Micromobility operator Bolt is installing a set of battery swapping kiosks in Berlin as part of a pilot project with Swobbee.
The kiosks offer an efficient, safe and decentralised solution for Bolt’s operations team to load and swap batteries near e-scooter hotspots.
This saves Bolt’s team from having to travel back and forth over large distances in a van to drop empty batteries at a warehouse.
Bolt will use cargo bikes to transport the batteries to the exchange stations, saving time and fuel.
Having freshly charged batteries stored under optimal conditions near the e-scooters also means fewer ‘dead’ scooters will clutter the streets, as well as better availability for riders.
“At Bolt our mission is to help create cities that are built for people, not cars, and making our operations as environmentally friendly as possible is a big part of that,” Bolt’s Country Manager for Rentals for Germany and Switzerland, Balthasar Scheder, told Zag Daily.
“Through this partnership with Swobbee we’re able to use a decentralised network of charging stations to swap batteries using our e-cargo bikes instead of vans, making our operations more efficient and sustainable. With scooters in 59 cities across Germany we hope we’re able to expand the partnership to more cities in the coming months.”
Swobbee’s ‘central filling stations’ currently caters for eight common battery types – OKAI A, OKAI B, Segway, AES, AkkuVision, Kumpan, Torrot and GreenPack.
