The Day Scooters Learned to Drive: Go X Makes History in Georgia

Go X

24 Sep 2025 — 4 min read

The World's First Self-Driving Scooter Fleet Goes Live

Before the Fast Company award. Before expanding to 15 cities. Before 350+ business partnerships. There was a moment in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, when Go X changed the game forever.

On May 20, 2020, while the world was grappling with a pandemic, we quietly launched something that had never existed before: the world's first fleet of self-driving scooters available to the public.

Not a concept. Not a demo. Real scooters, driving themselves on real streets, serving real riders.

Go X Apollo - World's First Self Driving Scooters

The Problem Everyone Said Couldn't Be Solved

Picture any major city in 2020: Sidewalks littered with abandoned scooters. Bird and Lime vehicles tipped over, blocking wheelchair ramps. Cities banning scooters left and right. The micro-mobility revolution was becoming a micro-mobility disaster.

Forbes asked the million-dollar question: "Can Self-Driving Scooters End Sidewalk Clutter?"

We didn't just answer. We proved it.

The Partnership That Changed Everything

Teaming up with Tortoise and launching at Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners – America's first true smart city ecosystem – we created something revolutionary:

The "Hail My Scooter" Experience:

Open the Go X app
Request a scooter
Watch it drive itself to you
Ride to your destination
Walk away
The scooter drives itself back to base

The City That Said "Yes" to the Future

While other cities were banning scooters, Peachtree Corners did something extraordinary: They passed an ordinance mandating that all shared micromobility devices be capable of automated repositioning.

Think about that. They didn't just allow self-driving scooters. They required them.

City Manager Brian Johnson explained: "An important goal for us was to ensure that residents can enjoy the convenience of using e-scooters, while creating a world first in efficient, organized and advanced micromobility – right here in Peachtree Corners."

The Tech That Made Magic Happen

This wasn't pure autonomy – it was something smarter. Using teleoperation technology, Tortoise's remote operators could guide scooters safely through complex situations while the scooters handled basic navigation themselves.

The scooters featured:

Training wheel-style outriggers for stability when self-driving
Wheels that folded forward when a rider took control
5G connectivity for instant response
Real-time remote monitoring
COVID-19 disinfection after each return

AutoEvolution called it "World's Only Fleet of Self-Driving Scooters." VentureBeat saw it as testing "micromobility's future." Even News for Kids covered it, asking "For Real? Remote-Control Scooters?"

Yes. For real.

Perfect Timing in an Imperfect World

Launching during COVID-19 wasn't planned, but it proved essential. While public transit felt risky and rideshares meant sharing air with strangers, Go X offered something unique:

86% week-over-week growth for six straight weeks
Scooters disinfected after every single ride
COVID-19 health checks for all employees
Stickers showing each scooter was sanitized
Zero-contact transportation

As our CEO Alexander Debelov said: "I am excited that we get to introduce the safest transportation solution for the post-COVID-19 world. While we made getting a scooter as magical and easy as ordering an Uber or Lyft car, we also went above and beyond to make sure that our vehicles provide the most virus-free ride out there."

The Global Media Frenzy

The world took notice:

Forbes explored if this could end sidewalk clutter forever
VentureBeat called it the future of micromobility
311institute dubbed it "dubiously" revolutionary (we'll take it!)
Electric Motor News covered it internationally

The consensus? This wasn't just an improvement. It was a paradigm shift.

From Georgia Pilot to Global Revolution

That 6-month pilot in Peachtree Corners wasn't just a test – it was a proof of concept that would reshape our entire company:

It evolved into our Apollo program that won Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Award
It proved cities would embrace smart scooter solutions
It demonstrated that technology could solve micro-mobility's biggest problems
It set the stage for our nationwide expansion

Today, when you see a Go X scooter perfectly parked at a partner location, you're seeing the legacy of that Georgia pilot. When cities welcome us instead of banning us, it's because we proved scooters don't have to be a problem.

The Lesson From Peachtree Corners

While competitors were fighting city halls, we were partnering with a smart city. While they were collecting scattered scooters with gas-powered vans, we were teaching scooters to park themselves. While they were part of the problem, we were becoming the solution.

Dmitry Shevelenko from Tortoise said it best: "Smart city technology like Tortoise's automated repositioning service is designed to make cities cleaner, safer and more sustainable for everyday citizens."

That's not just marketing speak. That's exactly what happened.

The Future Started in Georgia

Looking back, May 20, 2020, wasn't just the launch of self-driving scooters. It was the beginning of a new relationship between technology and cities. It was proof that innovation doesn't have to disrupt – it can enhance.

From that first fleet of teleoperated scooters in Peachtree Corners to today's nationwide network, one thing remains constant: We don't just deploy technology. We solve problems.

The world's first self-driving scooter fleet wasn't just a technological achievement. It was a promise kept – to cities, to riders, and to the future of urban mobility.

Experience the evolution of that world-first technology: Download the Go X app