Ride-hailing and e-scooter operator Bolt has pledged to remove more carbon from the environment than it produces in manufacturing and maintaining its scooters, by the end of 2020.
Bolt, a ride-hailing service that has spun out into micromobility, runs mint-green e-scooter fleets in 14 countries and 42 cities (albeit not yet in the UK). Its ambitious sustainability programme includes reforestation, solar and wind power projects, while its scooters are completely recyclable.
Micromobility companies are passionate that their businesses walk the walk when it comes to disrupting transport systems for the better. While all e-scooter firms are taking huge strides towards eliminating their carbon footprint altogether, Bolt has the advantage of making its scooters completely in-house at its own facility, rather than outsourcing to China. This means the manufacturer can green its supply chain and transport logistics much more easily.
The company has also been using its app to help nudge customers towards choosing e-scooters over ride-hailing, reporting a 9% switch among regular users. Some 40% of e-scooter trips on Bolt machines end near public transport hubs, according to the company, which suggests riders are using scooters as a first- or last-mile solution, rather than cars.
Today’s commitment by Bolt is simply the latest example of how the micromobility segment is going to bat for the environment every day in a way that the wider transport industry simply is not.
