Bolt continues European expansion following electric scooter launch in Imperia, Italy

Credit: Bolt

European mobility platform Bolt has announced that it has arrived in Italy by launching electric scooters in Imperia. With more than 50 million customers across 40 countries in Europe and Africa, this is the latest step in the company’s impressive expansion across the two continents.

Regularly creating new product offerings, Bolt offers ride-hailing, car-sharing (Bolt Drive), food delivery (Bolt Food) and speedy grocery delivery (Bolt Market), but it is electric scooters that the business has strategically chosen to launch in Imperia as a first step in the country.

Paul Alvarez Gentles, Regional Manager at Bolt, said: “It’s fantastic to see Italy and its economy begin to unlock after the coronavirus pandemic. We firmly believe that Bolt electric scooters have a big role to play in facilitating citizens and tourists to enjoy the fantastic cities across Italy in a sustainable, safe way. The holiday season and good weather has arrived, so we can’t wait to get started in Imperia and have big plans for the rest of the country.”

Bolt offers electric scooters in more than 100 cities across Europe, making it the largest operator on the continent. Whilst affordability is often the most important factor for riders, Bolt also prioritises safety and responsible parking to ensure that its operations bring positive value to cities. As a result, it has industry leading software and hardware. For example, the in-app safety toolkit teaches riders the local road rules and includes a feature called ‘Beginner Mode’, which limits a scooter’s acceleration and top speed so that a new rider can learn how to use a scooter safely.

Furthermore, Bolt offers a scooter model that is not only safe and easy to use, but sustainable, too. The model that is being deployed in Imperia is designed and engineered by Bolt. It’s light weight of 17kg means that it is easy to control, whilst its modular design allows the company’s in-house hardware team to restore any broken scooters, instead of decommissioning them. Additionally, scooter operations are climate positive following the Bolt E-Scooter Sustainability Pledge.

Claudio Scajola, Mayor of Imperia, said: “The fact that Bolt, a leading European company, has chosen Imperia for its launch in Italy can only be a source of pride for us. Our city is becoming a national reference point for electric mobility and sustainable technological innovation. The launch of the electric scooter sharing service brings together technical development, environmental awareness and road safety. In the post-pandemic world, our cities must be increasingly green, smart and future-oriented.” 

Gentles added: “Our mission is to decrease the world’s dependence on the private car. The benefits of this for cities and their citizens are huge – less pollution, more green spaces, cities generally being nicer places to enjoy. We’ve seen that car traffic can be an issue across Italy and, of course, cities want to present the best version of themselves as tourism increases over the coming months. We believe that our electric scooters – with their affordable pricing, innovative safety features and enjoyable riding experience – can be extremely helpful assets to cities of all sizes.”