Swapping out cars for e-scooters: Superpedestrian riders logged 210,000km during European Mobility Week

Superpedestrian invested €100,000 to support European Mobility Week with free rides on our LINK shared e-scooters, resulting in 30% more rides than usual

Imagine cruising from the Circus Maximus to the Colosseum on a Superpedestrian LINK e-scooter, minus the usual snakes of Roman traffic. Or riding from downtown Lisbon all the way to Belém to visit some of the city’s most famous monuments and taste a classic pastel de nata. What about taking in some of Vienna’s grandest buildings as you scoot along the Ringstraße? Now imagine doing all of that with a hefty 20% discount — or totally free of charge.

Superpedestrian customers in these and many other European cities had the opportunity to do all that and more between 16 and 22 September, the dates of this year’s European Mobility Week (EMW).

The theme of EMW this year — the 20th edition — was “safe and healthy with sustainable mobility.” Awareness-raising events and demonstrations of environmentally friendly modes of transport were held across the continent. A virtual museum was created to highlight the past, present and future of the week. In some cities, bicycle repair stations were set up, and workshops and film screenings were organized. The period culminated with World Car Free Day, which encourages motorists to swap their cars for a greener form of transport for the day, including walking, cycling, public transport and, yes, e-scooters.

Superpedestrian supported the mission of EMW with two initiatives. We offered a 20% discount to our riders in all 30 of our partner towns and cities in Europe. In addition, free thirty-minute rides were available in Lisbon, Rome, Turin and Vienna on 22 September to celebrate World Car Free Day.

Both initiatives were made possible through a €100,000 investment from Superpedestrian — and the success of the campaign surpassed all expectations.

“We’d forecast approximately 160,000km of rides during the week but the actual number exceeded 210,000km,” said Haya Verwoord Douidri, VP (Global market expansion, strategy and policy) at Superpedestrian. “That’s a 30% increase, directly due to our significant subsidies. We promised European communities that we would work tirelessly to support them when we first launched in Europe in September 2021, and initiatives like these show that people are responding to our lead.”

Superpedestrian is a private company, of course, and must make a profit in order to sustain its services. How does this balance with supporting programmes such as EMW?

“There was never a doubt in my mind that Superpedestrian would take part in European Mobility Week and do it in a big way with LINK e-scooters,” said Steven Hodgson, Marketing Manager (EMEA) at Superpedestrian. “We were born of engineers and urban planners — people who genuinely want to solve problems and make life better for people. Giving a Continent-wide discount and free rides in major European cities on World Car Free Day fits completely with our central philosophy of ‘thoughtful mobility’. Our approach was supported right from the top. I’m so proud that we continue to set the example for the industry to follow in placing the promotion of zero-emissions transport and accessibility above short-term profit, and using our marketing and communications channels to support such worthwhile goals.”

Superpedestrian already has strong credentials in valuing access. For example, the Seattle Department of Transportation found that 14.9% of journeys on our LINK e-scooters in the city start or end in areas of social justice. That figure is just 1.4% for the next-nearest provider. Elsewhere in Europe, we have supported free rides for health workers, free rides to vaccination centres, and innovative wallet bonuses, while ensuring that our fleet coverage extends to all neighborhoods in our partner communities.

Another important EMW event was the presentation of a new urban mobility framework. Building on the European Union’s 2013 Urban Mobility Package, the framework focuses on creating urban transport systems made up of smart, emission-free vehicles that are centered on safety, accessibility, inclusivity, affordability and resilience. These are values that Superpedestrian shares and actions through its LINK e-scooters.

Shana Leshko, Superpedestrian’s Sustainability Manager, commented on this synergy: “We were thrilled with this year’s EMW theme of ‘safe and healthy with sustainable mobility’ because safety and sustainability are at the core of Superpedestrian’s work. Our LINK scooters offer a socially-distanced, convenient, and safe way to get around, all while replacing polluting car trips with carbon-neutral rides.”

Moving forward, Superpedestrian will continue to assist cities all over Europe in creating mobility networks that are more sustainable. We operate 100% carbon neutral shared fleets in six countries already across the Continent and expect to see many more cities choose Superpedestrian services soon.

“We are proud to enable shared micromobility services in the more than 50 cities that we serve globally by supporting greater connection to public transit and offering a more sustainable alternative to short car journeys,” says Jean Andrews, Policy Director (UK and Ireland). “With COP26 around the corner requiring stronger global action on climate change, we have a reminder of the imperative to act to reduce emissions urgently across every sector of the global economy. Shared micromobility needs to be deployed at scale to further support decarbonization of transport.”

EMW 2021 may be over but Superpedestrian’s work to support decarbonising transport across Europe is not. As Europe drives towards ever-cleaner city systems, we will be there to support our partner communities every step — and scoot — of the way.