16 Oct 2020
Some of the information presented here may now be outdated. For the most up-to date information on sustainability at Bolt, please refer to our Green Plan page.
In our recent survey of 1800 UK Bolt riders, 50.38% of users said they’d choose a Bolt Scooter over a private-hire vehicle (PHV) for journeys under 5km.
Bolt is the only European mobility company that can actively provide both transportation options, side by side, in one application — and when we’re able to launch e-scooters in London, we’ll save 7 million ride-hailing journeys per year and a whopping 6.5 million KG of CO2 emissions. To put that in perspective, we’d be saving the total yearly CO2 emissions of 750 homes.
With Transport for London’s (TfL) official scooter trials approaching, we’re seeing a clear hunger for emissionless, two-wheeled journeys on Bolt Scooters.
And through Bolt, users have the added benefit of accessing ride-hailing and electric scooters within the same app, seamlessly. We’re the only operator in Europe that gives you the option to select multiple modes of transport in one app. This means we can — and do — proactively encourage riders to consider an emissionless scooter over private-hire cars. Whilst being more sustainable, they’re cheaper too!
Sustainable transport is high on the agenda for both the UN and the EU. The UN has singled out urban mobility as one of the world’s greatest challenges. And with transport making up 25% of global CO2 emissions, its detrimental impact on quality of life globally is more pressing than ever.
As part of our Bolt E-Scooter Sustainability Pledge, we’re committed to climate-positive e-scooter operations by the end of 2020. This means that we’ll remove more carbon from the atmosphere than the production and maintenance of our e-scooters adds to it.
The potential transition of 50% of London’s private hire journeys under 5km — as noted in the survey — would have a huge impact on air quality, CO2 emissions and congestion across London.
Here are just some of the ways our e-scooters are designed, built and maintained with sustainability in mind:
E-scooters do more than just reduce CO2 emissions and help protect the environment — they prevent the growing problem of congestion. Research found that UK road users lost 115 hours in congestion at a cost of £894 per driver and £6.9 billion in total.
In cities where Bolt Scooters are in action, we see approximately 70% of e-scooter rides used as part of daily commutes, while 40% end near public transportation stops. This indicates that riders use scooters regularly and as a last (or first) mile option that’s integrated with public transport options — reducing congestion as a result.
As we mentioned earlier, 50% of UK riders would choose an e-scooter for these shorter journeys. This shift represents a sustainable antidote to the global challenge of traffic volume, pollution and emissions.
Despite our users’ intent to switch to e-scooters, we recognise that not all journeys can — or should — be on two wheels. Whether it’s the ever-unpredictable UK weather (need we say more?) or the need for a longer ride across town, requesting a fast, affordable Bolt car ride is sometimes the better option.
That’s why we’ve also committed to neutralising the CO2 from all of our European car rides (5 million tonnes by 2025). This is part of our broader Green Plan that’s focused on reducing emissions and using renewable energy.
We look forward to continuing working with the authorities to bring emissionless scooter journeys to London — and getting close to that saving of 6.5 million KG of CO2 emissions!
But for now, remember that wherever you’re going throughout Europe, your journey with us will be carbon-neutral. Simply download the Bolt app, request a fast, affordable ride and leave the rest to us.
