Australian e-Bike startup Zoomo takes aim at rivals with new low-cost subscription service

Zoomo, a ‘micromobility’ startup based in Sydney, has launched a new multi-tier e-Bike subscription service which aims to keep costs down and do away with some of the challenges that face its competitors.

The service offers subscribers their own bike to keep, which the brand says eliminates ‘vandalism and misuse’ that dockless bike-share models suffer from, whilst still offering subscribers regular maintenance and roadside assistance.

The subscription model is also budget-focused, with the entry-level ‘Classic’ bike starting from $29 a week. Zoomo says this is cheaper than weekly public transport costs (which it pitches as $40-plus a week) or vehicle costs (which it calculates as $280-plus a week). Normally Zoomo charges a $99 setup fee (which appears to be promotionally waived for the two entry-level bikes at the time of writing) and a $199 to $300 refundable deposit depending on the subscription chosen.

Zoomo’s subscription options then work their way from the aforementioned $29 a week ‘Classic’ with three gears, front suspension, seven-hour battery life with six-to-seven-hour charge time, to the ‘Ranger’ ($39 per week) which offers a larger battery and more gears than the ‘Classic’, the ‘Zero’ ($89 per week) which offers a more comfortable chassis, eight-hour battery life, four-hour fast charging and an electronic lock, and the ‘MTB’ ($69 per week – Courier only) which has a more robust mountain bike chassis and 21 gears.

According to Zoomo, prices and bike availability can vary by city (currently only available in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne), so the above prices are for Sydney only. All bikes have a 250W/70Nm rear motor, and ‘personal’ subscriptions are limited to 80km of travel per week. Maintenance is included, and contracts are not a lock-in style.

Zoomo also offers a trailer trike and full-cover trike for businesses and partners with the likes of Amazon, UberEats, parcel delivery services and fast food outlets.