Ride-hailing firm Bolt unveils its fourth-generation scooter complete with accident sensors

Image credit: Bolt

Bolt, the Estonian mobility company, has unveiled its fourth-generation scooter, powered by "innovative hardware and software to become the safest model on the market”, the firm has said.

Bolt 4 is equipped with sensors to detect accidents, falls, sharp braking, and unsafe riding patterns. According to Bolt, the scooter’s construction is optimised for extra stability and safe manoeuvring, with the lowest centre of gravity, highest ground clearance, an improved caster angle and exceptional light weight.

A set of hardware and software features, such as sharp braking detection and intelligent voice alerts, allows Bolt to attempt to minimise risk of accidents through educating and warning riders as well as alerting pedestrians, and enables its local teams to react immediately when necessary.

Bolt 4 is fully designed and engineered in-house, with Bolt’s team directly in charge of the manufacturing and sourcing of the components. The scooter’s design and its unique battery swap solution are patent-pending.

Dmitri Pivovarov, Director of Micromobility at Bolt, said: “We are committed to making micromobility an affordable and accessible mode of transportation for everyone, and safety is our top priority. While we want as many people as possible to give up on personal cars for greener alternatives, it is important to make sure that scooters are used responsibly, so they can be truly beneficial for cities and communities. Having an in-house team of hardware experts enables us to fully control the quality of our scooters and to implement cutting edge solutions that we hope will set a new standard for safety in shared micromobility.”

Image credit: Bolt

Matt Barrie, Country Manager, Rentals - UK&I, Bolt said: “As the only electric scooter operator that designs, manufactures and assembles their own, proprietary scooters, Bolt leads the way when it comes to quality and safety. The Bolt 4 is quite simply the best and safest scooter created so far. Bolt’s unique multi-modal customer proposition will unlock tremendous value in providing urban citizens with the appropriate sustainable transportation options, to quickly, safely and affordably move around their city.”

Bolt’s next-generation scooter is 100% recyclable, with a calculated lifetime of 60 months. The new model contributes to Bolt’s long-term commitment to reduce the ecological footprint of the transportation industry and Bolt as a company. Earlier this year, Bolt announced its plans to become climate positive (carbon negative) in its electric scooter operations by the end of 2020.

Bolt is currently offering micromobility services in 45 cities and 15 countries in Europe. In 2021, the company will expand its scooter and electric-bike sharing service to cover more than 100 cities. Bolt’s fourth-generation scooter will be first launched in Bergen, Norway, in the beginning of 2021.