Micromobility Products

How does Exponent help innovators of micromobility products evaluate for safety and performance and regulatory compliance?

As micromobility devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and hoverboards continue to increase in popularity, there is a growing need to analyze and test these devices for performance, reliability, and safety. Exponent micromobility teams equip our clients to understand and respond to the ever-changing regulatory environment surrounding these emerging technologies. We help clients evaluate the unique operational environment for each device, identify potential points of failure, and assess the effects of potential design changes on durability, safety, rider comfort, and ease of use.

Exponent empowers our clients to understand and quantify the behavior of these human/vehicle systems in the real world. Our vehicle engineers, biomechanics, and human factors scientists work together to define and execute relevant research, analysis, and state-of-the-art testing to find answers to your most challenging micromobility questions.

Exponent tests and analyzes micromobility device dynamic performance and rider behavior.

While electric-assist scooters and bicycles are not new, their popularity has increased dramatically with the advent of commercial app-based ride-sharing services. This recent increase in popularity has underscored the importance of understanding micromobility device dynamics, rider kinematics, and rider behavior to improve performance and safety, especially in crowded urban environments.

To develop a fundamental understanding of the behavior of device/operator systems, a multidisciplinary team of Exponent vehicle engineers and biomechanists have developed a novel method for crash testing micromobility products with anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) "riding" them.

We have conducted realistic e-scooter/operator studies on our test track involving various surfaces, distractions, and traffic control devices to evaluate operator kinematics and inputs, and we have also studied the performance and safety of e-bikes in natural, real-world environments and compared rider behavior on e-bikes to non-electric bicycles.

Batteries and control system analysis & testing. 

Exponent's teams of vehicle, mechanical, electrical, and materials engineers support clients with the answers they need in areas of failure analysis, safety design consulting, control system analysis, new technology design support, and full-scale testing of intact and compromised battery assemblies.