Electric Snow Scooter Rental in Tyumen: Price and Performance Test
«Lord, they»re going to be here in winter too!« – that was the first reaction of Tyumen residents to the news that one of the electric scooter rental services is now offering a new device for the cold season. Yes, electric snow scooter rentals have appeared in Tyumen.
We decided to test the novelty: in practice, it turned out to be more of an entertainment device than a means of transportation. And an extremely expensive one at that. We«ll tell you how it all works, where you can rent a snow scooter, and how much it costs.
Fun in Strictly Designated Places
The «Kashalot» snow scooter (that«s what this thing is called) works on the same principle as scooters – you open the app, rent the one you need, and pay after use.
There are only a few places in the city where you can rent a snow scooter: Skazochny Boulevard in Patrusheva, walking areas in the «Evropeysky» and «Evropeysky Bereg» residential complexes, as well as Zarechny Park on Shcherbakova. There is also an available location in a residential complex near «City Mall,» but there are no snow scooters there. The rental area itself is also small. The most space is available in Zarechny Park.
That«s exactly where we conducted our testing. At that time, there were three »Kashalots« there. Rental happens instantly and without problems; there are no complaints here. A deposit of 250 rubles (about $3 at current rates) is held from the account – it will be returned later.
With a Breeze?
This thing is set up like this: in front, there«s a large plastic ski, with a place for feet, and in the back – something like a wide wheel with a tread so that the snow scooter doesn»t slip. Apparently, the drive and battery are located there at the back.
By feel, the snow scooter accelerates to 5–10 km/h. This is much slower than electric scooters. Children, especially younger ones, might like it – they are lighter than adults and smaller in size. However, the device definitely doesn«t qualify as a full-fledged means of transportation.
The «Kashalot» has very low passability – it goes relatively fast only on flat and cleared surfaces. Even 10 cm of snow is a serious challenge for the vehicle. There is no reverse – only «gas» and «stop» levers.
So, you can only ride with a breeze in one case – if there«s wind outside. But it»s great that the snow scooter is equipped with a flashlight so that it«s convenient to use in the evening.
Prices – a Nightmare
The rental time for the «Kashalot» was 9 minutes. During this time, the meter charged us 585 rubles (about $7) – at 65 rubles (about $0.70) per minute. We rode it for 200 meters; you can even see the journey map below.
There are also minute packages, which will be cheaper. Whether to use them or not – it«s up to you.
According to the service«s calculations, the battery in the snow scooter should last for 34 minutes. Possibly so, but in freezing conditions, it seems the battery will die sooner. At least, during 9 minutes of riding, we used up one charge division out of three.
By the way, to avoid damaging property and running into problems, you need to follow the conditions outlined in the rules of use. For example, drifting is allowed on the snow scooter. We, however, didn«t manage to do it; we tried. But what is not allowed:
crashing;
spinning in place;
holding gas and brake simultaneously;
driving into snowdrifts and fences;
riding with two or more people.
Whose Service?
The snow scooters are provided to the service by the company «Kashalot Sharing JSC» from Moscow. The company owns the scooter brand and trademark. The organization was created in September 2024, with Anton Elizarov listed as director.
According to available data provided by the legal entity in the same year, revenue amounted to 348 thousand rubles (about $3,900), and the company«s value – 123 thousand rubles (about $1,400). There is no profit yet, only losses. According to Rusprofile, they amounted to 1.9 million rubles (about $21,100).
Winter in Tyumen is usually famous for completely different entertainments. First of all, these are hot springs. Coincidentally, we are just doing reviews on them. We have visited:
at the recreation base «Sosnovy Bor»;
at the spring «Tyumensky»;
at the recreation base «SovetSKY»;
at the recently opened «Volna».
And in Tyumen, they also love extreme slides. We«ve been to two places where you can ride with a breeze: at the recreation bases »Borovoe« and »Akvamarin«. Click on the links to find out an objective opinion about these places with all the pros and cons.
