Bolt Technology launches longer-range kickscooter Bolt 5
Bolt Technology has taken the veil off its latest e-scooter, Bolt 5. Plans will see the Estonian company roll out 20,000 new scooters in European cities in the coming months. The Bolt 5 features a wider footboard and replaceable battery said to provide up to 55 km of range. There’s also news on sustainability.
The Bolt 5 is made of 100 per cent recyclable aluminium and has a lifespan of up to five years. Recently, Swedish e-trotter rental company Voi had also introduced its new Voiager 5 with a view to increasing durability. Superpedestrian has made similar moves for its Link model, and so did Tier. The latter wants to integrate exchangeable batteries into the Spin fleet it took over from Ford in March.
The pull for longer life cycles and repairability is part of strengthening ties between micro-mobility companies and cities. Licensing has become increasingly competitive and is often coupled with safety and other requirements.
Dmitri Pivovarov, VP of Rentals at Bolt, said: “Bolt and cities are partners. We have the same goals – we’re looking to provide vehicles and solutions that can be used together with public transport infrastructure.”
For the Bolt 5, the company says it designed the scooter with “safety as a top priority”. Features include slightly curved handlebars and said wider floorboard for better grip and easy manoeuvring.
A bigger, 12″ front wheel and hydraulic suspension provide more comfort and safety when riding at high speeds on pavements or over curbs.
To stop in a controlled manner, Bolt added a front electromagnetic brake and a rear drum brake to the Bolt 5.
That is all hardware. However, Bolt had already announced a range of software safety features last December. These include a system that can detect more than one person riding a scooter, a cognitive reaction test to ensure riders stay as safe as possible, and a skid prevention system.
In the Bolt 5, the company added more features linked to the vehicle’s IoT. The system can issue alerts if the scooter is moved illegally, knocked down, or if the battery is running low. Future IoT features can be introduced to adapt the Bolt 5 to other city or user-related requirements, so Bolt.
Since launching eight years ago, Estonia’s answer to Uber has progressed from ride-hailing services into car-sharing through Bolt Drive, Bolt Food and most recently Bolt Market to deliver groceries, and claims its app has 100 million users in 45 countries and 400 cities in Africa and Europe. Note that Bolt is not active in the United States, and the company considers its European roots among its USPs.
In today’s communication, Bolt did not disclose which cities will be first to see the new Bolt 5 scooters rolling out.
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