Sep 19, 2023
Some of the information presented here may now be outdated.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 Sustainability page.
European Mobility Week is a reminder to think about how sustainable mobility habits can make our cities more livable and people-centric.
Bolt contributes by providing convenient micromobility options that make changing habits more comfortable and painless — we’ll tell you how shortly.
First, let’s find out what European Mobility Week is all about.
European Mobility Week is an initiative to raise awareness of sustainable urban mobility in 3,000+ cities, bringing Europe closer to its 2050 climate neutrality goal.
Since the transport sector is one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions, this year’s Mobility Week explores ways to save energy — by replacing fossil fuels with greener options and, most importantly, switching to more sustainable modes of transport.
A recent study shows that 54% of short (under 300 km) European trips are taken in private cars.
The “under 300 km” part might sound a bit too vague. To make things clear, over 30% of European car journeys cover distances of under 3 km, and 50% cover less than 5 km!
With the average car occupancy below 2 passengers per car, these trips may easily be made by more sustainable transport options like public transport and shared micromobility.
At Bolt, we believe that convenient micromobilty options may change habitual behaviours and shape a more sustainable future for mobility.
To prove it, we ran an experiment with the Institute of Transport Economics in which we encouraged Bolt users who requested a ride under 3 km to use a scooter instead. On average, 40–60% of them preferred scooters.
Moreover, once they discovered how simple and convenient scooters can be, they were likely to continue choosing them instead of cars.
In 2022, we discovered that trips on Bolt scooters in 17 countries equalled 20 million car kilometres, which helped avoid 2.4 million kg of CO2 emissions.
On average, about 38% of riders in these countries used scooters to connect to public transport (almost 50% in Norway and Germany; 23% in Denmark).
Bolt’s micromobility services can integrate effectively with public transport, providing ‘first and last mile’ connectivity to enable more people to use these services.
The mode switch is already happening, with more people opting for greener transport options, including micromobility.
It’s now on us to ensure that the greener alternatives to private cars are sustainable and safe.
We’ve equipped the Bolt 6 with a 1.1 kWh high-range battery designed to resist vandalism and go up to 90 km on a single charge. Less frequent charges, fewer battery replacements, and reduced maintenance result in a smaller carbon footprint for the scooters.
With all the parts being replaceable, the Bolt 6 is easy to repair and maintain seamless operation throughout its impressive 8-year lifespan.
The technology-packed scooter generates warnings and automatically schedules the vehicle for maintenance, ensuring that it’s always in the best technical condition.
Thanks to Bolt’s Advanced Micromobility Intelligence System (AMIS), our new scooter accommodates a cutting-edge intelligent module with enhanced IoT, which includes security features for riders, pedestrian safety, and data protection.
Bolt’s on-street charging docks are a sustainable charging and sharing infrastructure for micromobility vehicles like scooters and e-bikes.
They serve both European Mobility Week goals:
In Tallinn alone, the 39 deployed docks help avoid the emissions of over 400 kg of CO2 per month.
Shared micromobility can turn a city from a huge car park into a comfortable urban environment that feels like home.
Like any real-world solution, it will take time. Unfortunately, there’s no magic switch to make traffic jams and pollution disappear at once.
You can make a difference! Advocate for your city, change your mobility habits, and choose what’s better for you and other people, not cars.
