The Bolt Four scooter. Image: Bolt
Having launched its taxi-hailing service here last December, Bolt plans roll out its e-scooters to the Irish public.
European mobility platform Bolt is hoping to launch 10,000 of its carbon-negative e-scooters in Ireland. The roll-out would lead to an estimated 130 new jobs, the company said, across charging, maintaining and distributing the scooters.
The Estonian start-up introduced its taxi-hailing app in Ireland last December. Now, the company plans for Irish customers to have access to an integrated “multi-modal transport platform”, giving them the choice between a car, an e-scooter and an e-bike.
Bolt has 50m customers in more than 40 countries and its e-scooters are currently available in 53 European cities. It plans to bring its e-scooters to more than 175 cities across Europe in 2021, with the aim of becoming the continent’s largest operator.
There is currently no legislation in place to allow and regulate for e-scooters on Irish roads, but plans to draft legislation were approved by the Government last month. Ahead of this expected legislative change, several European e-scooter companies have been preparing for an Irish launch, including Bleeper, Zipp Mobility, Zeus Scooters and Dott.
Multi-modal transport aim
Bolt aims to provide customers with a sustainable transport option and said that its scooters operate carbon negatively.
Its Bolt Four e-scooter was launched last December and has a maximum speed of 25kph, a 40km battery range and a five-year lifespan. It also has a low centre of gravity as well as in-built audio guidance, dual mechanical and electronic brakes, and sensors to detect and automatically report accidents or falls.
Luke Mackey, Ireland country manager for Bolt, said the company’s data suggests that offering micromobility services such as scooters alongside ride-hailing could “replace up to 11pc of car trips” under 3km.
“Integration with the wider public transport system would only increase the value-add to the public who can mix between cars, micromobility, rail and bus in one app,” he added.
“In the future, journeys can begin from the multi-modal Bolt app. Some trips make more sense on an e-scooter, some in a taxi. Bolt can combine them all, and you don’t have to use multiple apps for each service and type of vehicle. Once a person enters their destination in our app, we’ll recommend different ways to get there based on time, price or weather.”
