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German shared mobility manufacturer extends its presence on B2B social platform
Eflow aspires to improve the future of urban mobility with its extensive fleet expertise and high quality bicycles that can be modified to meet customer requirements.
Its state-of-the-art bicycles, e-bikes and electric scooters offer a versatile, sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional private transport, by working closely with companies, cities & municipalities to develop shared mobility solutions.
The Eflow team has been fully committed to developing modern electromobility for over 10 years, and its products blend the knowledge, experience & passion from numerous experts including CEO, Bernd Adamski, who is a highly reputable figure in the bike industry, pro-triathlete Anja Ippach knows what matters to riders when they’re in the saddle and bicycle designer Norbert Haller is one of the most renowned in his field.
Eflow invites mobility enthusiasts to follow its LinkedIn page to learn more about its exciting projects, latest developments and vision for the future of mobility.
A recent study published in the Journal of Safety Research reveals that privately owned, lighter e-scooters compare poorly to the larger versions designed for rental schemes.
E-scooters can vary significantly in key aspects such as steering and braking capabilities, wheel size, engine, and suspension systems, all of which can have harmful implications in the event of a crash.
One of the authors of the study is Marco Dozza, Professor in Active Safety and Road-user Behaviour at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg. “Individuals look for economical and transportable products, favouring light and foldable e-scooters that unfortunately also have the issues mentioned above.”
E-scooters available in city rental schemes often feature larger wheels, superior steering and braking capabilities, and better suspension systems, than e-scooters available for private purchase, which tend to be smaller and less reliable in crash avoidance.
In the study, Marco Dozza and his colleagues at Chalmers compared a large e-scooter, a light e-scooter, and a bicycle (both in power-assisted and non-power-assisted modes) in field trials to determine any variations in manoevrability constraints when avoiding a rear-end collision by braking and/or steering.
The results showed that braking performance does vary between the different vehicles. Specifically, e-scooters are not as effective at braking as bicycles, but the large, rental-type e-scooter demonstrated better braking performance than the light e-scooter. Regarding steering performance, no statistically significant difference was observed. The bicycles were perceived as more stable, manoeuvrable, and safe than the e-scooters.
Influence of previous experience
An individual’s previous experience in riding a bicycle can be assumed to have some influence on a rider’s ability to handle a critical situation when riding an e-scooter. There is the potential for a false sense of ability and confidence driving a seemingly similar vehicle.
“The results from the study suggest that new micromobility vehicles necessitate ad-hoc training to be safe. The fact they resemble a familiar and possibly overtrained vehicle – the bike – may trick us to believe that we know how to master them but that is not necessarily the case,” says Marco Dozza.
Because we can transfer our balance skills directly from a bicycle to an e-scooter, there can be an initial sense that it is easy to ride an e-scooter. However, when faced with an emergency and need to brake, the expectations we have from our previous experiences of cycling do not match – we may overestimate the braking ability of the e-scooter, with clear hazardous implications.
“One third of all e-scooters crashes happen on the first ride. Our results suggest that an expectation mismatch on manoeuvring performance would explain this puzzling finding that has been confirmed in multiple studies.”
Vehicle weight and steering
The study authors note that the heavier rental e-scooters could, in the event of a collision, pose more of a hazard. Furthermore, they advised that riders should familiarise themselves with alternative collision-avoidance strategies to braking.
Marco Dozza states: “In general, when vehicles are heavier, collisions are more severe. While larger e-scooters proved to brake better, any time they collide they may cause more damage than lighter vehicles. Further, harsh braking on low-friction surfaces, like ice or wet leaves, may also destabilise a vehicle. In our trials, the tarmac was dry and smooth so we do not know if larger e-scooters would perform well in wet or icy conditions as well.”
“If there is space for moving aside, and braking is not enough to stop in time, steering is a better alternative. Because small e-scooters suffer from longer braking distances than bikes and larger e-scooters, the situations in which steering is a better alternative than braking are more common. Unfortunately, our study shows that participants are less comfortable steering away to avoid a collision when riding an e-scooter than when riding a bicycle.”
Marco Dozza shared crucial advice for riders new to e-scooters: “Practice braking and steering avoidance maneuvers in an empty space. Do not wait for a critical situation to happen before testing how the vehicle can brake or steer. The simplest exercise is to imagine a line on the road and try to brake as late and as close as possible to the line. Most people will overshoot, and many may be surprised by how much. Repeating this exercise a few times may already be enough to make a difference.”
The latest report analyses 115 European cities as well as the entire European market on shared mobility. 2023 was the year of transition in the industry, with lay-offs, mergers and acquisitions dominating the news in operators pursuit towards profitability. We dive into some of the highlights below.
European Market
The aftermath of the Paris scooter ban wasn’t as severe as initially feared, it did instil a sense of unease. Major cities like Rome, Berlin, and Brussels significantly reduced the number of scooter operators and vehicles. At a European level, there’s been a tightening of regulations imposed by cities.
Following significant fundraising between 2018 and 2021, operators encountered challenges securing additional funding. Consequently, they’ve had to adopt frugal practices, meticulously managing costs, raising prices, exiting unprofitable markets, and implementing layoffs. Nevertheless, they’ve begun to introduce new offerings, with shared bikes gaining prominence.
These efforts are yielding results. Dockless bike usage surged by over 50% in 2023, surpassing scooters that dominated the market from 2019 to 2022. Station-based bikes and free-floating cars are also experiencing robust growth.
Some operators secured their immediate future through mergers (such as ShareNow and Free2Move, TIER and Dott), while others, like Reby, Superpedestrian, and Cityscoot, succumbed.
Economic viability remains central to discussions in 2024. Will revenue from end-users suffice for profitability, or will public funding be necessary to bridge the gap, akin to the majority of station-based bike services?
“Our projections for ridership and revenue in 2024 are optimistic,” asserts Julien Chamussy, CEO of Fluctuo. “The exit of certain operators and increased tender calls will pave the way for European champions. While there may be reduced competition, the financial stability and operational control of remaining players will facilitate the continued growth of shared mobility services, benefiting European cities and their residents.
Ryder Cup of shared mobility
Europe continues to dominate the shared mobility market compared to North America, with a fleet size almost three times that of North America.
Car sharing
Car sharing continues to grow across the board, with rentals increasing by 39% and fleet size increasing by 25%, with the fastest growing markets in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark.
Starting February 1st, 2024, Brussels is implementing significant changes to its e-scooter landscape. The city plans to reduce the available e-scooters from over 20,000 to just 8,000, exclusively operated by Bolt and Dott. Alongside this reduction, designated drop zones will become the sole spots to conclude a ride on these vehicles.
To accommodate this shift, Brussels Mobility will increase specially assigned parking spaces for shared mobility vehicles from 1,000 to 1,500 in the coming month. Leaving an e-scooter outside these allocated zones will be prohibited from then on.
This move aligns with a broader trend across European cities to address the unregulated spread of shared micromobility vehicles, which often encroach on pedestrian spaces in urban areas.
Brussels Mobility highlighted their commitment to providing the safest and most advanced vehicles to the city’s residents. The fleet, comprising e-scooters, bicycles, and mopeds, will boast 100% zero direct emissions. Moreover, special pricing schemes for various target audiences are in the works.
With licensed operators finalized, other entities now face the task of removing excess vehicles within a six-week grace period.
Furthermore, regional authorities have selected operators for shared bikes, mopeds, and cargo bikes, establishing quotas for each category in the city.
The new regulations take effect on February 1st, 2024, across 11 Brussels municipalities. In the remaining eight, operators will utilize GPS tracking systems to restrict parking to locations sanctioned by local authorities.
The new report, “Catch me if you can!”, analyses how European cities are regulating shared mobility
POLIS, the network for European cities and regions to work together in developing innovative technologies and policies for local transport, has undertaken extensive research with stakeholders to gather their insights on the key issues and challenges that have emerged with the rise of shared micromobility. Those consulted include individual cities, public practitioners and private operators.
For local and regional authorities, shared micromobility represents a complex governance challenge, where many aspects – sustainability, safety, innovation, regulation and more – must be balanced.
Some might argue that regulation should be a prerequisite for the deployment of shared micromobility services and schemes. However, the reality is that mobility services have often been put in place before adequate regulation has been established. Most local and regional authorities have found themselves having to regulate services which were already in use, and without clarity about how to achieve this.
How local and regional authorities are regulating shared mobility.
What has and has not worked, and learnings from these experiences.
The differences and similarities between cities.
Potential future strategies for both public authorities and private operators.
In the face of rapid change and increased public demand, local and regional governments have based their regulations on local context and with use of the tools available. Critical aspects within authorities’ jurisdiction include issues such as urban space allocation, vehicle requirements, and user behaviour. The primary challenge is that of introducing newer modes of transport such as shared micromobility into pre-existing infrastructure that is primarily shaped around private cars.
For the future, it is important to balance the regulation of new transport modes with the possible changes around the traditional monopoly of private cars. Climate neutrality goals demand a shift away from the conventional ways urban transport has been organised, and it is more and more relevant to explore strategies for incorporating shared mobility and other transport modes into urban mobility ecosystems. The role of policy and regulations is to build effective frameworks for including new transport modes into the mobility mix. Transport planners must also consider topics such as redistributing space in favour of more sustainable, safe and health-promoting transport means.
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The report shows 144% increase in usage of dockless bikes in Paris since the city’s controversial ban on e-scooters.
Paris’ e-scooter ban came into effect in September, with some believing it would be a big financial hardship for operators, where the sector’s numbers had been increasing steadily since 2018. The ban led e-scooter manufacturers Dott and Lime to increase their bike fleet, and today they are currently operating 10,000 and 7,000 bicycles in the city respectively. Operators therefore managed to make up for lost rides and revenue with dockless bike ridership that more than doubled YoY in September (x2.5) and October 2023 (x2.3).
Overall in shared mobility, Fluctuo reports that ridership across modes (docked and dockless bikes, scooters, mopeds and car shares) is up 1%, and fleets are down 2% on the same period, meaning TVD (Trips per Vehicle per Day) has slightly improved across the board. Where moped use is down, shared care use is up. Furthermore, Paris, Berlin and London take the lead in quarterly fleet size by city population.
It is possible that the world’s first two-seater shared e-bike will arrive in Brussels early in 2024, following an announcement by French operator Pony that they are included as part of its proposals in response to a recent call for tenders by Brussels Mobility.
If the contract is awarded, the two-seater Double Pony models would be available outside of France for the first time. It can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h, and has a range of up to 100 km when fully charged. They have been designed to cover a distance of 20,000 km over their lifetimes and to withstand harsh weather. Additionally, parts can be interchanged and used to extend the lifespan of other Pony bikes.
Pony has already been operating in Brussels since 2021 with an offering of one-seater shared e-bikes.
Guillem Leroux, Pony’s spokesperson, spoke to The Brussels Times about the Double Pony: “This e-bike has been successful in France, where approximately 70% of our users have already experienced it as a passenger.”
Pony has also introduced an innovative scheme for the shared soft mobility sector, with its unique “Adopt a Pony” programme. This allows users to buy a bike from the company and then lease it to other users using the corporate platform, and share the profit made with the enterprise. Guillem Leroux explained that, through this scheme, the company aims to redistribute income back into communities.
Employees of Bicing, Barcelona’s bike-sharing service, are preparing to go on strike, with unions CGT and CCOO describing the action as ‘indefinite’
The strike is set to commence at 7:00 a.m. on 14 November, and at 10:30 striking workers will gather to protest at the site of Barcelona City Hall in Place Sant Jaume.
CGT, one of the unions representing the Bicing workers, has advised service users to consider alternative means of transport for the duration of the strike. It is likely that there will be insufficient Bicing bicycles to meet demand, and broken bikes will not be repaired.
Bicing currently has 7,000 bikes on the streets of Barcelona. However, according to the service’s workforce, that number is too low to meet user demand. The strikers are calling for an increase in the number of bicycles, plus the improvement of the replenishment service, meaning repairs can be made without affecting the offer on the streets.
The Bicing workforce is also putting forward demands for a five-year agreement with the city, seeking to guarantee salary increases in line with rising costs of living. There are also demands for the recovery of seniority, enhanced weekend and holiday pay, and the creation of bonuses.
Dott, a responsible European micromobility operator, today unveils new research highlighting the impact of its shared e-scooter and e-bike services in cities across Europe. More than one quarter (26%) of Dott trips replaced motorised alternatives such as the car, taxi or motorbike, equal to removing over 8 million polluting journeys last year.
Nearly two thirds of Dott users (62%) that previously travelled by car, said that they are using that mode less since starting to use Dott.3 And riders are travelling for longer, with the average ride distance up by 9% to 2.36km in the first half of 2023.
Dott’s shared vehicles have become a frequent, everyday solution for its users, with 63% of its trips used for commuting. By combining public transport with shared e-scooters and e-bikes, Dott’s riders benefit from a compelling alternative to cars across longer distances. 58% of riders combine Dott with public transport and 50% use a public transport pass. The figures demonstrate that shared e-scooters and e-bike services support, rather than replace, public transport.
Persistent high fuel costs are continuing to influence people’s travel decisions. Over one in four (28%) say that they are using shared e-bikes and e-scooters more, as a result of the energy crisis. Shared micromobility services save users from vehicle purchase and maintenance costs, providing a reliable and efficient alternative to ownership.
Henri Moissinac, Co-Founder and CEO, Dott, said: “As we approach the end of our peak season, European Mobility Week provides an opportunity to explore how our riders are using our service. With the majority of trips now coming from an everyday solution to commuting, we’re having a real impact in reducing car use. We are focused on providing a safe, reliable service at scale to help more people choose sustainable transport when travelling across their city.”
‘Inside Dott’
To mark European Mobility Week, Dott has opened up the doors to its Operations Centres across Europe. Visitors have been able to see how Dott’s unique in-house model, and commitment to delivering its service responsibly, provide a high quality and reliable service for its users.
The environment and social impact are at the heart of every business decision at Dott. The micromobility company has set out its goals and progress at ridedott.com/sustainability.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
1 Based on Dott research targeting 6,930 Dott users who had ridden within the last 30 days, conducted between 27 July and 14 August 2023.
2 Based on Dott’s total number of rides in 2022 (33,603,491)
3 Respondents who said they used personal cars, taxis or ride-hailing services less.
About Dott
Dott is a European micromobility operator founded by Henri Moissinac and Maxim Romain, with the mission to free our cities with clean rides for everyone. Dott currently operates over 40,000 e-scooters and 10,000 e-bikes in top cities in Belgium, France, Israel, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Dott has a staff of over 600, with its main teams located in Amsterdam, London and Paris.
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