Jan 30, 2023
We surveyed our scooter riders to determine how many chose scooters over cars in 2022.
The survey was conducted between October and December 2022 in 17 countries and included ca. 7,000 participants.
Based on the results, we then estimated the CO2 emission avoided by shifting from cars to scooters.
A private car guarantees comfort and privacy when moving around. But it’s also guaranteed to sit idle 95% of the time.
And let’s not forget the costs, including insurance payments, fuel, maintenance, and parking fees for a vehicle used for about an hour a day.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 30% of car journeys in Europe cover distances of under 3 km, and 50% cover less than 5 km!
These short trips could be made via more sustainable means of transport, like electric scooters.
So there’s huge potential in shifting people from cars to shared mobility to make our cities less congested, noisy, and polluted.
The main objectives of the survey were to:
So, after each scooter ride, we asked riders if they chose a scooter instead of their private car and if they used it to connect to public transport.
We then translated the results of this survey into:
Bolt e-scooters help cities significantly reduce car use and avoid emissions, thereby contributing to cities’ objectives of improving sustainability.
Our calculations show that Bolt scooters helped replace more than 20 million car kilometres (private cars + taxi/ride-hailing) in 17 countries in 2022.
This means we helped avoid more than 2.4 million kg CO2–eq emissions.
Our goal is to help cities connect the areas where people live to where they work, shop, and study.
That’s why another objective of the survey was to check the percentage of Bolt scooter trips connected to public transport — to determine if customers use scooters as a first/last mile solution.
The results show that participants regularly combine scooters with public transport — almost 50% in Norway and Germany, and 23% in Denmark. On average, 38% of riders across 17 markets used a scooter to connect to public transport.
This data shows that we can encourage a positive mode shift and expand existing public transport networks by enabling accessible and flexible first-and-last-mile trips.
Shared micromobility can be an essential catalyst for behavioural change, impacting future decisions about mobility.
We conducted an experiment with the Institute of Transport Economics where users who requested a ride-hailing trip shorter than 3 km were encouraged to use a scooter.
Our experiment across 10 European cities showed that, if encouraged, 40–60% of Bolt app users (on average) would choose scooters over shared rides — especially for shorter distances.
Once people discovered the simplicity and convenience of using a scooter, they were more likely to continue to opt for one instead of a car in the future.
If you, too, are ready for a change and want to contribute to making your city cleaner and tidier, opt for a more sustainable transport option instead of using your car next time you need to go somewhere.
