A review of the WeMo electric scooter sharing app and how it works

WeMo electric scooters

This week I finally tried the WeMo electric scooter service for the first time.

WeMo is a stationless rental scooter, it is basically the “oBike” concept applied for electric scooters.

You need a scooter? You find one nearby on the map, take it, ride where you want and leave the scooter on any scooter parking spot when you’re done.

I love the concept, and I feel it could improve a lot of things if it is used on a large scale.

Registration

Anyway. First things first, creating an account. That one made me postpone more than once, because you need to provide many documents:

– ARC (or ID)

– Driving license (it is a green plate so a car driving license is ok, I used my taiwanese car license to register, please comment if you succeded to register with an international car license, that would be sweet if they are accepted)

– Picture of yourself

– Credit card information. There are 2 payment types, either direct transaction from your credit card, or you can load some money into some WeMo wallet, and then use that money little by little as you use WeMo scooters.

After 1 working day I got an email saying my account was ready and I could start using the service.

Using WeMo app to do everything

Using the app, you see where scooters are and you can book one, or just walk to it and start using it.

I have used WeMo scooters 4 times in total. Every time the scooter was extremely new and in great quality: the 4 different scooters that I got didn’t have more than 250km mileage in total.

I have read some bad reviews in the WeMo app reviews where people complained about the quality of some scooters. Before any ride, better check the scooter, the general condition, the brakes, etc. In my case all was really new and good.

You control everything through the app.

– Opening the trunk (there are 2 helmets inside)

– Starting the rental

– Stopping the scooter (once it’s “started” it’s ready to accelerate any time you turn the throttle. “Stopping the scooter” is equivalent to shutting down the engine on a gas scooter.

– Returning the scooter: stops the renting and ends the ride.

The scooter

Once you open the trunk using the app, you find 2 helmets inside (one is half dome helmet for the passenter, and another one is a little bigger, covering the ears and has a wind protector, more suitable for the rider).

There is also a few disposable fabric papers that you can put in the helmet if you care about hygiene.

The scooter is pretty much like a normal gas scooter. It has the same controls, brakes, lights.

It is quite lighter overall, very comfortable to ride alone, and requires a little bit of skills for riding slow speed with a passenger, but that’s also true for regular scooters.

Riding WeMo

Once started, it is just like a normal scooter, the controls are the same: throttle, breaks, lights, direction lights.

The max speed i got was a steady 54km/h on flat. Not very fast but I was not slower than the average riders on the road.

The autonomy if the battery is 100% when you take it is about 45km. You can see how much battery is left on each scooter on the smartphone app before you start the rental.

You can see how many remaining kilometers the scooter can ride at all times.

Also I noticed than when the scooter autonomy is going below 10km, the max speed is lower, about 38km/h and the acceleration is also weaker).

With 2 people on the scooter, the acceleration is still good and the top speed still above 50km/h even with 2 passengers.

Even though speeding is not recommended, I find that the top speed is slightly below what I would hope for. A few times, I wanted to overtake someone quickly, but I simply couldn’t. On my regular 125cc scooter, I can go faster for a few seconds in certain situations to safely take over, or avoid some danger. That’s something to consider, the riding habits are slightly different here.

Pricing

As of November 2017:

– Initial price is 15NT for 6 minutes

– Next is 2.5NT per minute (99 seconds red light really suck, it would be neat if the price calculation did not count the stop time, specially as this is an electric scooter)

Out of the 4 rides I took, this is approximately the prices that I paid:

– 38NT for 4km distance in my first ride, because I took some time to explore the options

– 30NT for 4km (better luck at the red lights?)

– 60NT for 8km (Elephant Mountain to Nangang exhibition center).

– 23NT for 3 MRT stations late at night

In my opinion this is a good solution at night for a 5-15km distance when there are no more MRTs and you don’t want to pay 300+NT for a taxi.

Conclusion

After those rides I feel very happy that this solution exists. It completes the portfolio of transportation possibilities, and gives more freedom than MRT or bus.

It may not be something you want to use every day, but once in a while you need to go somewhere far from MRT stations, or you don’t want to take UBike for 30mn+ ride, well, if you have the app installed and the account already created, you can check if there’s a WeMo nearby.

by François Devatine

December 1, 2017 1

Reflections on the Differences Between the UK and Taiwan by Elvis Wez

When you are growing up you sometimes wonder where you will you end up after becoming an adult. Sometimes you end up in a place that you had never even heard of before you actually visit it for the first time. This is what happens to many expats strewn across East Asia, and our new home, Taiwan. This is what happened to a local artist, originally from Brighton, UK, Elvis Wez. [Scroll to the very bottom to view Elvis Wez’s art]

Elvis Wez is a volcano of creativity and good vibes. He has to be in a good company to reach his full capacity though. From swerving his skateboard between cars in the full on Taipei traffic, through being the maddest party animal that never fails to dress to impress and sets new standards in local fashion, to being an active musician, singer and lastly a great painter, illustrator and a graphic designer that uses mostly traditional techniques.

20543970_1959668397644602_5063759273309230969_o

11221682_410425129141430_5240251723575621751_o

He recently went back to his hometown, Brighton and this is what our correspondent has learnt from this rad cat:

TO: How long haven’t you been back to the UK?

Wow, geez! It must be have been 4 years. Yeah, 4 years I haven’t been back to Blighty for.

TO: What major changes did you notice first upon arrival in the UK?

Hmmm… Major changes? If you come back from East Asia where everything is constantly changing and then you go to ‘ancient-feeling’ Southern England, you don’t really notice that much of a change. Well, one thing has changed. The High Street. Shops have changed and some of the old ones we used to have for decades are no longer there. There are plenty of coffee shops everywhere, just like in London. Everyone is into coffee now. From a country that enjoyed their cuppa tea, English people have turned into coffeephiles.

TO: What was the first reverse culture shock you experienced?

Driving on the left side! I mean I know people in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore or Thailand do the same, but I enjoyed living in Taiwan too much to visit those countries.

TO: What was the first thing you missed about Taiwan and what did you end up missing the most?

I missed Taiwan’s weather the most. I wanted to be warm and cosy again. What did I end up missing the most? Must be the ubiquitous convenience stores everywhere. British Off-license stores don’t quite cut it, and if you want to go to a 24h supermarket you have to drive or take a taxi. In Taiwan, Taipei especially, you just walk literary a few meters and there’s an open 24h convenience store. Also Taiwan’s street food and how cheap things are here. I love the mollycoddling Taiwanese lifestyle!

TO: What one thing from the UK do you wish you would get in Taiwan?

Fish and chips which I love more than my mum, and greens like peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts and the like. And I am not saying in Taiwan I can’t find healthy food, I just miss this Euorpean/British kind that looks great next to your chips or potatoes.

TO: What did you enjoy about being back?

Definitely family! I enjoyed looking at them being happy to have me back, even though not for a long time, but still. After living in Taiwan for like 7 years in total now, we have obviously grown apart. I love my parents and their demeanour, there are a couple of cool folks. My brother is wicked, too. I obviously didn’t realize how much I would miss them until I left their house.

TO: How long were you back for?

I was back for three weeks, only enough to show my domestic partner how dear old Blighty looks like, catch up with my family and a few friends, and stuff my face with all the Yorkshire Pudding, Pie and Mash, Fish and Chips and Toad in the Hole that I could put my hands on.

TO: Did you only stay in England or did you travel somewhere else?

I went for a short visit to Low Countries to see how much rain Dutch people get this time of the year, I liked Heineken.

TO: What were your feelings when you were about to go back to Taiwan?

I wasn’t the happiest man on the planet, that’s for sure. Why so unhappy? Because my parents were sad. I was really sad seeing how sorrow they were when I was leaving. I was sad, too, but my parents were noticeably sadder.

TO: What were you most happy about after you came back to Taiwan?

Being in a ‘Taiwan Bubble’ if you like. Being warm, and the ability to see the blue sky. The way people treat me here and treat each other is also something I missed. Taiwanese people are very reasonable and well mannered; they rarely show you any rudeness while dealing with you on the customer level. Outside of Taiwan this isn’t always the case, you can expect all sort of epithets from members of staff at hotels, shops, at the airport or train station. Taiwanese have more integrity than this.

TO: How long are you planning to stay in Taiwan for?

Not indefinitely, but I’ve said that for the past 7 years. I will probably go to Australia or New Zealand next at some point. I’m not getting any younger and want to explore at least one more realm if you like. I lived in the UK, Finland, Taiwan, there’s definitely place for one more country on my list.

TO: Thank you very much for talking to us.

Not a problemo!

Find a few extra photos below of Elvis Wez and at the very bottom you will find some of his art.

Elvis Wez’s Art:

856277_246669778850300_4426653098652273028_o

1519322_246669702183641_4822206252462641582_o

1529957_246669655516979_9005630651318456713_o

1617709_246669698850308_2964965701718741310_o

10014301_246669675516977_8648515284395295773_o

November 12, 2017 0

High school students take on Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan 2017

This year Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan saw three high school teams from the Dominican International School try their hand at getting investment in their businesses. They applied for the competition and were selected to be part of the preliminary round, where organizers listen to the pitches and determine the finalists.

The three teams that got through were:

Secom Dalcom: A company that makes and sells traditionally made Korean teas with a modern twist. The teas are all made by hand from locally sourced organic fruits.

About That Style: A company that focuses on helping schools and organizations get custom-made T-shirts and other branded clothing for official sports and special events, with a fresh approach to the style and manufacture of the garments.

Peer Learning Platform: A platform for kids to help each other with homework and tutor each other in subjects in which they are particularly adept.

The contestants went to their first round and were hoping to win over the organizers, or to at least do well enough for a second look if possible. All three teams prepared for weeks and presented their business plans. The organizers had some helpful notes and told the students how they could improve their pitches. They did not mince words and were clear from the beginning they would be treated just like every other team, regardless of the fact that they were high school students.

One team was asked to submit an updated presentation to see if they had improved enough to make it into the final round. Secom Dalcom had to revise their pitch in less than a week and resubmit it for a final look. Unfortunately the organizers felt that their business was too small and the expected investment too little for them to pitch to the dragons for investment purposes.

The organizers gave the students invaluable advice and experience. Each team got a gift from the organizers to celebrate their courage to participate in the first round. They each received a copy of the book “How to start a business in Taiwan” written by local entrepreneur Elias Ek. He also donated a copy to their school library that will become a valuable resource for other young entrepreneurs at the school.

These young entrepreneurs may not have made it through but they have learned numerous valuable lessons along the way. They have gone through the entire pitching process and will be watching their own videoed pitches for self-evaluation. They will attend the final pitch show on November 18th at the Taipei Expo Dome to watch the teams that made it through. These students are getting first hand experience at what it takes to get investment in a business, now they they more prepared when the day comes that they might want to pitch another business. Their teacher mentor shared with us that they have already followed the advice and adjusted their business plans.

November 11, 2017 0

Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan, 2017

The second annual Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan is about to kick off. The final teams have been chosen and the final date is set. This year five teams have made it through to the finals.

Dragons’ Chambers is a version of the popular business pitching show Dragons’ Den (Shark Tank in the U.S.) for foreign entrepreneurs currently in Taiwan. This is a once a year competition where foreign entrepreneurs pitch an idea or current business to a panel of judges and potential investors. The teams are looking for investment to start or grow their businesses.

As the organizers say in the preliminary rounds “There are going to be many people in the audience that can give you the money you need…”, so these teams better get in ship shape for pitch day. The finalists this year are My Room Abroad, Eatsmart, KP Kitchen, Woodpecker Learning, and MemePR. The judges for this year will be; Elias Ek, Ensprye co-founder and CEO; Revital Shpangental Golan, Anemone Ventures founder and CEO; David Bostwick, Director of Trade and Investment at CTOT; and Kelvin Sun, Vice President WI Harper Group. (Meet the Dragons)

This year the preliminary round pitches saw a few student teams from Dominican International School pitch their ideas. Of the three teams that pitched one was a hopeful, but ultimately none of the made it through.

Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan will be held on Saturday November 18th, 2017 at Taipei Expo Dome, near Yuanshan station. The competition will be part of the Meet Taipei event and will take place on the Orange Stage from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This Year the competition will be free to the public and seats will be first come first serve, so get there early for a good spot.

Su Beng’s 100th Birthday Gala

The Taiwan Observer team was invited by a local activist and artist Kenbo Liao to join Su Beng’s 100th birthday celebration. The event was held on Nov, 5, 2017. There were many of Su Beng’s fans and other political activists at the event. The security was extremely tight since president Tsai showed up to say a few words at the event.

The event was surrounded by fencing and everyone had to enter through security check points. Once inside there were many stalls many selling pro independence literature and art. The main star of the event, Su Beng, had a long line of revelers asking for photos and signatures. The man of the hour was more capable than one would expect a 100 year old man to be. The cameras snapped photos and videos for a while then he was carted of in his wheel chair with a mob in tow to go see the performance in his honor.

The day was filled with speeches from local activists, bands playing music, lion dances, a puppet show, and a few words from the president. Sellers of books, art, and traditional wares also took part in the festivities, with their respective political agendas prominently displayed.

The one downside to the event, as pointed out by a former professor and activist we spoke to, was that there weren’t enough younger people at the event. He lamented that only the older generation had shown up in large numbers and that he wished that there could have been more interest from younger people.

Here are the rest of the photos we took of the event, including a cool dog in glasses.

November 6, 2017 0

iPhone X launch at Taipei 101

The iPhone X was released this morning early at 8 am. There were queues of people lined up all night around the city, many lining up at 101 and many lining up at telecom stores. All to be the first to get the new highly anticipated iPhone X.

Last night the guards at the Taipei 101 building told people to leave from the front door and to wait elsewhere. Our correspondent caught it on camera while staking out the late night iPhone X line. Check out that article here (Nighttime Stakeout for New iPhone X). He also encountered some people queued at their local telecom provider.

This morning the iPhone event at Taipei 101 was a big to do, unlike the launch of the iPhone 8 where we saw only one enthusiast lining up over night in front of 101. More here (Not So Exciting Release of the New iPhone).

The guy in the front of the line was happy to talk to reporters and told us he is excited for the release and that the new feature he was most excited for was the Face ID, whereby you can unlock your phone by scanning your face. The guy got 2 new phones, one in Space Gray and one in white. We got him on our live stream of the event unboxing his new phones, at 14 minutes onward. (Facebook iPhone X launch live stream)

Each person at the event had to line up and wait for their own personal apple service person to help them with their new purchase. They would help customers by fetching their new iPhone and having them pay for it, as the phone were kept in a backroom. Then they would help the customer set up the phone and explain some of the new features. The Apple staff were very helpful and made sure to explain all the new features in as much detail as the customers wanted or needed. VIP treatment for all those buying in-store today.

Many media outlets showed up to cover the event. TV, print, and web, with live steams being plenty. Taiwan observer’s editorial scene event caught one of the apple employees using and iPad Pro to sketch pictures of the first person to buy the iPhone that day. They really went all out for this event.

We also got a little hands on with the new iPhone X during our live stream. We didn’t cover it extensively but the new feature for going back to home screen by swiping up from the bottom is a great new addition that Apple couldn’t do without after removing the home button and fingerprint scanner.

All in all the iPhone X launch was much bigger than the iPhone 8, but that was wholly expected giving the release of a much better phone, the iPhone X, just short time after. They really went all out for this one.

November 4, 2017 0

Nighttime Stakeout for New iPhone X

Early in the morning of November 3rd, 2017 one of Taiwan Observer correspondents set off on a mission to see how release of the new iPhone X unfolded in Taipei City. First, he went to the one and only official Apple store in Taiwan located in Taipei, next to the famous 101 skyscraper building. There he encountered a funny crowd of only three iPhone purchasers. When he arrived there were a few more souls willing to lay their hands on the new gadget but they were quickly discouraged by bothersome rain and presence of a few social media reporters. The remaining group of foreigners were three gentlemen from Korea, Japan, and Mainland China respectively. Two last gentlemen had a quite a good command of English, the man from Korea virtually spoke no English. All the communication with him had to be done through Google translator app what made whole situation quite funny. No Taiwanese buyer was present and at some point a security guard appeared telling everyone to go away and come back at 7 am. This was done after a quick walkie-talkie exchange between him and the control room. His appearance was followed by arrival of three more Apple representatives instructing everyone not to take photos of inside of the mall. Not before a long time all the buyers decided to go elsewhere.

Our correspondent started his ride home and on the intersection of BoAi road and GuiYang street he stumbled across a lonely Chunghwa Telecom shop addressed 168 BoAi road. Outside of the shop there was a family of three with a friend waiting for their four iPhones Xs, and that’s exactly how many iPhones the shop had in stock for the day. On the shop’s wall there was a little note showing what kind of iPhone Xs are available on the day and their specifications. This group of people wasn’t asked by anyone to move an inch, and they enjoyed rather light-hearted atmosphere sitting in their chairs, eating their victuals and downing their alcoholic drinks. What a merry way to wait for your new gadget.

November 3, 2017 1

ShuHong Riverside Park 119 Rescue Services Event

At https://goo.gl/maps/kHA4Ge11Pyo ShuHong Riverside Park. On Saturday one of the Taiwan Observer and ASOT’s correspondents happened upon an event while driving around New Taipei city. There was a line of rescue vehicles of all shapes and sizes on the side of the road. He was curious so he stopped off to check it out. He walked over to the rescue vehicles and saw tents selling all sorts of stuff. Walking around him were hundreds of firefighters, police,and other manner of rescue workers. He managed to snap some pictures of the fire trucks and asked the rescue worker standing by the trucks what was going on. He found out it was a rescue services event promoting 119 service number. Near the middle of the event there was a stage with crowds of people around it and T.V. cameras pointed at it. Some new police officers or rescue workers were getting awards of sorts. On the other side of the stage there was a line of food trucks. I got to see a really nice pizza made in wood fired oven.

November 2, 2017 0

South African Expats show solidarity with protesters on “Black Monday”

Recently South Africa has seen a surge in attacks on farmers. These attacks have seen many farmers assaulted, robbed and murdered. Members of the South African community in Taiwan wanted to show their solidarity with the people protesting against the murders. The movement called “Black Monday” saw protesters block roads and wear all black in mourning.

Members of the Taiwan Observer community, local South African couple and owners of Meatmate, Corne and Petro Venter, reached out to the editorial team and asked us to share their images of solidarity for the protests from Taiwan. Many South African expats living in Taiwan have relatives still living back in the South African countryside, so this is particularly tough for many of them.

The photos below picture expats and local Taiwanese people showing their support and sorrow. Among the expats was a group of teachers at Dominican International School from all over the world; South Africa, Spain, The Philippines, Canada, and the U.S.A. They held up signs denouncing the killings and many wore black in mourning.

Photos provided by Petro Venter

November 1, 2017 0

Mighty Cadillacs, Rarity in Taipei

Taipei is a medium sized metropolis with quite a bit of traffic. Thousands of cars drive on well organized roads everyday. Most of the cars that one can see here are domestically assembled Japanese, Korean or European automobiles, American cars are rather hard to come across.

Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that in Taipei there aren’t many vintage cars clubs. At least not as many as in for example Japan, the Philippines or New Zealand.

There are of course exceptions. And one of these is this group of photos collected by followers of our facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/anothersideoftw/

Enjoy these few photos of rarely seen in Taipei Cadillacs from the 80s. All the machines in the pictures were spotted in Taiwan in the early January of 2017.