The French city of Marseille has picked micromobiltiy company Dott, via a competitive tendering process, to introduce its e-bike sharing service in the city.

This means Dott will be the only micromobiltiy provider present in the three largest cities in France – Marseille, Lyon and Paris.

Around 1000 shared e-bikes will be available in Marseille from the end of January, providing an efficient way to move across a city, free from congestion and without causing pollution.

“We are happy and very proud of this decision,” said Dott co-founders Henri Moisinnac and Maxim Romain. “Thank you to the city of Marseille for its trust in our expertise. We are looking forward to bringing Marseille a quality, accessible and reliable service. This decision recognises the Dott system, which we have used since Dott’s creation: we are a mobility operator, not a digital platform. We operate the service ourselves every day, with our own teams who are all colleagues and company shareholders. We are responsible, reliable and always seeking environmental excellence.”

Over the past year, Dott supported 130% more trips than in 2020, unlocking the cities of more than double (108%) the number of riders who took advantage of the shared e-scooters and e-bikes to travel around cities. The peak month was September, as a return to commuting for much of Europe led to 80% growth in riders and a 120% leap in trips year-on-year.

The shared micromobility operator now operates in nine countries and 38 cities, up from seven countries and 20 cities at the end of 2020.

“2021 has been a transformational year for Dott, as we reached the milestone of launching e-bikes in major cities across Europe, offering a new choice of vehicle to suit the different needs of our riders,” said Moissinac. “The significant growth demonstrates that more people are discovering how Dott unlocks efficient, safe and reliable travel across their cities.”

Dott grew the size of its fleet of e-scooters across Europe to over 40,000, an increase of 100% on the previous year. In a milestone for the business, e-bikes were introduced from autumn, with a fleet of 10,000 coming into service in major cities including Paris, Brussels, Rome, Milan and Cologne. The e-bike will arrive in more cities this year.

The average cost of a trip is now around €2, making shared e-scooters and e-bikes comparable with public transport pricing.

Throughout 2021, Dott saw its users riding more frequently, with many taking advantage of passes to reduce the cost of regular use. More than a third of rides now take place using a pass.

Across all of Dott’s markets, the average journey distance is 2.8km, and for over 11 minutes.

In some of its most established cities, Dott is proving to be a trusted way to travel. For example 40% of the eligible city of Lyon population were regular monthly users at the peak this year.

The most popular times to travel are between 16:00 and 19:00, as riders choose shared micromobility to avoid congestion at peak travel times and as a way to get around with a more efficient and pleasant commute.

Dott reduced its CO₂ emissions by 40% in 2021, as well as introducing a monitoring tool that measures CO₂ emissions monthly. This proviodes detailed insights that allow Dott to measure how environmental initiatives are helping reduce its carbon footprint.

The company is working to reuse, upcycle or recycle 100% of used vehicles and parts, and aims to exceed a five-year life-span for its vehicles. Dott is targeting a 100% electric logistics fleet and renewable energy in all its cities. The service is designed to be as accessible as possible, and it works closely with local communities, aiming for equal coverage across the areas it serves and partnering with local organisations to help improve the cities in which it operates. 

In the UK, where Dott operates as part of the London trial for shared e-scooters, the busiest month since the service launched in June was October. Following the summer, the combination of eased lockdown restrictions and the return to work after the holidays led to a surge in demand for shared micromobility. October also marked the start of Camden joining the trial, bringing the service to more of the city.

Dott operates over 40,000 e-scooters in cities in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain and the UK and had launched a fleet of 10,000 e-bikes by the end of 2021. The firm has has a staff of 350, with its main teams in Amsterdam, London and Paris.