We’re excited to announce that from 15 September, you can rent scooters through the Bolt app in Helsinki.

Shared mobility vehicles, like scooters, offer an alternative to private cars that produce less CO2 emissions and help reduce congestion.

Get to know Bolt’s scooters

Generally speaking, a scooter offers a great way to beat the traffic jams you’d experience while driving your car.

But scooters are more than just an efficient mode of transport — they’re sustainable, too. If you’re a spec-nerd, here are the details for you. Bolt scooters:

Have a lifespan of 60 months — much more than other scooters on the market;
Are the lightest on the market — weighing 17 kg, compared to an average of 25-34 kg of competing models;
Use 15% less energy to transport a person from point A to B;
Can travel at a maximum speed of 20 km/h;
Have a range of up to 40 km on a single charge;
Are 90% aluminium — meaning they’re 100% recyclable;
Are powered by in-house software and hardware, allowing us to repair and source 100% of scooter parts.

How to rent a Bolt scooter

To rent a Bolt scooter, download the Bolt app and go through the necessary steps to create an account. Once done, follow these easy steps:

Open the app;
Find the nearest scooter;
Reserve it for €0.10/min if you need time to reach it before someone else;
Unlock the scooter by scanning its QR code with your phone;
Start riding!

As an FYI, you’ll need to be at least 18 years of age to rent a scooter through the Bolt app.

How to ride a Bolt scooter

If you’re new to scooter riding, we recommend selecting Beginner Mode, which limits your maximum speed to 15 km/h. You can also check safety tips from the Safety Toolkit by tapping the green shield icon on the screen.

But to get you started, here are five important safety tips:

Obey traffic rules at all times;
Use bike lanes whenever possible;
Wear a helmet when riding;
Avoid tandem riding (only one rider per scooter);
Be careful when going uphill, and keep both hands on the handlebars.

You can always check our beginner-friendly guide, too.

Where to park your scooter

Poorly parked scooters can lead to accidents. And they’re an obstacle for wheelchair users and those with sight loss and/or reduced mobility.

To prevent accidents from happening, remember these parking rules:

Only park in the designated zones, as shown in the in-app map.
Lower the kickstand when parking to stop the scooter from falling over;
Park in a way that’s convenient for the next rider;
Don’t block entrances, pathways, or access points;
Always park on a flat surface.

Towards a more sustainable future

Scooters offer an environmentally friendly private car alternative as they help reduce congestion and create better living spaces in cities. When driving 45km, cars produce 18.90 pounds of carbon emissions per passenger. In comparison, an electric scooter emits 0.3 pounds of CO2.

In the EU, urban transport contributes to 23% of greenhouse gas emissions. Shared scooter services can help reduce 30 million tonnes of carbon emission by 2030 in Europe while also clearing 48,000 hectares of inner-city land — or the equivalent of four times the area of Paris (i.e. assuming that micromobility trips under 8 km make up 50% of trips).

And since cars take up much of the limited street space, it leads to excessive congestion. Currently, private cars, on average, have the highest space consumption per trip (189.66 m2/trip) and per kilometre travelled (24.35 m2/km).

Scooters, however, have proven to be a space-efficient transport method and can help relieve congestion. And, compared to cars, scooters can transport more people per unit of space. And they don’t require much room — one car parking space can hold up to 20 scooters.

People often face difficulty commuting to work as public transport stations aren’t close enough to their homes. Scooters can solve this ‘first and last mile problem’ and reduce car dependency. For example, someone can use a scooter to get to their local train station instead of taking their car. Or they might finish the last part of their commute by scooting from a bus stop to their office.

Since scooters are typically used for 3–5 km trips, they can reduce traffic congestion and decrease vehicle emissions by replacing shorter car trips. Micromobility has replaced 49% of car trips in Santa Monica, and 29% of people use it for short work-related trips. While in Portland, 34% of locals said they replaced their private cars with scooters.

And when allocating space to micromoblity, safety for riders and pedestrians becomes equally important.

Making micromobility safe

As scooters gain popularity, riding safety knowledge has improved — but it’s still not perfect.

And that’s why we created the Safety Toolkit featuring beginner tips. Additionally, our in-app safety features identify unsafe riding and warn riders about potential dangers. Features include:

Tandem riding prevention

Only one person should ride a scooter at once. If a scooter detects a sudden weight change, it alerts the rider about the potential dangers of tandem riding.

Intoxicated riding prevention

Riding under the influence is illegal and dangerous. This feature prompts users to take a quick reaction test during peak intoxicated ride times. The app then encourages them to book a Bolt ride if they fail the test.

Skid detection

Tyre skidding is hazardous for riders and pedestrians. Riders should be careful when making a sharp turn, braking, or riding at a high speed. This feature alerts riders via the app when a scooter’s rear wheel locks up due to rapid braking.

Scooter safety is a constant work in progress and is something we take incredibly seriously. We’re partnering closely with the cities we have scooters in to ensure that all members of society — riders and other road users — are safe.

Ready to scoot, Helsinki?

Ready to be a ‘scooting’ star while also saving the environment? Simply tap below to download the app and get going. Have fun!

Bolt launches scooter services in Helsinki

Rent a scooter! Choose Bolt!

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