Adding More Spark to Aussie Scooter Industry

By Scott Green | 17th August 2023 |

E-scooters on display in store — E-Ozzie has built a wide range of high-quality electric vehicles, including its own Veloz brand of e-scooters, e-trikes and cargo bikes, and is looking to partner with more Australian retailers. Photo credit for all images: E-Ozzie

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Melbourne academic and entrepreneur Aldo Vera gained rare insight to the state and needs of Australia’s e-scooter industry when he completed a business PhD in the electric vehicle sector several years ago.

His findings – and his experience as a recycling business owner in his native Chile – inspired Aldo and his wife, Cherie Fernandez, to start an e-scooter online sales business, E-Ozzie, in 2018.

He was still completing his Doctorate of International Business when Aldo and Cherie launched E-Ozzie to remedy what they perceived to be a shortage of quality electric scooters in this country and they were quickly rewarded with strong sales figures.

Spurred on by that success and the couple’s ongoing motivation to help the planet by increasing uptake of electric vehicles, E-Ozzie steadily grew to a become a broad solution for e-scooters. It set up a bricks and mortar store in the Melbourne suburb of Point Cook in 2019 and that, in turn, led to E-Ozzie becoming a rare provider of scooter servicing.

“We fitted our scooters with high-quality controllers, rock-solid folding mechanism in the bars and sturdier decks, so they can always be relied on to get riders to their destination.”

“A lot of importers didn’t want anything to do with servicing and repairs, but filling that gap really was our tool to success to drive sales and grow. Learning to do that servicing and repairs, and bringing other mechanics on board to help us, brought an immense response from customers,” he said.

It led to an urgent need to expand E-Ozzie’s floorspace – and it relocated to a 360m2 warehouse in Altona North – but it also convinced the company to establish its own brand, Veloz Light Electric Vehicles, in 2020.

E-Ozzie team members — Excellent customer service is also a central pillar for Aldo Vera (centre), Cherie Fernandez (second from right) and their small team at E-Ozzie, as they aim to raise the bar for the scooter sector.

The new brand was Aldo and Cherie’s chance to address the shortcomings they saw in many other brands in Australia.

“We focused on aesthetics because we wanted Veloz vehicles to be something owners loved to look at every day,” Aldo said.

“We fitted our scooters with high-quality controllers, rock-solid folding mechanism in the bars and sturdier decks, so they can always be relied on to get riders to their destination.

“We invested in premium motors, for the scooters and other vehicles, to ensure they delivered a stronger and smoother application of power.”

With all the Veloz models, Aldo says the number one priority is high-quality controllers.

Veloz electric cargo vehicle — The Veloz electric vehicle range also includes three front-loading cargo bikes, with the same emphasis on quality.

“It’s the brain of the scooter and our controllers have a much lower failure rate than other brands. Our X1, X2 and X10 models have not experienced a single controller failure,” he said.

“That reliability is boosted by the fact our scooter decks are covered by rubber on the underside, as well as on top, to further seal the deck and protect the electronics.

“The controllers on the new versions also come filled with silicon, for added waterproofing and protection against humidity.

“We are in contact with our manufacturers in Germany, Taiwan, Malasia and China almost every day to build on the development and quality of our scooters.”

All of that has been underpinned by another fundamental pillar of the brand, customer service.

As a result, Veloz sales soon outstripped E-Ozzie’s brands and the house brand expanded into road and offroad series.

Retailer Partnerships

That has taken E-Ozzie to the next stage of its development, with the company looking to partner with retailers to put Veloz scooters into more Australian stores.

“It always helps when customers can test the scooters and that is especially true with the price point and quality of Veloz,” Aldo said.

“We’re looking to have a physical presence in each of the major cities.”

The current Veloz models range from the $1,090 S10, with a 500W motor and 65km range, to the $3,990 G4 (4,200W peak power and 220km range) offroad model and the $5,350 G5 (5,000W and 240km range) hyper scooter with a highly distinctive design.

E-Ozzie motorbikes — E-Ozzie has added Denzel and Koltter electric motorcycles to its range, which are central to the company’s ambitions to partner with retailers in each major city.

“We have a couple of retailers selling Veloz, but we want customers around the country to experiences the power, suspension and general sensation of riding our scooters,” he explained.

“We’re looking to have a physical presence in each of the major cities.”

The Veloz range has also been expanded to include electric scooter trikes, with seat and cycleboard models and with a wide spectrum of designs to suit a range of customer needs.

“We believe in inclusiveness, so our products must be for everyone, from kids, adults and the elderly to people who have problems with balance,” he said.

“In that way, three-wheel scooters, bike trikes and cargo trikes can help just about everyone to leave the car in the garage and join the electric vehicle revolution.”

Above view of E-Ozzie warehouse interior — E-Ozzie’s expansion into professional and prompt scooter service played an important role in the company’s growing success and knowledge of the industry.

To round out its repertoire, E-Ozzie last year became an exclusive Australian distributor for two electric motorcycle brands, Denzel and Koltter.

“While the electrification of the car industry is underway, the solution for sustainable cities with successful transportation systems cannot be based almost exclusively on cars. It must be based on a range of affordable options, in various formats to suit people with different transportation needs,” he explained.

“One of our solutions is to provide road and off-road motorcycle solutions for under $10,000,” he said.

“The exception is the Kollter RS1, which is a bigger road bike with a range of 200km, and we’re currently getting certification for the RS1 so it is legal on Australian roads.

“We are looking for exclusive dealers in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney for these motorcycle brands.”

Scooter Mechanic Training

E-Ozzie is also preparing to launch its own e-scooter mechanic training course in late August or early September, to help raise the skills of mechanics throughout the sector.

“The training will provide the tools and knowledge for anyone to start a business as a scooter mechanic.”

The courses will be open to the industry and E-Ozzie is now calling for expressions of interests for mechanics to participate in a pilot course.

“We’re looking at having four participants in each course and we’re offering free places in the initial course to help trial and provide feedback on the program and course materials,” Aldo said.

“The training will provide the tools and knowledge for anyone to start a business as a scooter mechanic. That includes the skills to be a good business operator.

E-scooter mechanic training graduate — E-Ozzie mechanic Matias Casas (right), pictured with Aldo, and his colleague Christian Coombes were the first graduates of the new mechanic training course, as it progresses through its pilot stages.

“We strongly believe Australia is a country of opportunities – the America of the 21st Century, where virtually anyone can succeed in business, while contributing to the environment and local communities.”

The three-month training course will initially be conducted at the Altona North premises but E-Ozzie also has ambitions to provide the training online.

“Our goal is also to have the course as a certified accreditation, once we’ve refined the training,” he added.

“We are in discussion with TAFE in Victoria about opportunities with the training program and how we will offer the course to other businesses in the future.”

For more information about the Veloz products and the pilot mechanic training course, send an email to contact@eozzie.com.au or visit www.eozzie.com.au