Category: #escooters

60% of short taxi trips could be replaced by an electric scooter

Bolt, the largest scooter operator in Europe, and the Institute of Transport Economics, TOI, have shown that in-app encouragement will cause up to 60% of users to shift from ride-hailing to scooters for shorter trips. A shift in mobility habits was observed for long-term app usage as well. In Oslo and Lisbon, users performed additional scooter searches for similar trips after the initial encouragement was performed in-app.

Last year, Bolt ran a pilot program aiming to switch shorter ride-hailing trips to scooter trips. During this modal shift study, randomly selected groups of Bolt customers from 10 European cities have received in-app encouragement to switch from ride-hailing to a scooter for trips shorter than three kilometers. Groups actively encouraged were compared to groups that didn’t receive the encouragement, which allowed scientists to measure the shift in mobility habits.

The data resulting from the three waves of piloting was then independently analyzed by the Institute of Transport Economics, TØI, in Oslo, Norway. According to the final results, up to 60% of users on average shifted from a ride hail to a scooter for short trips if the scooter was 300 meters away or closer.

The implications of the findings are considerable. In Europe, most car trips are less than five kilometers long. Around 25% of Bolt car-hailing trips globally are shorter than three kilometers. This means that encouraging users to adapt their shared mobility option to their trip distance has a considerable impact on the environment. According to Bolt’s data, a scooter’s CO2 emissions are on average three times lower than a car’s CO2 emissions.

Martin Villig, Co-Founder of Bolt said: “Bolt is on a mission to advocate for better cities built around people. Encouraging customers to use scooters to replace personal vehicles and short car trips is part of that mission. We are constantly working with cities to make sure our scooters fit in the urban transportation ecosystem. The report we are launching today confirms that our app is the ideal tool to help build more sustainable commuting habits because customers can be encouraged to shift from cars to scooters, according to the distance they travel. This can significantly reduce pollution but also help manage urban congestion.”

The most successful findings come from cities where there is a high availability of shared scooters. In Lisbon, for example, in-app encouragement led to a 210% increase of users opting for a scooter instead of a shared car ride.

Significant results were also observed in the Scandinavian markets: Stockholm (up to 40% bigger chances of the customer opting for micromobility), Gothenburg (54%), Oslo (42%). In Krakow, the encouragement increased the probability of using a scooter up to 68% and in Madrid 41%.

Bjørn Gjerde Johansen, Chief Research Economist at the research area Economic Models at the Institute of Transport Economics, TØI said: “TØI carries out research aiming to advise authorities, the transport industry and the public at large. This report analyses data from an experiment in which Bolt`s app-users were encouraged to switch from ride hailing to e-scooters. We found the share of users choosing e-scooters to be higher in virtually all experiments and the results demonstrate that encouraging users through changing information in multimodal interfaces can be an effective way of switching users away from cars, at no cost to the user.” 

 

Aisling Dunne, Head of Public Policy for Ireland, said: “This research is aimed at advising authorities, the transport industry and the public at large. It shows that multi-modal platforms have the power to nudge people towards more sustainable and appropriate modes of transport, depending on their needs. For short journeys, where there are alternatives, we now unequivocally see that users will make the switch. As local authorities across Ireland consider the best way to meet our ambitious Climate Action Plan targets, this research shows them the potential for shared mobility services to really shift users’ behaviour.”

Bolt and the Institute of Transport Economics will continue to work together on a modal shift program aimed at improving mobility habits for cities.

This project is aligned to the approach of the new European Urban Mobility Framework released in December 2021. The framework considers new mobility services as part of a multimodal, integrated approach to sustainable urban mobility, reinforcing public transport and substituting car use. By working to build a modal shift program, Bolt is contri

Survey suggests that e-scooters could bring economic uplift, including potential business boost in Ireland at Christmas, in addition to environmental benefits

Following the passing of preliminary legislation by the Dáil that will allow for the use of e-scooters on public roads in Ireland, e-scooter company, Spin – a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company – carried out a survey* of Irish adults to gauge their attitudes towards this new mode of transport and specifically how small businesses in urban areas would benefit from it, including during the crucial Christmas sales period.

One in six (16 percent) said that e-scooters could have the potential to provide a significant boost for small businesses, such as cafes and bookshops, by bringing more customers to their premises. During busy retail periods, like Christmas, such benefits would be expected to further increase.

Availability of rental e-scooters in towns and cities in Ireland would enable people to get out and about more frequently, likely resulting in higher consumer spending. More than a third (36 percent) of respondents said they would consider visiting local shops, restaurants, cafes and other outlets more frequently to make a purchase of goods or services if an e-scooter scheme was available in their area.

The survey also showed clear environmental benefits resulting from an expected mode-shift.  More than a third of respondents (36 percent) said they would consider or strongly consider using an e-scooter sharing scheme, rather than a car, for travelling to their main urban centre for Christmas shopping for small items or for socialising with friends or work colleagues during the festive period. Nearly half of Irish people (45 percent) believe that e-scooters can help reduce the number of cars in city centres, particularly at busy times like Christmas, further suggesting that Irish people recognise the environmental benefits of e-scooters.

Steve Pyer, Spin Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “We know that the introduction of e-scooters has a positive economic impact for local enterprises, in particular small businesses in the food and beverage industry. For example, a recent study by Emory University in the US** showed that local economies experienced a significant boost from shared e-scooter systems due to an estimated $13.8 million in additional sales in four city locations across the US over six months in 2019.  This is in fact one of the priority research areas that we’ll be looking closely at next year in Ireland when we launch e-scooter rentals”. 

“Our survey further underpins that there is a huge potential for urban centres across Ireland too when e-scooter rentals launch. Whether it’s Christmas or just a nice spring day, it’s clear that micromobility can provide a significant boost to small businesses like cafés, restaurants and shops by increasing the number of potential customers for these businesses.  Hopefully very soon the Irish consumer will be able to roll up with a Spin e-scooter to get their hair cut at the local barber’s or attend their favourite yoga class at their neighbourhood studio, promoting less congested roads and ultimately, cleaner air ”.

Given the recent approval of legislation by the Dáil, it is expected that during 2022, we will see the launch of e-scooter sharing schemes in many towns and cities across Ireland – similar to the bike sharing schemes that are already running in cities across the country.

*The Spin survey was carried out among a sample of 1,000 people across Ireland during the last week of November 2021

**Wheels to Meals: Measuring the Impact of Micromobility on Local Food Sector Demand, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, US.

Zipp Mobility on Government’s Publication of Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD have today announced the publication of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021. The wide-ranging bill set-outs to deliver on key legislative commitments in the Programme for Government, including the creation of a new class of powered personal transporters (PPTs), including e-scooters, and that the Minister will be able to provide for the use of these vehicles in public places under existing regulatory powers.

Charlie Gleeson, CEO and Founder of Zipp Mobility, the Irish micromobility operator headquartered at NovaUCD said, “We welcome today’s announcement by Ministers Ryan and Naughton of the publication of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 which will be introduced into the Dáil in the coming weeks. This is an exciting and long-awaited development which will allow for the regulation of e-scooters and also e-bikes in Ireland.”

“Zipp is currently operating scooter-sharing services in several cities across the UK and Poland and we’re looking forward to introducing our ‘mobility done right’ e-scooter service across Ireland once the new Bill passes into law. Zipp was founded with the objective of bringing sustainable scooter-sharing services to Ireland and we are delighted that we are one step closer to doing this.”

Since its establishment in 2019, Zipp has raised €2.1 million in funding and become a significant player in the European scooter-sharing market with operations in the UK and Poland. The company plans to launch in several Irish cities including Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford once the new Bill is passed into law and the company is also planning to begin operations in Portugal and Spain in early 2022.

Zipp Mobility is Ireland’s leading micromobility provider bringing a more sustainable scooter sharing model to cities in the UK, Ireland and further afield. www.zippmobility.com

Spin welcomes Irish government decision to legalise e-scooters #escooters

Commenting on the Irish government’s decision to legalise the use of e-scooters on public roads today, Steve Pyer, UK & Ireland Country Manager at Spin, said: “We welcome the government’s decision to make e-scooters legal for use in Ireland.  Responsible e-scooter programme operators like Spin have shown how e-scooter sharing schemes can be run in a way that promotes safe and responsible use that respects the needs of all road users.  With experience of running such projects across the US, the UK and Europe, Spin is ready to help people in towns and cities across Ireland to learn how e-scooter use can bring benefits for them and for the economy in their own localities”.

“Just last month, we organised e-scooter safety demonstration events in both Dublin and Cork where we showed how the latest e-scooter models can be set to sound an alarm once they are illegally ridden on a foot path.  The same technology also encourages users to make sure that they park a scooter in a designated area, again through to the use of an audible alarm that sounds until the scooter is parked where it should be”.

“The great opportunity for the roll out of e-scooter services in Ireland is that the authorities here can learn from the best practices in running such services in cities and university campuses across the globe.  We look forward to working with our partners in Ireland on bringing the benefits of e-scooter use to as many people as possible across the country”.

Voi welcomes publication of landmark legislation that will allow for e-scooters in Ireland

VOI Technology, the Swedish urban-mobility company and European market leader, has welcomed the publication today of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD.

E-scooters – a new class of powered personal transporters (PPTs), including e-scooters, will be created, and the Minister will be able to provide for the use of these vehicles in public places under existing regulatory powers.

The company said the move, and the resulting passage of the legislation, has the potential to revolutionise how people get around Irish towns and cities, reducing congestion and helping tackle emissions.

Richard Corbett, Vice President, Market Development with Voi

Richard Corbett, Vice President, Market Development with Voi said;

“Ireland is one of the few European countries yet to develop micro-mobility options like e-scooters and e-bikes. As market leaders, we know the huge benefits their development can bring- fewer car journeys, less congestion, cleaner air and better functioning towns and cities.

“Our number one priority is safety, and we look forward to working with local authorities throughout Ireland as they roll out their shared e-scooters across Ireland in the coming months once the legislation has been approved by the Oireachtas”.

 

Superpedestrian launches the ‘world’s safest and smartest escooters’ into Bordeaux as it expands into France as its sixth European market

Superpedestrian has launched a fleet of LINK shared e-scooters in Bordeaux. The forward-looking French city takes a pioneering approach to shared micromobility and is a fitting new home for the high-tech vehicle that has been labelled “the Volvo of e-scooters” (Boston Globe). 

Superpedestrian rolled out 100 of its LINK e-scooters this week; the city permit limits all shared e-scooter operators to a maximum of 100 vehicles. 

All riders will enjoy free unlocks until 30 October 2021. During the same period, when a rider loads €15 to their in-app wallet, Superpedestrian will contribute €30 – tripling a rider’s original contribution. (When a rider loads €5, Superpedestrian adds €5; when a rider loads €10, Superpedestrian adds €15.)  The standard per-minute ride fee is just €0.20. 

The Superpedestrian service is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. To rent a scooter, riders simply need to search for Superpedestrian’s LINK app in the Google or Apple app stores.

“I’m delighted to bring Superpedestrian’s superior technology and service to the citizens of Bordeaux,” comments Haya Verwoord Douidri, VP (strategy, policy and market expansion) at Superpedestrian. “We opened our first shared fleet in Europe just 12 months ago. Bordeaux marks our sixth country in Europe and our 32nd city on the Continent. It’s been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to serving French cities with our safe, accessible and sustainable service.”

 

Electrified operations and world-first safety features

Superpedestrian manages its Bordeaux fleet using 100% electric vans, across a deployment area of approximately 30sq km. This helps minimise environmental impact, which is important to Superpedestrian as a company that was certified as 100% carbon neutral earlier this year.

Superpedestrian is the company behind Pedestrian Defense, a novel technology unveiled in July 2021 that is the first in the world to prevent footpath riding by scooter riders in real-time, rather than just detect it. The system is currently undergoing road-testing across North America and Europe and will arrive in France in 2022. 

LINK already features Superpedestrian’s patented Vehicle Intelligence (VI) system. This network of sensors, microprocessors and AI runs 1,000 vehicle health checks every second during a ride, modifies performance to avoid component failures (such as battery fires), notifies operations teams immediately if it is not upright (tip-over detection) and removes itself from service if it detects any one of 140 safety-critical conditions (including issues with electronics, battery, motor and brakes). 

Simply put, VI is like having a full-scooter x-ray continuously, every time you go for a ride. This sets a new benchmark when it comes to shared mobility standards, and is as big a step forward in scooter safety as the seat belt was for cars. 

Five reasons why Superpedestrian is great news for Bordeaux

 

  1. Fully carbon neutral. Every journey that Bordeaux riders choose to make on LINK scooters instead of using a car is one that helps combat the climate crisis. Because we design, engineer and manufacture our own vehicles, we minimise CO2 at every stage. 
  2. Affordable for all. We are the first in our sector to truly promote accessibility programs. For example, in 2021 the Seattle Department of Transport reported that 15% of trips on LINK scooters start or end in low-income communities – 10 times the next nearest provider.
  3. Efficiency at heart. We designed the industry’s first onboard, AI-based predictive maintenance system. This reduces repairs, cuts waste, extends service life and increases fleet availability. Better maintenance efficiency is better for the planet.
  4. Protecting public spaces. LINK is unique in its ability to store geofence maps and commands onboard the scooter itself. With 24,000 discrete map zones and an enforcement time of just 0.7s, LINK protects pedestrians and riders alike. 
  5. Wireless updates. Just like a Tesla car, LINK features an operating system that is updated remotely over-the-air. Each update brings better range, performance and safety features. Because LINK gets smarter and safer with age, Bordeaux will never have to wait for upgrades.

 

And four reasons why Bordeaux residents will love riding LINK scooters 

 

  1. A superior ride. The LINK scooter is 20% wider and 9% longer than the industry average, with wider handlebars and robust suspension. This gives riders a far more stable riding experience, just as a downhill skier selects longer skis for more predictable handling. 
  2. Long-range batteries. LINK scooters feature a 98km range battery, three times the industry average. This is perfect for commuters and shoppers, as well as the day trippers and tourists. 
  3. High visibility in all weather. Super-bright LED lights front and rear that are always on, a rear light that brightens during braking, a unique LED ring light information system on the handlebar and safety-yellow paint scheme help make LINK riders clearly visible, any time of day or night.
  4. Sealed, secure, safe. Guarding against catastrophic battery failures is important in a city with  major waterways. Our battery is triple-sealed to protect against inclement weather, vandals and water immersion – and VI automatically shuts down all circuits in five nanoseconds if water immersion is detected. 

FREE NOW joins forces with TIER in DCU e-scooter trial rollout

Ireland’s leading ride-hailing app now enabling e-scooter bookings as part of country’s first trial run by Europe’s number one micro-mobility operator

Leading ride-hailing app FREE NOW has partnered with leading micro-mobility provider TIER Mobility to support the rollout of Ireland’s first e-scooter trial across five DCU campuses. As part of the trial which is running until early 2022, passengers can now book e-scooters from the TIER fleet based at DCU via the FREE NOW app.

The e-scooter trial began in July with the goal of improving safety for e-scooter users and pedestrians, as well as providing city authorities with valuable data and insights to facilitate safe e-scooter use once government legislation passes in Ireland. FREE NOW’s involvement in the scheme will encourage continued learnings, modal shift and participation among passengers – enabling students and staff to trial the e-scooters over the coming months via FREE NOW’s app integration.

New nationally representative data from FREE NOW highlights the need for more sustainable and multi-modal transport options like e-scooters in Ireland, with 75% of people stating that Ireland lags behind other European countries when it comes to sustainable transport options. Furthermore, 12% of people would actually consider selling their private cars in favour of more sustainable options like e-scooters once legislation on their use comes into full effect.

FREE NOW’s partnership with TIER in the DCU pilot is an extension of its pan-European partnership with the micro-mobility operator which has been rolled out across five countries (Germany, France, UK, Poland & Austria) since March 2021 – making TIER e-scooters widely available to passengers via the FREE NOW app. Recognised for its sector leadership in safety and sustainability, TIER is Europe’s number one e-scooter operator, serving over 130 cities including London, Paris, Berlin and Dubai. This partnership is part of FREE NOW’s commitment to sustainable mobility and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.

Commenting on the DCU pilot partnership, Niall Carson General Manager of FREE NOW Ireland said: “We are delighted to partner with TIER and support the continued rollout of Ireland’s first e-scooter pilot scheme over the coming months across DCU campuses. This scheme will positively contribute to the safety standards for e-scooter usage in Ireland and we hope it will support the government’s rollout of legislation in the coming months – enabling people across the country to avail of safe, sustainable and convenient micro-mobility rental.”

Fred Jones, Northern Europe General Manager of TIER, added: “Our research trial at DCU brings TIER together with a range of brilliant partners to ensure Ireland’s first e-scooter scheme is not only a success but a valuable learning opportunity for cities exploring the future of micro-mobility. By adding the trusted and popular FREE NOW app to that mix we can take the trial multimodal and generate more compelling insights.”

Wind Mobility launches in Ireland we check out their e-scooter. #WindMobility #escooters #Mobility

Wind Mobility is a new e-scooter entrance to the Irish market and a welcome addition too and we tested out their #escooter The Wind 3.0 and met up with up Felix Eggert who told us about the plans and the e-scooter itself and one thing to note that stood out to me was it is made in house, down to the last bolt which means stealing one is pointless or stealing a part off one too.

At first this machine is heavier than most and bigger which does make it last and from testing it I like this approach however you are restricted to where you can bring it which again another point to note is that from testing in the UK Felix told me people have tried to bring them on public transport such as trains but this will in fact disable them. They have a very inclusive app and everything can be monitored and geo-fencing is an important feature and zones where they are not supposed to be used are also in place so overall a really good product here with great app features which we will see more in detail in the coming weeks and we get a full long term review of the e-scooter, as mentioned we spent a morning with the Wind 3.0 to check it out and I have made a quick assessment of my time with it..

Who is Wind

Wind Mobility, a micromobility sharing company, and we turn regular travel into safe moments that leave a lasting smile on your face.

They offer convenient, affordable, and easy-to-use access to short distance transportation in urban areas. With their eco-conscious and sustainable e-scooter, they aim to make cities more livable by reducing congestion, as well as noise and carbon emissions.

Born in Germany in 2017 as Byke Mobility GmbH offering bike rental services in European cities, in 2018 Wind launched an e-scooter sharing on a global scope.

 

 

The Wind 3.0

SPEED LIMIT: capped at 25km/h, possibility to automatically reduce speed in the busiest pedestrian areas

WEIGHT: 29.6 kg (higher weight makes for safer and more comfortable riding on bumpy roads)

RANGE: up to 80km range, fully GPS tracked, automatic updates for all major settings, IoT hardwired into mainboard

BRAKES: two independent physical & electric brakes. The braking distance is 3.5 meters in dry weather for a speed of 25km/h vs. 5-7 meters for other scooters on the market. The electronic brake force distribution system allows to automatically balance the load on two wheels in the event of sudden stops, thus limiting the risk of projection towards the front.

TYRES: Non-inflated double-layered foam-filled tyres (No risk of burst tyres; WIND 3.0 tyres are larger than comparable scooters in the industry, which increases comfort and safety)

BATTERY LIFE: 3+ days – fully swappable battery – serviced by electric cargo-bike. The Lithium-ion batteries are certified by the independent German technical inspection body TÜV SUD and comply with international standards

PREVENT CLUTTERED PAVEMENTS Wind scooters are the only shared electric scooters equipped with a robust double stand, which ensures the stability of parked vehicles and prevents them from falling easily and cluttering streets. Sensors in our scooter automatically notify our teams when the scooter has tipped over..

Safety Features

bright yellow colour for easy visibility
retro-reflective devices
bright front & rear lights (automatically
activated day & night)
horn with 110 decibel sound
wider non-slip platform
alarm & anti-theft features
built-in hand sanitiser
integrated helmet

 

 

Playing by the rules

Here is the problem which is still an ongoing issue with escooters in Ireland and they still continue to drag their heels on the laws, mostly the Gardai throw a blind eye which is obvious from the visible amount of these on the streets and as an escooter owner myself I have never been stopped or approached but still feel the threat anytime I do go out on mine. Wind have their own policy set out below but yet like us all still waiting for some kind of solid legislation from our government..

Our geolocation system allows the definition of our operating area and of no-riding zones such as parks or pedestrian areas. The GPS system indicates the position of our vehicles with a maximum margin of error of less than 5 meters. Our teams on the ground ensure that vehicles are not parked in scooter-free zones and will quickly remove scooters from those areas if parked incorrectly. Our app will prevent users from parking scooters and finishing their ride when outside the operating area. If scooters are removed, users will be subject to a fine and WIND reserves the right to suspend a user if scooters are mishandled or repeatedly parked in scooter-free zones. We can quickly adapt and configure our tools to comply with
regulatory demands and flexibly respond to any restrictions imposed by city authorities. Our geofencing technology allows the flexible modification of the area of operation. Within 30 minutes, our teams can integrate no-riding zones and reduced speed areas.

For more on the company see wind.co 

See the video below for a tour of the Wind 3.0

 

 

 

Voi launches world-first large scale e-scooter trial of computer vision technology #escooter #micromobility #Voi

Voi, Europe’s largest shared e-scooter operator, today launches the world’s first large scale pilot of computer vision on e-scooters, installing AI technology that can detect when an e-scooter leaves the road and rides on a pavement, or when the vehicle is parked incorrectly. The technology could also detect if an e-scooter is standing up and parked in a rack, thereby helping to alleviate parking issues.

Voi, which hopes to operate in Ireland when regulations allowing for the safe use of e-scooters and the development of shared escooter schemes is passed later this year, is working with Irish micromobility startup Luna, whose technology offers real-time lane segmentation and pedestrian detection for scooters, similar to that available in high-end cars.

Voi e-scooters fitted with the new technology were tested on Stockholm streets today in advance of deployment in Northampton later this month, to demonstrate the potential of the technology which will increase the safety of e-scooters by fixing the problem of pavement riding. The technology will also provide tools to identify problem areas and adapt infrastructure for micromobility, by conveying real-time data about how the vehicles are being used.

The ‘smart camera’ hardware and electronics have been honed by Luna and Voi over the last 6 months, to integrate with the latest Voi vehicles, while the computer vision algorithms have been trained extensively using hours of video footage from Northampton.

The first pilot will begin this month in Northampton in the UK, where Voi has an exclusive licence to operate as part of the British government’s national trial of e-scooters, which started last year and runs until spring 2022.

Two phase pilot

Voi will initially install cameras on a number of e-scooters in Northampton for a two-phase pilot starting in July. In the first phase, a controlled user group will road test the computer vision technology to collect real-time visual information on the environment the e-scooter is travelling through, as well as detecting pedestrians in the path of the e-scooter. The technology will also be able to detect the surface that an e-scooter is being ridden on, such as a bike lane, pavement, or roadway, and alert the rider accordingly with an audible alarm if they are riding on the footpath.

In the second phase of the trial later in the summer, about 100 cameras will be installed on the publicly available scooter fleet in Northampton. As well as the audible alert, this phase of the pilot will explore the potential to automatically slow scooters if inappropriate riding is detected on footpaths or in heavily pedestrianised areas.

 

Data from the pilot will be shared with the council so that it can collect a detailed record of how and where the e-scooters are being ridden, helping Voi to correct bad behaviour and enabling the city to have data driven insights into e-scooter use and the interactions with other modes of transport and pedestrians. By 2022, Luna expects to be able to integrate its camera technology directly into the stem or handlebars of the e-scooters for rent.

Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and CEO of Voi Technology, said: “With computer vision e-scooters can be trained to see and recognise situations that are hazardous. This world-first pilot will set new standards of safety for this new form of transport. Having helped riders to take more than 60 million rides across Europe we understand deeply the issues involved in e-scooter safety and are always looking for ways to do better. We are very proud to be the first e-scooter operator to incorporate the computer vision technology at scale for the benefit of our riders, pedestrians and authorities and as we hope to expand our award-winning fleet into Ireland are delighted to be collaborating with the team in Luna on this important pilot.”

Andrew Fleury, co-founder & CEO, Luna, said: “With this trial, we look forward to demonstrating how computer vision equipped e-scooters can make a verifiable difference to rider compliance and sidewalk riding behaviour in cities. We’ve noticed cities across the world requesting technological solutions to challenges like pavement riding and it’s fantastic to be working with such a safety conscious operator like Voi, in order to develop market ready solutions. The value of the smart city data that can be generated by vision equipped scooters is only beginning to be understood by micromobility stakeholders, and we’re excited to be exploring these early use cases with Voi.”

Improving e-scooter compliance

Voi will use the Luna technology to improve compliance not just in terms of riding behaviour, but also in relation to proper parking. The Luna parking algorithm can spot if a scooter is positioned correctly in a ‘virtual dock’ by using a painted scooter logo or corral on the ground, or any other surrounding visual clues that it is trained to detect. Using the camera as a sensor, Luna can also help e-scooters to be parked with a level of accuracy that standard GPS technology cannot match.

Voi is committed to using innovation to ensure that every e-scooter ride is a responsible one, and every stationary e-scooter is a safe one. By collaborating with Luna, Voi will be able to build a record of where and how the scooters are being ridden and parked. Cities are expected to use the data not just to understand poor rider behaviour but also to identify where infrastructure improvements to the public realm could help e-scooter riders and other road users.

By working in partnership with local councils and companies like Luna, Voi is dedicated to empowering people to leave their cars behind and move around their city in a safer, more sustainable way. The Luna technology will give authorities across Europe the confidence that they can have greater control over rental e-scooters, which provide a new carbon-neutral and socially distanced solution to urban travel.

After operating for more than three years, Voi is now the leading e-scooter operator across Europe, with a presence in more than 60 cities. The company recently published its first annual safety report – the first of its kind from a micro-mobility company – as part of its commitment to Vision Zero, in which it wishes to eliminate all fatal accidents.