Voi has been working with Ernst&Young (EY), the leading consultancy group, which has undertaken an independent assessment of Voiager 3 – our latest e-scooter model which is hitting the streets of Paris and Stockholm right now.
As a company, we have never been shy of talking about the environmental, societal and economic benefits of e-scooters. We believe passionately that these benefits underpin everything we do and that by bringing them to communities we are transforming cities for the better.
Yet there continue to be questions about the sustainability of our operations and hardware. If micro-mobility is going to make a real impact on a global scale we, along with other operators and officials, need to be completely upfront and honest about the impact of our business and where we can make a difference.
TODAY, AS PART OF OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND COLLABORATION, WE’RE PUBLISHING THE FINDINGS OF THE FIRST-EVER LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF E-SCOOTERS IN EUROPE, COMISSIONED BY AN E-SCOOTER OPERATOR.
This is why today, as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and collaboration, we’re publishing the findings of the first-ever Life Cycle Assessment of e-scooters in Europe, commissioned by an e-scooter operator and conducted independently by EY.
Through interviews with city officials across six European countries, and the first public release of the results of our transparency and policy decisions, Ernst & Young’s Sustainability and Climate Change Services’ independent report “Micromobility: Moving Cities into a Sustainable Future” reveals that demand for e-scooters has experienced “whirlwind uptake”, reaching 626 cities across 53 countries globally, and growing up to four times faster than e-bike schemes in Europe.
In contrast to the first LCA report published by North Carolina University in May last year, in which emissions of electric scooters in the US topped out at 126g CO2 eq. emissions per person per kilometre, EY’s report shows this number is significantly lower in Europe.
Our Voiager 3 e-scooter, for example, was found to generate 34,7 CO2 eq. emissions per person per kilometer – a 72% drop in comparison to figures from the US study.
This puts our emissions per passenger kilometer well below cars, and on par with many public transport options. The report notes that data for comparisons between mobility modes is limited, and that modes of transport such as cars, trams and buses have much longer operational lifespans, but it provides both useful context and a target for responsible operators like us to aim for.
As we begin our third year, we only see the life cycle impact of e-scooters decreasing due to huge improvements in the fleet and in our operations. The first e-scooter models lasted just over 12 months, but our latest swappable e-scooter fleet has already doubled this operational lifespan to at least 24 months. We have also recently announced that we have a carbon neutral service in all Voi cities through a partnership with EcoAct, French climate neutrality expert and contributor of Paris’ Climate Plan.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE TRAVEL AND THE TRANSPORT CHOICES THEY MAKE.
Of course, sustainability isn’t just about climate change. Sustainable, affordable and accessible transport provides a range of social benefits, from improved employment options to better access to education and healthcare. We need to change the way people travel and the transport choices they make. After all, e-scooter sharing can be carbon neutral, but if it’s only replacing walking and cycling, the contribution to urban decarbonisation will be limited.
We believe strongly that micro-mobility will transform our cities for the better. But we’re not under any illusion that e-scooters are a silver bullet. The purpose of commissioning and publishing this report is to encourage ongoing conversations with governments and city officials.
E-SCOOTERS OFFER UNPRECEDENTED POTENTIAL BUT ONLY WHEN THERE ARE CLEAR REGULATIONS THAT FOSTER RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOUR.
As the report itself concludes, e-scooters offer unprecedented potential but only when there are clear regulations that foster responsible and sustainable behaviour. Only then can cities take advantage of the opportunity e-scooters provide to improve quality of life and sustainable mobility across the globe.
