Among the three operators affected by the cessation of self-service electric scooters, Lime remains confident. There will be no job cuts, while the company will focus on cycling in particular.
On April 2, the citizen vote organized in Paris decided to ban self-service electric scooters from the capital. However, this came as no surprise to Lime, one of three operators – along with Dott and Tier – in the capital. The company invited us to present its future plan of attack.
What will become of scooters and their users?
Invited to their premises in Charenton-le-Pont (94), at the gates of Paris, we met the French subsidiary of the American brand. Already, what will become of the 5,000 electric scooters banned by September 1? “They will be reassigned to other cities, with a gradual withdrawal during the month of August” says Hadi Karam, General Manager Lime France. “None will be thrown away”.
Which cities will benefit? Nothing is recorded, this will be done according to the needs of the communities this summer, knowing that Lime can rely in France on Marseille and Le Havre. Because these two cities continue to benefit from its scooters, just like 250 other cities in the world. “We are also continuing to invest in cities that want to test and use our technologies, including sidewalk detection and two-up driving.” he adds.
As for the 400,000 unique monthly users in Paris (or 1.5 million over the year), where can they turn? “We still don’t know what the real modal shift will be: buying a scooter, using a self-service bicycle, or even a motorized vehicle” continues the leader, “The Parisian case is very specific, therefore difficult to predict. We will take a commercial and communication device, to bounce back on the bicycle activity ”. Are discounts coming? The question is asked.
More scooters? Lime invests in cycling
Because it should not be forgotten, Lime does not only operate a fleet of electric scooters. The company also provides self-service bicycles in Paris, which are twice as numerous. Indeed, 10,000 shared pedelecs occupy the territory, making Lime the leader against Dott and Tier.
An impressive figure, because they were only 3000 in 2020 at launch, 5000 in 2021 and 7000 last year. This fleet recorded +73% trips in two years, or 1 every 6 seconds (approximately 430,000 per month after calculation), as well as +80% users. But is this enough to compensate for the end of scooters?
“However, we remain profitable with bicycles, despite the cessation of electric scooters” says H. Karam. “We have the ability to bounce back and absorb short-term cycling activity with a logic of expansion”. No figures on the future evolution of the fleet, but Lime claims to want the “strengthen in collaboration with the city”.
The desire to renew the dialogue
However, it will be necessary to regain a relationship of trust with the municipality. “Communication slowed down, then broke off” admits Xavier Miraillès, director of public affairs at Lime France. “Now that the vote is over, we want to resume discussions with elected officials to establish a constructive dialogue. » A first meeting also took place the day after April 2, for the terms and to discuss the place of the bicycle.
The US firm is also betting on the creation of a “Micro-mobility Observatory”. This should allow, according to Lime, to clean up the vision of communities with a lack of knowledge of this subject, and especially scooters, whose anarchic management of 2018-2019 is still remembered. The idea is to “recall the current data on accidentology, environmental impact, modal shift, having an impact on the choice of these forms of mobility”.
Decision-makers will also be able to consult the rest of the charter that Lime – and the other operators – signed at the end of March with the government. She wants to systematize several measures on a national scale: license plate, ban on minors with verification of identity card, limited speed zones or even turn signals.
No social plan at Lime France
Lime therefore remains confident, especially “at the dawn of the 2024 Paris Olympics”, which will highlight cycling with, in particular, cycling “Olympists”. The brand also wants “take this small risk to maintain the workforce” of its Charenton site, where it moved in February 2023.
Today there are 250 people, including the mechanics who repair, recondition or recycle the capital’s 15,000 scooters and bicycles. All of them will therefore keep their jobs, as they have been trained on both types of vehicles.
Finally, Lime admits to being in discussions with other cities interested in self-service bicycles or scooters. This could secure these positions and remedy the void left by the prohibited devices in Paris.
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