Estonian mobility company Bolt introduced its new e-scooter, Bolt 6. The plan is to gradually roll out the new model, with better handling and a pimped-up design, in Brussels and the other cities where Bolt operates. According to the company, the new two-wheeled means of transport sets a new standard for safety and sustainability.

Two words recurred during the presentation of the Bolt 6 model at Brot’s Brussels office and workshop, located in the shadow of the broadcasting tower of public channels RTBF/VRT on August Reyerslaan: safety and sustainability.

Wider floorboard

These are the two factors that Public Affairs Manage Marc Naether says have been given extra attention this time with the new model. For example, compared to the previous model, the battery is now located at the very bottom of the vehicle, just below the large black center deck on which the rider stands.

By incorporating the battery no longer in the vehicle’s tail, just above the rear wheel, but more centrally, the vehicle should generate greater stability and thus cause fewer balance problems. Also, because the floorboard had been widened, one of the widest in the sector, dixit Bolt.

The front wheel is also slightly larger (12 inches) and, together with better suspension, this should make the user feel more secure and comfortable.

More powerful battery

The 1.1 kWh smart battery is also more powerful. Whereas you could previously travel 40 km with the device before it must be recharged, that distance has now more than doubled to 90 km. That distance is comparable to Bolt shred e-bikes, good for a range radius of 80 km.

The new model was also given a more modern and streamlined and, therefore, less angular look. The plastic dashboard on the handlebars, which houses an integrated LED display that provides speed and battery level information, is no longer a separate solid block. It now covers almost the entire handlebars, making it a little more like competitor Uber’s Lime in terms of front-end look.

About 100 sensors

E-scooters have a reputation for also compromising the safety of other vulnerable road users because users often carelessly leave them in the middle of the pavement. Bolt aims to address that shortcoming too with the new model.

For instance, the device incorporates about 100 sensors. This allows the company to monitor each device in real-time, allowing it to see when, for example, a brake needs to be replaced or when there is a problem with one of the wheels.

These sensors and state-of-the-art microprocessors, together with a camera embedded in the handlebars, also send signals when the e-scooter is left in the middle of the pavement or not in the designated drop zones. This artificial intelligence parking system immediately alerts the user via the app that he should leave the device in the designated areas.

These sensors will also advise the user to reposition the vehicle to prevent falls if it is tilted more than 15% while parked. It also detects, for example, tandem riding, which is forbidden by Belgian law.

Lifespan of eight years

That higher standard in terms of safety and combat nuisance is also found in the durability concept. Until now, Bolts vehicles had a lifespan of around four years. Now this has been increased to eight years. After all, proper maintenance is key to extending the lifespan of an e-scooter.

The design was developed entirely in-house, for better control of software and hardware, and the device was assembled in the main workshop in Estonia. However, several parts do come from China and Japan. But by focusing on sturdier e-scooters, Bolt hopes that it will have to use fewer replacement parts and thus, in time, repair fewer e-scooters, still a major cost factor.

Bolt’s e-scooter workshop in Brussels – the company has a second one in Drogenbos for its shared e-bikes – normally employs about ten people.

Waiting for a new permit

Bolt plans to selectively roll out the Bolt 6 this month with around 1 000 units, in Lisbon, Riga, and Tallinn, respectively. There are currently two Bolt 6 vehicles in Brussels, and whether that fleet will be further expanded during the year – the company is currently deploying around 4 000 units in Brussels – will depend on Brussels Mobility.

Indeed, from 1 January 2024, only two instead of eight operators will be allowed in the Brussels region, with a maximum of 8 000 e-scooters to 20 000 today. Bolt is a candidate operator and will file a case also because it is a provider of shred e-bikes in Brussels, too – the new regulations provide space for the shared e-bike providers (3 x 2 500 bikes).

“We have always cooperated well with the Minister of Mobility and her cabinet and have also always hammered on safety ourselves, as have the other operators,” says Marc Naether. “For now, we are waiting for the decision regarding the granting of the permit. Once that happens, hopefully around October, we will roll out the new models.”

“Now, suppose we don’t get the license, that’s not a disaster. Bolt is currently active in more than 300 European cities and 500 worldwide. With Bolt Food, we are also active in the food delivery domain, which is sometimes forgotten. If we don’t win, then those new Bolt 6 devices will just be distributed to the otter cities.”

No negative impact of Paris’ ban

In Belgium, in addition to Brussels, Bolt currently operates in Namur, Dinant, Ypres, and Ghent, where it only offers shared e-bikes. Naturally, the company is also keeping an eye on the situation in other Belgian cities – in Bruges, Ghent, and Louvain, for example, no licenses are currently granted for shared e-scooters. “But in Antwerp, one license expires next year and two in 2025. If there are opportunities or openings we will apply,” says Marc Naether.

In general, on the overall negative impact of Paris’ decision to ban shared e-scooters, he would not comment. However, he is also cautious in criticizing the cities’ policies. “In the beginning, we were active in Paris, but we withdrew from that market well before the city of Paris’ decision. So, we didn’t feel any real impact from that. And who are we to criticize the city of Paris’ decision? Again, plenty of other cities see a solution in soft mobility and want to be on micro-mobility by letting operators deploy shared e-scooters.”

Discretion over figures

On figures, the company otherwise remains very discreet. The answer to the question of how many trips must be made on such a Bolt 6 before the device pays itself back, for example, or how much the production of such a device costs, is left unanswered.

According to many, however, the business model is ailing, and Bolt founder Markus Villig himself said that “it’s not a big stand-alone business, but we never need to make a profit on scooters because we see them more as an essential part of urban transport and one that brings customers in our ecosystem.”

“I don’t know which interview that quote is from or why he said that, but we do want to make a profit with our shared e-scooter service”, says Marc Naether. “And so also here in Brussels. We believe that soft mobility can solve the mobility problems of cities, and we hope to contribute to that with our shared e-scooters and bikes. And so, those operations should also become or be profitable in time. That is ultimately the intention.”