Bolt, the European mobility champion, will launch two new shared electric bike schemes in Wexford Town and Bray, Co. Wicklow in Spring 2023. These schemes add to Bolt’s successful existing operations in Sligo and Kilkenny, bringing its total Irish fleet to 400 electric bikes across 4 regional towns.
There are 200 electric bikes earmarked for the year-long pilots with up to 100 in each town. Bray will form the first Irish location where the Bolt app provides both taxis and eBikes, a multimodal offering that has proved highly valuable across European cities.
Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Cllr Erika Doyle, said, ‘With a number of cycle schemes planned for the area, such as linking the stunning seafront and harbour area with neighbouring Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and a cycle link planned with Greystones, Bray is the perfect location for a shared electric bike scheme. Aside from being a sustainable alternative to car trips, electric bikes can offer a more accessible option for many. They can also assist when tackling some of Bray’s hilly stretches. The simpler and more convenient we can make accessing electric bikes, the more likely people are to use them. I’m delighted that both local residents and visitors to the town will soon have the option to avail of Bolt’s eBikes.”
Since launching shared mobility schemes in the summer of 2022 in Sligo and Kilkenny, over 105,000 km have been travelled on Bolt’s eBikes. With surveyed users opting for this sustainable mode of transport over cars, Bolt schemes have saved 14,800 km of car trips in Ireland to date, approximately 1,545 kg of CO2*.
Bolt has previously earmarked up to €5m in its bid to roll out electric bike operations across Irish cities and towns with up to 2000 bikes available to deploy immediately as required.
The Government recently committed to promoting e-mobility solutions in cities and towns and will be relying on such schemes to provide essential alternatives for commuters as Demand Management solutions are considered in the coming year.
Bolt Operations Manager for Rentals in Ireland, John Buckley, said, “We’re very excited to take Bolt to the East Coast, and we’re working closely with Wicklow and Wexford County Councils to roll out the service as soon as possible. Bolt’s shared electric bike offerings in both Sligo and Kilkenny are proving extremely popular and our user surveys show our eBikes are reducing the reliance on private cars and supporting the National Climate Action Plan. One user has clocked up over 400 rides alone and we expect to see similar levels of utilisation on the East Coast!”
Bolt is a leading European mobility champion operating a range of services including electric bikes, electric scooters, ride-hailing and car clubs for over 100 million people across 500 cities in 50 countries in Europe and Africa. The company currently operates ride-hailing taxi services in Dublin and Cork and is seeking to bring electric bikes, and in time, electric scooters to cities and towns across Ireland.
Continuing Bolt’s reputation of offering affordable micromobility service across continents, Bolt is the most affordable provider of shared electric bikes in Ireland, thanks to having low rates and no unlock fee. The per-minute rental price is the lowest on the market at just 0.15 EUR/minute during the launch campaign.
Not only are the bikes highly affordable ans sustainable, but they have also been designed and manufactured with a clear focus on safety. They function through a pedal assist motor and have a maximum speed of 25 km/h . There is also an in-app cognitive reaction test which aims to prevent users from riding an electric bike or scooter while intoxicated.
The electric bike is equipped with a functional dashboard providing information about speed, battery level and speed zones, showing the user all the information needed to enjoy the ride. Bolt electric bikes are equipped with high-precision GPS which helps users find the bikes easily on the street.
The new electric bike model introduced by Bolt has a long lifespan of up to 5 years, which makes it highly sustainable. The electric bike is also produced from 100% recyclable aluminium. Integrating a swappable battery in the electric bike’s design results in fewer operations needed for battery charging. This translates into a decreased overall carbon footprint since electric bikes do not need to be frequently transported to a warehouse for charging. The high-capacity battery additionally offers a range of up to 60 km per charge.
The electric bike also features beginner modes permitting max speeds of up to 15 km per hour, which can be activated in the Bolt app. Geo-fencing technology enables the prevention of high speeds in designated ‘go-slow’ zones where pedestrian footfall may be high.
