through the Spanish coastal city.

The victim didn’t notice that his scooter had gone until a short time later. He then used his app to pinpoint its current location – the thief hadn’t got far. Jumping into action, he drove to the location some two kilometres away. He observed the thief carefully from a distance at first to ensure he wouldn’t put himself in danger. He was lucky: the thief was a repentant teenager who immediately gave the e-scooter back.

“We are planning to roll out our product throughout Europe from 2021 in collaboration with the bike manufacturers we supply,” states Sebastian Stoll from the IT’S MY BIKE team, “and we are very pleased that localisation also works effectively in Spain and for other micro-mobility applications.”

Image: Symbolbild / Adobe Stock