U.S. startup ACTON has started a major infrastructure rollout of its micromobility all-in-one docking and charging stations across Paris, France.
The multimodal hubs allow riders of commonly used types of e-bikes and e-scooters – whether shared or personally owned – to park and charge in designated areas, keeping streets and walkways clear for pedestrians.
A set of 42 stations will be deployed in six locations followed by a second phase where 150 stations will be installed in 17 locations across Paris’ Rive Gauche district.
These will connect key transportation hubs, including Gare d’Austerlitz, Place d’Italie and Olympiades with residential areas like Station F, Bibliothèque nationale de France (Bnf) or Paris University.
The charging solution can be powered by existing street fixtures such as street lights, advertising boards, bus stations or via a dedicated solar source.
“With Paris now home to more than 150,000 shared e-scooters and e-bikes, along with a growing number of privately owned vehicles, urban micromobility hubs are becoming a public service necessity,” ACTON’s CEO Janelle Wang told Zag Daily.
“Not only are our universal docking stations easy, convenient and safe to use, they also remove the need for costly, polluting support structures, as operators will sometimes drive petrol vans to swap batteries.”
These stations tie in with the city’s urban transformation, which aims to turn Paris into a ‘15-minute city’. This would allow the city’s inhabitants to reach all locations and amenities for their essential daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride.
The project is overseen by Paris’s Urban Lab and incorporates partnerships with Engie Solutions, EIT InnoEnergy, Enedis (subsidiary of EDF) and Smovengo.
ACTON is headquartered in Silicon Valley and runs its European operations from Paris. It has so far installed more than 3,000 micromobility charging stations, enabling rides in over 100 cities globally, including New York, Miami and Istanbul.
