Golf Cart by Paulbr75 To the extent possible under law, the person who associated CC0 with Golf Cart has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Golf Cart. Image obtained from https://pixabay.com/en/golf-cart-crossing-sign-2334032/
One of the most exciting new industries for dealers is micro-transit. We’ve written about this briefly before, and it’s worth taking a deeper look at how micro-transit is revolutionizing the sale and use of customized golf carts.
Opportunity in Columbus
The city of Columbus, OH just set guidelines that allow the use of low-speed ride services. This micro-transit focuses on intra-city travel. Vehicles with three and four wheels are allowed, and must stay under 3,000 lbs. in weight. They also must not surpass a top speed of 20 mph.
This follows a change in Ohio state law that allows such services and vehicles on the roads.
This doesn’t compare to car travel, but it’s five times faster than your average pedestrian. The ability to use side streets and alleys as shortcuts also means that hopping from one location to another within the city is faster than some rush hour traffic. In addition, you don’t have to worry about parking fees and tickets.
Who Uses Micro-Transit?
Plenty of enabled young residents are expected to use the micro-transit services, but the services can also help those who have a more difficult time getting around. They help improve the transport for people who can’t afford a car, disabled, and elderly clients who have a harder time getting around.
Micro-transit with golf carts is also safer than pedicabs, which aren’t constructed with the same safety, structural, and braking features that a golf cart has.
Prime Territory: Nashville & Other Medium Sized Cities
A company called Joyride in Nashville, TN has already enjoyed great success running micro-transit rides centered on the city’s bustling tourist industry. In their first year, they gave more than 320,000 rides.
These aren’t the only cities to dabble in micro-transit with golf carts, and you should expect other cities to see how the water feels, too. This is especially well-suited to medium-sized cities with reasonable population density. Columbus may have 860,000 people, but it’s spread out over more than 200 square miles. Nashville has 660,000 people spread out over 475 square miles.
They each have a population density under 4,000 per square mile. Compare this to New York’s 28,000, or San Francisco’s 18,000 per square mile and you can begin to get a sense of the cities where this works and where this doesn’t work.
An Industry to Watch
Keep an eye out for where micro-transit is being considered around you. We expect the industry should continue taking off in cities across the U.S. for several years. The companies that do this will have a unique need for a high number of road-built customized golf carts that get a lot of miles on them. A relationship with a micro-transit company is a relationship that can set a dealership up for years.
When you deal with one, they’ll expect quick response and expertise. Make sure you have a capable golf cart customization app to be able to serve them efficiently and communicate about customization with ease.