Scoot Networks Coming to Barcelona
Scootin’ into Barcelona.
Earlier this week, Scoot Networks announced that it’s launching its promised scooter and e-bike sharing network in Barcelona, Spain, which includes 500 high-performance electric scooters, and 1,000 electric bicycles.
Scoot is also planning to make some upgrades on its original scooter that the company deploys in San Francisco. Instead of maxing out at 30 mph, this new moped can go up to 60 mph. What else? The company is also working on a good old-fashioned pedal-assist bicycle.
Yes, Scoot is getting into the bike game.
“In Europe, most cities have thousands of private cars. By providing multi-modal networks of shared electric vehicles and through collaborative planning with cities, Scoot can transform urban mobility to make cities more liveable and enjoyable,” said Mar Pallas Poy, Vice President of European Expansion at Scoot.
The high-performance electric scooters are designed to not only drive faster, but also be more durable and carry up to two people. But Scoot won’t be the only shared electric moped and bicycle service in Barcelona. It will join moped startups Yugo and eCooltra, and bike-share startup Bicing.
Scoot Networks CEO and founder Michael Keating said that Barcelona is a natural market for the company because it’s a “big scooter town.” Kids in Barcelona “grow up riding scooters,” Keating said. In addition, the city has wide sidewalks, handy for locking up e-bikes.
Scoot’s electric bicycle includes features specific to shared vehicle networks such as the ability to lock to bike racks. In addition, Scoot partnered with Barcelona-based Spanish manufacturer, Silence, to develop the scooter, which features durability, an extended battery range and the ability to carry two passengers comfortably.
The company has been in San Francisco since 2012 and has collaborated with the city the entire time. It’s gotten permits, supplies all riders with helmets and has worked with the city on parking. It also pays the city $1 per vehicle per day. The company currently has 650 motor scooters in San Francisco and plans to add another 500 this summer.
After launching in Spain, Scoot plans to expand more rapidly, with the goal of being in several more cities in Western Europe and the Americas over the next year.
