Central Floridians soon may become familiar with micro-mobility solution firm Go X's new electric vehicle called the Dragon — which already has a presence in Daytona Beach.
The Central Florida firm, which has its primary home base distributing scooters and vehicles nationwide from Sanford and Holly Hill, debuted the new Dragon vehicle April 12.
The vehicle's roll-out is part of a larger test run program that started in 2023 with Dragon vehicles in Hawaii and Daytona Beach, where more than 300 drivers used the rental vehicles for short trips.
Now, the company plans to scale up its operations "with a goal of having a Dragon present at each of 450-plus business partners" from Florida to Hawaii by the end of 2024, said a news release. Brands mentioned in the release include Virgin Hotels, Hard Rock, Highgate Hotels, Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Joi de Vivre and Viceroy.
Here are more details on the Dragon vehicle:
- Reaches speeds up to 75 mph.
- Can travel more than 120 miles on a single charge. Nearby charging locations are identified by the Go X app when a vehicle is running low on energy.
- Pricing is based on usage and ranges from 50-88 cents per minute for short trips, to $30-$45 per hour or $90-$150 per day. Different pricing models are being tested and adjusted.
- The vehicles use Go X's mobile app to locate, reserve and unlock the vehicles.
- A valid driver's license and being at least 18 years old is required to rent and operate the vehicles. Also, the Dragon follows the same traffic rules and regulations as traditional vehicles.
- The vehicle currently is designed primarily for short trips within urban areas and rented on a per-trip basis. The company is exploring longer-term rental options.
Go X employs 50 people across its footprint from Hawaii to Florida — Central Florida is home to 27 Go X workers, CEO Alexander Debelov told Orlando Business Journal.
"Basically, our Orlando location is from where we coordinate launches all across the country. So, all of the scooters and vehicles come from our Central Florida address and get sent out all over the place: New Jersey, New Orleans, Clearwater, St. Pete, Sarasota, Las Vegas, Honolulu, etc.," he said.
Debelov said the company relocated from San Francisco to Florida in 2020/2021 to be closer to its partners and the state's tax advantages. Debelov is the only company representative based in California, solely to be close to San Francisco's tech scene that may assist the firm.
The company has tapped into venture funding from Silicon Valley firms such as Streamlined Ventures, 500 Global (previously 500 Startups) and others. The firm declined to disclose the amount of funding.
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