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SOUTH JORDAN — The debut of a new electric low-speed rideshare vehicle for the Daybreak community, which was set for Thursday, is now on hold after the initial vehicle was damaged in shipping, the company’s owner said.
KartsUT is set to be a first-in-Utah-type vehicle to allow people an eco-friendly option to ride around Daybreak. However, damage was found to the rear of its first vehicle, a 4-seat electric kart, when it was delivered Tuesday night. The damage was significant enough that it had to be returned to the manufacturer, said Julie Holbrook, the owner of the company.
“The driver (said) ‘oh, by the way, your vehicle is damaged’ and I’m going ‘oh great.’ It was a shipping company — the driver took an extra load, they smashed the back end of it, stuff like that,” she said. “It’s just one of those things that happen in business.”
An exact cost of the damage wasn’t immediately known.
“If it had been just the lower bumper he could have sent me the part, but it was up above the reflector and that’s the part that’s fiberglass that they have to fix,” Holbrook explained.
When it’s fixed and up and running, the service — a first of its kind in Utah — is similar to rideshare car apps like Lyft or Uber, but with an electric kart akin to a golf cart. People can book and pay for their ride online. Prices range from $5 for one ride to $55 for a commuter subscription.
There will be a four and six-seat vehicle option for people in the Daybreak community. The vehicles are street legal and travel as fast as 35 mph and low-speed vehicles can travel as fast as 25 mph, according to the company’s website.
It’s meant to be a first mile/last mile transportation service to connect TRAX with Daybreak community, Oquirrh Lake and other parks, as well as anything else in the community without adding to pollution, Holbrook said.
It’s not clear when the vehicle will make its official debut after the shipping incident, but Holbrook hopes she will be able to roll out the vehicle for use by the end of the month.
