Olivia Yau: Urban Machina Was Founded on the Need To Improve the Urban Commute

Urban Machina was founded on the need to improve the urban commute. Based in Vancouver, BC, we strive to make the “One-Car-Less” vision achievable by providing the public with eco-friendly, fun and alternative ways to commute.

Tell us about yourself?

My background was in the legal field. I tried an electric scooter for the first time during a trip to Singapore, and I was hooked! This was way before ride share electric scooters existed and I thought to myself these scooters would be perfect for Vancouver.

If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

Just go for it even if you don’t have all the answers. The minute you wait until you know everything, someone has beat you to it.

What problem does your business solve?

As population increases, so does the demand for transportation alternatives. Micromobility options will allow cities to continue to grow without impacting the mobility of residents.

What is the inspiration behind your business?

Electric scooters are not meant to replace traditional modes of transportation, but rather to supplement it. Not everyone can own a car or live near transit. Micromoibility vehicles like electric scooters give people options.

What is your magic sauce?

We are not selling a product, but a vision. By offering alternative transportation like electric scooters, we aim to encourage people to take “One-Car-Less” whenever possible. Not only does that mean less congestion, but going electric also means we can be one step closer to a zero emission community.

What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?

I hope that more people will shift to using micromobility and realize that these alternative modes of transportation can really improve your quality of life. We of course, will continue to provide the most innovative micromobility options to those who want to make that jump.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Biggest challenge is that every city in the world has a different stance on micromobility. Businesses like us can only advocate for it so much. The rest is up to the governing bodies.

How do people get involved/buy into your vision?

We have a lot of resources online about the micromobility options we offer. If you have any questions on what micromobilty is, and how it impacts you and your community, please reach out to us!