Segway-Ninebot expanding smart transport presence

Segway-Ninebot, a Chinese pioneer in the global short-distance transportation market, has unveiled its latest products to further expand its presence in areas including electric kickscooters, self-balancing scooters and robots.

"In 2015, we acquired Segway (a US company)," company chairman Gao Lufeng said. "[This] allowed us to operate our business with a global perspective and continue to promote our overseas operations. Now, we have more than 10 subsidiaries including in Europe and the Americas, forming a huge network of partners and distributors."

According to him, the company has focused on innovation and transformation in intelligent short-distance transportation and robots, and is looking to serve 1 billion consumers worldwide.

Gao said overseas revenue accounts for more than half of the company's overall figure.

Segway-Ninebot has established a presence in sectors including self-balancing scooters, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds and all-terrain vehicles. It is also exploring emerging businesses such as delivery robots and robotic lawnmowers.

The company said it has extensive partnerships with more than 1,000 overseas retailers and e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Costco, Walmart, Athena, Best Buy and Indiegogo.

So far, the company has sold over 4 million self-balancing scooters, and over 12 million units of electric scooters. Its smart lawnmowers have sold over 20,000 units within six months of launch.