Estonian Bolt quadrupled worldwide activities since pandemic

August 17, 2022

The Estonian micro-mobility platform, Bolt, celebrates its ninth birthday in Europe, and business is booming. The company with the green vehicle fleet has quadrupled its activities worldwide since the beginning of the corona pandemic. July 2022 was the most successful month ever. Bolt is operational in Belgium since last year, and meanwhile, one can find […]

Flanders to accelerate Basic Accessibility Plan for public transport

August 12, 2022

Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) wants to accelerate the rollout of the Basic Accessibility Plan. A complete reorganization of public transport and to align all levels of it. The concept was launched in 2015, and approved in 2019, but never realized. After several delays and adjustments to the timing, Minister Peeters now […]

Donkey Republic launches first of 1.650 shared e-bikes in Antwerp

August 10, 2022

Antwerp has kicked off the rollout of an extensive shared e-bicycle network. In May, the city announced that the 32 municipalities of the Antwerp transport region and the Waasland would start to launch a large shared e-bike platform. In the meantime, the first bright orange bicycles are driving around the metropolis. On May 11th, Antwerp […]

German Tier rolls out 1.500 shared e-bikes in Brussels

August 04, 2022

The German shared mobility platform Tier plans to introduce 1 500 shared e-bicycles in Brussels. The first vehicles are available since Wednesday, and the vehicle fleet will expand further in the coming weeks. Mid-February, micro-mobility provider Tier launched hundreds of new shared e-scooters in Brussels. In the meantime, the company has more than 4 000 […]

Brussels limits e-scooters to 8 km/h in pedestrian zones

July 04, 2022

The Brussels Region is taking additional measures for e-scooters, such as reducing the maximum speed to 8 km/hour in certain pedestrian zones. Brussels Mobility announced this in a press release on Friday. There will also be adapted parking or drop-off zones and prohibited zones with specific road signs. Parking on the pavement is allowed if […]

MyWheels and Amber merge to become major player in Dutch car-sharing market

June 30, 2022

The Dutch car-sharing company MyWheels merges with Amber, specialized in car-sharing for the business market. The merger should lead to a sharp increase in the number of kilometers driven per shared car. Both companies state this in a press release. The aim is to reduce drastically the impact of mobility, and in particular the problems […]

Cambio offers cargo bikes for rent in Brussels

June 29, 2022

After car sharing, mobility player Cambio now also offers cargo bikes for rent in Brussels. The initiative is part of the regional Cairgo Bike project, which aims to make cargo bikes a fully-fledged alternative to cars and vans and which was financed with 4,7 million euros in European funds. The electric cargo bikes are now […]

Antwerp introduces no-go zones for shared e-scooters

June 27, 2022

The city of Antwerp introduced new regulations for shared e-scooters. From July 18th onward, ‘no go zones’, ‘no park zones’, and ‘slow-speed zones’ will be marked. Technology makes cheating impossible. For example, in a ‘no go zone’, the e-scooters will automatically reduce speed and come to a halt if you enter the area. The city […]

Survey: ‘46% of Dutch drivers will never use a shared car’

June 23, 2022

More than eight out of ten Dutch drivers (86%) prefer their own car above a shared car. What’s more, almost half of all drivers in the Netherlands (46%) will never use a shared car. Not for all the tea in China. These are only some of the surprising conclusions of a survey of MisterGreen Electric […]

Bolt to drop 900 shared e-bikes in Brussels

June 23, 2022

Micro-mobility platform Bolt is launching 900 e-bikes in Brussels. The Estonian company, launching e-bikes to celebrate its first anniversary on the Brussels market, states this in a press release. In time, Bolt wants to deploy 16 000 e-bikes across Europe to expand the range of micro-mobility available in cities. The company, the largest mobility platform […]

Drunks will find it harder to use Bolt e-scooter

June 16, 2022

Whoever wants to use a shared e-scooter of Bolt by unlocking the QR code must take an alcohol test. The cognitive reaction test is included in Bolt’s app and is mandatory for everyone who wants to use the e-scooter on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. The (micro)mobility operator, which […]

‘Belgium is EU’s leader in corporate mobility’

June 10, 2022

According to a survey by the Smart Mobility Institute, partnered with consultancy giant Deloitte, Belgian companies have the highest maturity for mobility in Europe. This pole position is mainly attributed to the mobility budget put in place by the government for driving the switch from company cars to alternative mobility solutions. However, it doesn’t imply […]

Ghent has 1.450 shared (e)-bikes available

June 09, 2022

In April, the city of Ghent announced the introduction of more shared bicycles in the city. The Danish Donkey Republic, already active in the city for three years, will get new permission for its 500 bright orange city bikes. On top of that, Mobit will launch 200 green city bikes and Dott will offer Ghent’s […]

Donkey Republic to launch 2.000 shared e-bikes in Antwerp region

May 11, 2022

This summer, 32 municipalities of the Antwerp transport region and the Waasland will roll out a large shared e-bike platform. The project is intended to stimulate the modal shift. The coordinator is Lantis, manager of large construction projects like the Oosterweel connection in Antwerp. The Danish Donkey Republic will provide and maintain the bikes. “As […]

Mobilize goes for 20% of Renault Group turnover in 2030

May 10, 2022

On ‘Mobilize Day’, the Mobilize department has shown its ambitions in services and technology inside the Renault Group. Its target is 20% of the total turnover of the Group by 2030. At the same time, Renault’s RCI Bank and Services become Mobilize Financial Services. At the start of the day, Renault CEO Luca de Meo […]

Stellantis’ Free2Move acquires Share Now (update)

May 04, 2022

Stellantis’ car-sharing division Free2move announced today it had signed an agreement to acquire car-sharing company Share Now, a joint venture formed by Mercedes-Benz Mobility Group and BMW Group in 2019. Share Now is a market leader and pioneer of free-floating car-sharing and is represented in 16 major European cities with around 10 000 vehicles, including […]

Flanders scrabbles up €2,1 million for sustainable commuting

April 27, 2022

Commuting has to become more sustainable. That is why Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), reserves 2,1 million euros to support companies and organizations that are making commuting more sustainable. The money is intended to support projects and initiatives that are ‘greening’ transport between people’s workplaces and public transport because all too often, […]

New mobility start-up MyMove seduces several investors

April 14, 2022

D’Ieteren, Ginion Group, Valckenier, and finance&invest.brussels have joined forces and resources to promote new mobility trends via the D’Ieteren Lab Box scale-up MyMove. They want to make car-sharing (inside or outside organizations or companies) more accessible and popular internationally. The car business is moving fast forward, as is mobility in general. New trends like ride-hailing, […]

Billy Bike is looking for a buyer for its shared bikes

April 14, 2022

Billy Bike, the Brussels-based shared electric bicycle operator, is forced to go through a juridical reorganization. Due to the pandemic crisis, in which social and cultural life was at a low ebb, the company had to seek protection from the Brussels business court at the end of March, the newspaper L’Echo writes. The lawyer, Emmanuelle […]

‘Half of Belgians to travel more sustainably with smart mobility apps’

April 14, 2022

Almost half of all Belgians (43%) expect that smart mobility apps will lead to more sustainable trips. About 28% of them think they might encourage them to use public transport more often, one-fifth of respondents (21%) expect they would convince them to opt for more active means of transport (walking or cycling), and 15% say […]

First Smart from Geely and Mercedes to be shared among friends

April 08, 2022

With the unveiling of the definite version of its SUV #1, the resurrection of Smart is complete. The first car under joint Chinese and German development features a battery of 66 kWh and a range of 440 kilometers. It will be a contender for cars like the Kia e-Niro, the VW ID.3, or Hyundai Kona […]

Ghent to triple its offer of shared (e-)bikes to almost 1.500

April 08, 2022

The city of Ghent will soon welcome two additional shared bicycle platforms bringing the total number of available (e-)bikes to 1 450. That is what Filip Watteeuw (Groen), Ghent Alderman for Mobility, announced on Thursday. Unlike Antwerp (Velo) and Brussels (Villo), Ghent doesn’t have a traditional bike-sharing system with its ‘own stations’. According to Watteeuw, […]

Brussels assigns drop zones for e-scooters

March 14, 2022

The Brussels Parliament has approved the proposal to better regulate shared e-scooters, bikes, and mopeds. The text provides compulsory parking in drop zones, reduced speed in pedestrian zones, and stricter enforcement. The latter is meant to tackle the nuisance of e-scooters lying around and the lack of safety in pedestrian zones. From now on, there […]

Segway KickScooter GT2 reaches 70 km/h

March 04, 2022

Scooter maker Segway moves into unchartered territory with the KickScooter GT2, a high-performance model not only delivering a range of 90 kilometers, but also a top speed of 70 km/hour. That’s three times the legal speed for e-scooters in Belgium. The GT2 is far from regular. Where an e-scooter usually rides on 8-inch wheels, the […]

Tier acquires Ford daughter Spin to become world’s largest

March 04, 2022

On Wednesday, Tier Mobility, Europe’s leading shared mobility provider, announced its acquisition of Ford’s subsidiary Spin, which specialized in shared electric bikes and scooters. Through this acquisition, Tier expands into North America, becoming the largest multimodal micro-mobility operator globally in terms of number of cities and vehicles. The purchase price or other financial information about […]

‘Most European cities not ready for zero-emission mobility’

February 25, 2022

Most of the most prominent Belgian cities will still have a long way before achieving ‘clean, active, and shared mobility’. That is the conclusion of a study by the Clean Cities Campaign, a coalition of European regions. The study criticized the cities according to five criteria: traffic safety, air quality, local authorities’ measures (like low-emission […]

TIER launches 2.000 e-scooters in Brussels

February 16, 2022

The German supplier of micro-mobility, TIER, attempts a comeback in Brussels. After the first try in 2019 with 50 e-scooters, the company launched hundreds of new e-scooters on Tuesday, February 15th. The final goal is to have about 2 000 vehicles in the running and expand to a multimodal offer in the long term. And […]

EnergyVision: 492 extra public charging points in Brussels

February 10, 2022

Before the end of the year, some 246 charging stations (with 492 charging points) will be added to the Brussels public EV charging network, almost doubling the amount of charging points. The public tender organized by Brussels Energy Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) has been obtained by EnergyVision and will be realized by its Brussels daughter […]

D’Ieteren’s Poppy user base surpasses 100.000 in four years

January 31, 2022

A few days after D’Ieteren’s car and e-scooter sharing service Poppy Mobility blew its fourth birthday candle, the user base counter exceeds more than 100 000 today, the company heralds in a new press release. The free-floating fleet, operational in Antwerp, Brussels, Malines, and three airports, consists of 700 cars and 550 electric kick scooters. […]

‘Car sharing grew sevenfold in Belgium in last five years’

January 21, 2022

Although several commercial car-sharing pioneers were forced to throw in the towel in the past, sharing a car instead of ownership has septupled in Belgium in the last five years. Rising from 28 000 in 2017 to 194 005 registered users by the end of 2021. They covered more than 1,1 million rides and 51 […]

Scooters with swappable batteries future for crowded cities?

January 20, 2022

Electric scooters with universal swappable batteries provided by a network of swapping stations may become the future mobility solution in busy cities. Yamaha is launching such a scooter on the Taiwanese market (Yamaha EMF), and for the exchangeable batteries, the manufacturer is working together with local Gogoro. Of course, one can take the removable battery […]

Shared Velo bikes in Antwerp made 4,5 million trips in 2021

January 07, 2022

Last year, the Antwerp shared bicycle platform, Velo, registered a total of 4,482 million rides or 288 000 more than in 2020. In 2019, Velo still registered a total of 6,8 million rides, but the popularity of the red bikes waned when the corona crisis broke out. In 2020, the use of Velo bikes decreased […]

Cambio plans to electrify part of its fleet in 2022

January 06, 2022

More and more electric shared cars are added to Cambio’s fleet. The share specialist launched its electrified range last year, first in Brussels and then elsewhere in Flanders, and this year, it wants to expand the scope of shared electric cars further. In 2022, Cambio plans to install charging stations for its vehicles. The aim […]

Yamaha working on two fully electric scooters

December 28, 2021

Yamaha will launch two fully electric scooters in 2022. The concept versions were already seen on the Tokyo Motorshow back in 2019. Remarkably, the compact E02 is powered by a universal removable battery that can also be found in other scooters of Japanese origin. The E01 is a maxiscooter with a double saddle and an […]

Crédit Agricole and Stellantis create new big player in operational leasing

December 20, 2021

The Crédit Agricole daughter C.A. Consumer Finance and car manufacturer Stellantis have decided to make their partnership evolve and together create a pan-European leader in operational leasing. In addition, C.A. Consumer Finance would take over 100% of the capital of FCA Bank and Leasys Rent, with the ambition of making it a Europe-wide player in […]

Temporary solution for Brussels Uber drivers

December 10, 2021

On Thursday, the Brussels government approved a temporary solution allowing LVC drivers (mainly Uber drivers) to resume their taxi services under strictly defined conditions. The arrangement will run until the ordinance on the reform of the taxi sector comes into force. According to Minister-President Rudi Vervoort (PS), the temporary solution allows around 2 000 LVC […]

Uber now also in the sights of the French justice system

December 09, 2021

After Brussels and London, the set-employed status of Uber’s drivers’ is now also being questioned by the French justice system. The investigation for “concealed” work was opened in 2015 and was dormant for long. But the case was reactivated in 2020, and according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, it is now being closely watched again. […]

Uber to overhaul London business model

December 07, 2021

Uber’s way of working is not only under pressure in Brussels. Less than two weeks after the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled that drivers can no longer work with the Uber app in the capital, a British court ruled against the American taxi service. In London, a high court ruled against Uber on Monday, saying […]

Court of Appeal forbids 2 000 Brussels drivers to use Uber app

November 25, 2021

The Brussels Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday that drivers can no longer work with the Uber app. Concretely, the 2 000 Uber drivers will no longer be able to use the app as of Friday 18th, making the app virtually unusable in the capital. According to Laurent Slits, manager of Uber in Belgium, the […]

Tier Mobility buys Nextbike

November 16, 2021

The German micro-mobility provider, Tier Mobility, based in Berlin, has bought 100% of the shares of Nextbike, based in Leipzig, and a specialist in bike-sharing. Together they create a multimodal platform offering 250 000 vehicles in some 400 cities. The new company can now offer bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, e-scooters, and e-mopeds in its sharing […]

Paris limits speed of e-scooters to 10 kph in certain zones

November 16, 2021

The speed of e-scooters is now limited to 10 km/hour in 700 areas of Paris, including around the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. This is what the three operators present in Paris reported on Monday. These areas are concentrated around places with high pedestrian pressure, such as parks, gardens, streets with schools, town halls, places […]

‘Mobilidata’ to make traffic in Flanders smoother and safer

November 15, 2021

On Friday, the Flemish government gave the go-ahead for Mobilidata, a project that uses data to make traffic smoother, more sustainable, and safer. A consortium led by Be-Mobile, a Belgian company specializing in distributing traffic information, is steering the project. The Flemish government is allocating €18,2 million for it. One platform For years, there have […]

GO Sharing launches 500 e-scooters in Brussels

October 27, 2021

After conquering Antwerp, Dutch GO Sharing is setting foot on Brussels’ territory. The company will launch 500 electric scooters in the Belgian capital, 250 this week, and 250 next week. GO Sharing is the largest shared e-moped network in the Benelux, and the third provider in Brussels, after Felyx and Poppy. With the arrival of […]

Reborn Hertz orders 100 000 Tesla Model 3s

October 26, 2021

Rising again from the ashes after bankruptcy, international car rental company Hertz has ordered 100 000 Tesla Model 3s to make 20% of its fleet electric and offer the largest EV rental fleet in the US. The Teslas will be available from November in selected cities in the US and Europe. The complete order should […]

Planning Bureau: Offshore wind farms help achieve climate neutrality

October 19, 2021

Hybrid offshore wind projects could also help Belgium to become climate neutral by 2050. That’s the conclusion of a paper of the Planning Bureau, a Belgian independent public agency that makes studies on economic, social, and environmental policy issues. In two scenarios studied by the Planning Bureau, security of supply is guaranteed, and production costs […]

Rental and mobility company Leasys moves (softly) toward electrification

October 18, 2021

Leasys, a car rental and mobility branch within the Stellantis Group, has unveiled details about its electrification strategy for the near future. The starting point for the company is to turn their short-term rental fleet electric while pushing zero-emission mobility across its services along the line. The electrification will be a step-by-step process, financed by […]

Citroën presents autonomous ‘Skate’ concept

September 30, 2021

Under the name ‘Autonomous Mobility Vision’, French car manufacturer Citroën presents a concept of the future’s multifunctional and autonomous city vehicle. For this, it has created a partnership with Accor and JC Decaux, named Urban Collëctif. The common aim of the manufacturer, the hotel chain, and the giant of public billboarding is to optimize mobility […]

Swedish Voi launches 2 000 shared e-scooters in Brussels

September 16, 2021

After successfully launching its shared e-scooter platform in more than 70 cities across Europe, the Swedish Voi is introducing its service in Brussels. Some 2 000 e-scooters will be available to rent. Voi aims at being present in the nineteen municipalities of the Belgian capital. “Mobility in cities like Brussels faces many challenges, ranging from […]

German-American ViaVan to provide customized transport in Flanders

September 13, 2021

The Flemish government had signed a contract with the private German-American company ViaVan to operate the Flemish mobility center. This center, a kind of umbrella taxi center or combi-mobility center for the whole of Flanders in the context of basic accessibility, must provide tailor-made transport in Flanders. It will replace some of the buses of […]

Flanders wants to boost shared mobility in towns and cities

September 10, 2021

Flemish Minister of Home Affairs, Bart Somers (Open Vld), wants to encourage Flemish cities and municipalities to focus more on electric shared mobility. That is one of the conclusions of a study day together with, among others, the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) and Autodelen.net in Mechelen on Thursday. The target? 13 200 […]

Only 4% of Belgian employees have a mobility budget

September 09, 2021

Only 4% of Belgian employees currently receive a mobility budget from their employer. These are the results of a survey held by HR service provider Securex among more than 1 500 employees in May. A quarter of the employees who have a company car say they are ready to exchange it for a mobility budget, […]

ALD Automotive invests in Belgian MaaS start-up Skipr

September 07, 2021

Born out of D’Ieteren‘s mobility start-up incubator Lab Box, Skipr sees ALD Automotive enter its capital with a 17% stake. Specialized in managing alternative mobility solutions for professionals, the Belgium start-up welcomes the arrival of one of the worldwide leaders in leasing and company car management. The initial focus will be on developing the Belgian […]

Free-floating operators diversify into retail and long-term renting

September 06, 2021

Hit by the pandemic and still searching for a profitable business model, free-floating services seek other revenue sources. American Bird is spreading its wings by selling some of its products in addition to renting them. French Zoov-Smoove is also diversifying by a new long-term bicycle renting solution at 69 euro per month. While they weren’t […]

Renault presents ride-hailing Limo at IAA Münich

August 30, 2021

At the motor show in Münich, Renault’s mobility arm, Mobilize, will reveal its first product. It’s called the Limo, and it’s an all-electric, D-segment-sized sedan that will be made exclusively available through subscription. But whereas similar formulas, like Lynk&Co, aim at private customers, the Mobilize Limo should be regarded as a response to the ride-hailing […]

Cambio celebrates 50.000th subscriber

August 26, 2021

Car sharing company Cambio celebrated its 50 000th subscriber in Brussels on Wednesday. The company has been active in Belgium since 2002. Meanwhile, it has more than 1 600 cars at 778 locations in 67 Belgian cities. Although fewer Cambio cars were driven during the corona pandemic, the number of car-sharers has grown. In 2021, […]

Belgian architect develops telescopic home charging system

August 24, 2021

The Flemish architect and entrepreneur Danny Vaes (47), who specialized in urban development, has developed a prototype smart charging system for electric vehicles. The system is intended for people who normally cannot charge at home. On Monday, Vaes’ invention was introduced in Hasselt, in the presence of the Flemish Ministers Lydia Peeters and Bart Somers […]

Google Maps to show micromobility from Bird, Spin, and Voi

August 20, 2021

After pioneering in 2018 to show where to find Lime’s e-scooters and integrating them directly into the route planner in Google Maps, today’s world’s most used navigational tool is becoming more and more a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) app for major cities. The latest to integrate their micromobility offer into Maps are Bird, Spin, and Voi. American […]

Uber suffers under heavy driver incentives spending

August 06, 2021

Ride-hailing platform Uber struggles to attract drivers who left the company earlier because the demand for rides had fallen sharply during the corona pandemic. But riders returned to Uber this spring more quickly than drivers, causing long waiting times and higher prices. To tempt drivers back to the platform, Uber increased incentives and bonuses, and […]

Bolt mobility platform raises 600 million euros

August 03, 2021

Mobility platform Bolt has raised a new 600 million euros round of funding, valuing the Estonian company at more than four billion euros. The platform will use the new funds to strengthen its new 15-minute grocery delivery service, Bolt Market, in certain countries where the company operates and accelerate the development of its existing mobility […]

VW and Europcar go for second marriage

July 29, 2021

Fifteen years after their peaceful separation, Volkswagen and Europcar have united again. The board of Europcar has approved Wednesday the €2,9 billion offer (inclusive debts) of a consortium led by Volkswagen. Volkswagen is the biggest partner in the bidding consortium, but there is also the British fund Attestor Limited and the Dutch Pon Group. Attestor […]