Shared mobility firm Poppy is launching 1,500 e-scooters in the Belgian capital Brussels in the coming days.
Founded in 2018, the Antwerp start-up is on a mission to offer sustainable alternatives to private passenger cars. It is now the only app in Brussels to offer shared cars, vans and e-scooters under one brand.
In four years, Poppy has built up a fleet of 2,000 shared e-scooters and 750 cars in Brussels, Mechelen and Antwerp. The firm also serves the airports of Zaventem, Antwerp and Brussels South Charleroi.
“Poppy has been operating a fleet of 500 e-scooters in Antwerp for the past two years,” Poppy Mobility’s CEO Sylvain Niset told Zag Daily.
“Now that these have been profitable for a year, we have decided to launch in Brussels where we have been operating cars for several years. We noticed that there are synergies between these vehicles, meaning our customers tend to become more multimodal once we propose several vehicles in one app. The Brussels market is crowded with a lot of operators, but Poppy already has a strong user base thanks to its car sharing operation. We therefore believe we have a chance to be successful there too.”
According to a survey the company conducted in 2022, more people aged 18-25 are turning to micromobility vehicles to get around in cities, with shared e-scooters being the most popular mode of transport in this category.
Riders in both cities can use the scooters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents in Brussels can take advantage of a first month introductory offer and ride for €0.20/min. Poppy passes are also available for two or 10 scooter rides, reducing the cost of a ride to €0.03/min.
