Kompakt are very pleased to welcome Tony Chan, founder of Coolpeds
Hi Tony, would you like to introduce yourself and Coolpeds?
Coolpeds USA designs and manufactures the lightest and most compact electric transporters in the world. I am an inventor, ex-software engineer, motorsports racer, and a salesman. I worked at Microsoft’s Seattle headquarter as a software developer 15 years ago, then I left and started my international trading and product design company 10 years ago.
What’s the history of Coolpeds and the Briefcase; can you give us a timeline?
We started the company in 2013 and have been gradually selling Coolpeds electric transporters around the world, at the same time improving the first generation product. I invented the Briefcase in 2014, and it went into production in June of 2015.
Do you have some statistics you can tell our audience about the Briefcase?
There are currently about 1400 Coolpeds scooters around the world and about 800 users commute daily with their Coolpeds; we found that these 800 users would have ridden taxis, private cars, or other forms of hired cars otherwise; so we use these 800 users to estimate the carbon reduction. The other 600 users would have walked or used the bus, subways, etc; and these 600 Coolpeds users also alleviate the burden on public transports.
Average daily distance travelled by Coolpeds users from our customer survey in the city is about 10km.
Data from the Department of motor vehicles from around the world shows that the average emission of CO2 from passenger cars is 160 gram per km.
So, the estimated matrix for the reduction of CO2 from existing Coolpeds per each commuter user per year is as follows:
10 km per day x 160 gram of CO2 x 365 days = 584,000 gram of CO2 reduced per year per 1 user
Multiply 584,000 gram by 800 users = 462,700,000 gram = 462,700 kg of CO2 reduced per year!
Fact: A single young tree can only absorb about 11kg of CO2 per year, so the above emission will take more than 42,000 trees to absorb!
How could someone benefit from using the Briefcase?
A commuter can ride the Briefcase with work stuff inside to a train or subway station then ride to the office, saving lots of walking and time. Also, the Briefcase can pass through almost all security check points around the world, while most bikes or scooters cannot; because it is essentially a briefcase, why would a security checkpoint not allow it?
Frequent travelers can glide effortlessly across the airports to the boarding gates, all while having fun
What’s more, you can charge your phone or iPad via the USB charging port on the Briefcase.
Where did the idea come from, and what was it inspired by?
I invented the first generation scooter and was riding it one day and thought it would be great to integrate my backpack with the scooter. Also, I wanted to make it very portable so that it can access most places.
Tell us about your views on sustainable and ethical business models?
I strongly believe that all businesses should adhere to sustainable and ethical business models, because in order to run a long term business in this world of scare resources, one must run it in a sustainable way. And ethical businesses naturally benefit the society as a whole; so if people become better off, they will in turn spend more and buy more of our products; it is a constructive cycle.
What happens if someone steals your Briefcase; can it be tracked?
Yes, we are developing a GPS tracking chip that connects to an APP on your mobile phone.
Would people be able to use Coolpeds in bicycle lanes?
I have used Coolpeds in many cities around the world and found out Coolpeds are perfect for most bike lanes. And this is how many of our customers use their Coolpeds. Of course one should check local regulations to be safe.
What future projects are you working on?
We are working on solar powered scooters and add-on mobility systems for existing wheel chairs.
What is the goal of crowdfunding; how will you spend the investment?
The main goal of crowdfunding is promote our newest products on a renowned global platform on which members are keen on trying innovative and world changing products. Also, we hope to get more funding to speed up our progress of R&D and production.
When might we see the Coolpeds Briefcase in the UK?
You should be able to see them around the UK in a couple of months!
Where do you see Coolpeds in five years time?
I see Coolpeds USA being the leader in green and super lightweight transporters around the world.
Thanks Tony!