Dott, the European micromobility operator, has unveiled a new project which aims to double the lifespan of its vehicles, in a move which will help cut its carbon emissions by nearly 50%.
Initially taking place in Lyon, Dott’s e-scooters will undergo a complete refurbishment, extending their current three years of service by a further four years.
Reaching a total lifespan of seven years, the programme avoids manufacturing and transporting new vehicles, reducing Dott’s overall environmental impact.
Maxim Romain, co-founder and COO of Dott, said: “We have always prioritised the maintenance and care of our vehicles, which prolongs their lifespan and helps us to lower our environmental impact.
“This new project in Lyon takes our approach to the next level, as we refurbish an entire fleet for the first time.
“Over 2,000 vehicles will be transformed from some of our longest serving to be as good as new, without the emissions from manufacturing and transporting new vehicles.”
In an industry first, Dott’s teams of mechanics have developed a plan to fully refurbish more than 2,000 e-scooters initially.
The approach will then be replicated and expanded to cover vehicles across all of Dott’s markets, with an additional refurbishment facility established in Poland.
Dott’s e-scooters will be dismantled by a team of 29 specialists, sorted into parts for either recycling, repairing or reusing, and then renovated and painted.
A new, more accurate GPS system is also being fitted, as well as a phone holder, to bring the fleet up to the same standards of current new vehicles.
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First launched in Lyon in 2020, Dott’s existing e-scooters in the city have travelled an average of more than 5,000km each – equivalent to double the length of the UK, France and Spain combined.
The most used vehicles have travelled more than 8,000km, around eight times the total length of France.
By keeping maintenance in-house with expert teams, and committing to repairing and recycling vehicles, Dott has already been able to extend vehicle lifespan and keep safe and reliable e-scooters in use for longer.
The scheme is a result of Dott’s recent tender win in Lyon, announced last month.
As part of the tender process, Dott committed to the refurbishment of its existing fleet, to meet demanding requirements on sustainability, a priority for the City of Lyon.