Paris Will See a Battle of Electric Scooter Ride-sharing Services This Summer

Electric vehicles are becoming all of the rage over the past few years. A lot of companies focus on electric cars, but a Bosch subsidiary is taking a very different approach. Later this year, the company will bring 600 Gogoro electric scooters to Paris. All of these machines are a part of the company’s eScooter sharing service. Quite an intriguing scenario for Coup, as the company looks to make a name for itself.

Electric Scooters Are Coming to Paris

It appears as if a lot of technology enthusiasts may want to consider spending their Summer holidays in Paris this year. The city will see flying water cars this summer, as well as a fleet of electric scooters. Coup, a Bosch subsidiary, has made a name for itself in the world of scooter sharing services. The company launched its service in Berlin last year and is now expanding to Paris as well.

In Berlin, the company saw massive growth. What started out as a 200-scooter sharing service turned into a fleet of 1,000 machines in less than a year. It is evident there is a demand for this type of service. Scooters, especially the electric kind, are a far better way of moving around in busy cities compared to using cars or even public transportation. Since this service provides access to an electric scooter on demand, it is not surprising to see so many people take an interest in it.

It is worth noting Coup will face some stiff competition in Paris, though. Cityscoot has a similar service active in the region, although they only use around 150 electric scooters right now. Coup will bring four times as many vehicles to the city, and it will be exciting to see how the competition heats up. Do keep in mind you will need a Class B or international driver’s license to use this service. It is not required to have a motorcycle license whatsoever.

Users can book a ride with Coup through the Android or IOS app. Customers will be able to locate the closest scooter parked in dedicated zones throughout the city of Paris. It is not the cheapest service by any means, although the rate of 20 euros for an entire day is still acceptable. This is especially true when considering insurance is included in the rates.

Our society is slowly transitioning from an ownership-oriented approach to ride-sharing. Services such as  Uber, Lyft, and perhaps even Coup will only become more successful as time progresses. The costs for individual rides easily offsets the original investment required to obtain an electric car or scooter in the first place. In the case of the Gogoro scooters, they are only available for purchase in Taiwan, which isn’t helping matters either for people who want to own one of these machines.

Bringing new and innovative services to consumers all over the world is the right way to go for these companies. Raising public awareness about electric scooters through a ride-sharing experience can help put companies such as Coup on the map. Moreover, their test in Berlin has proven to be more than successful, warranting a fivefold expansion in under a year. Paris will be a tough nut to crack, though, especially when it comes to the regulatory aspect.

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