Amsterdam-based SELANA, an e-mobility startup, announced on Thursday that it has introduced SELANA Alpha, the upcoming first legally approved E-step in the Netherlands.
SELANA Alpha, developed after five years of R&D, is scheduled for Q4 2024 launch. With this, the Dutch company aims to offer a safe, sustainable, and convenient alternative to cars in cities.
Birth of SELANA Alpha
Founded by Chingiskhan Kazakhstan and Max Schalow, SELANA is at the forefront of E-mobility innovation, producing and selling micromobility vehicles to B2B clients worldwide.
Talking about the motivation behind developing a legal e-scooter in the Netherlands to Silicon Canals, Chingiskhan Kazakhstan, CEO and co-founder of SELANA, says, ” Five years ago the E-scooter boom was happening in the US, and after we bought a couple ourselves, we loved it so much and believed that it’s the future of urban travel that can replace cars and make cities safer and cleaner. So we thought, why not bring them to the Netherlands? However, we found out they were illegal. Thought it might take a year at most, but it wasn’t that easy.”
With the Alpha, SELANA aims to redefine urban transportation, offering a convenient, safe, and sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles.
Challenges
As of today, no throttle E-steps are legally approved under Dutch road safety regulations. Over 200,000 illegal E-steps roam the Dutch streets, and police enforce a €400 fine and take away the illegal E-step.
Explaining the challenges, Kazakhstan adds, “Starting a startup as an international student in a university involves typical hurdles such as learning how to do it, making plans, raising funding during COVID, and dealing with stress. In addition to these challenges, there are numerous regulatory obstacles that a typical deep tech startup must overcome when developing hardware or software products, establishing quality systems, obtaining certifications, becoming a manufacturer, and passing tests. This has been the ongoing reality for the past five years, a time period during which most people would have given up.”
What makes SELANA Alpha special?
SELANA’s e-scooter comes with its legal status and advanced features:
Speed: Maximum 25 km/h, adhering to legal limits
Safety Features: Front and rear brakes, turning lights, and 10-inch air tyres
Smart Technology: NFC keycard unlocking and tracking capabilities
“We, as manufacturers, are listed alongside car manufacturers like Toyota and Tesla, so maintaining top-notch quality control is essential even as a startup. That’s why our product includes extra safety features and certified parts. For instance, due to a regulation change, we had to adjust the position of the front turning lights by a couple of centimetres. Due to this modification we created a completely new design and mold, resulting in significant expenses,” states Kazakhstan.
Priced at €1,900, the Alpha positions itself as an alternative to illegal E-steps and higher-priced competitors like the VanMoof S5 at €3,298.
“We tested it with any age, gender, and background, and with 0 experience, they tried it and loved it right away. This can increase inclusivity on the roads and provide a great convenient alternative to cars. It’s already proven itself in other countries, and the Netherlands with its bike lanes and culture, will be a perfect example to the rest of the world of how the future urban mobility should look like,” he adds.
SELANA is launching an exclusive pre-order campaign with a refundable €100 deposit. Through this pre-order campaign, customers can secure their place on the waitlist for the Alpha.
The Dutch company anticipates strong market reception, projecting sales of 10,000 units in 2025.
Moving forward
In terms of future plans, SELANA aims to expand by growing its partner dealer and service network.
“Introduce a more affordable version for the mass market, similar to Tesla’s strategy. Expand our offerings to meet actual needs, not just another electric car, but possibly something smaller,” he adds.
