Taxify Rolls Out Scooter Sharing Service In Paris

Taxify, the Estonian-based ride-hailing company, is launching a new brand of e-scooters, dubbed Bolt.

According to reports, starting now Taxify will roll out a scooter sharing service via its mobile app in Paris. A spokesperson for the company said that the scooters will be available in several other European and Australian cities where the app is already in use. According to the report, the mobile app has 10 million users in 25 countries. At the current time, there are no plans to launch a scooter sharing service in the U.S.

“One in five Taxify rides are less than 3 km, which is the perfect distance to cover with an electric scooter,” Taxify CEO and Co-founder Markus Villig said in a statement. “It’s likely that some of our ride-hailing customers will now opt for scooters for shorter distances, but we’ll also attract a whole new group of customers with different needs. This means we’ll be able to help more people with their daily transportation problems.”

The report stated that a Bolt scooter ride will cost 15 cents per minute, with customers unlocking the scooters by scanning a QR code using the Taxify app. Taxify will collect all the scooters in the evening so they can be recharged.

The launch of a scooter sharing service comes at a time when Taxify is raising venture capital dollars. In May, it raised $175 million from Daimler, Didi Chuxing and other investors, giving it a valuation of $1 billion. Daimler‘s move to invest in Taxify comes at a time when vehicle manufacturers are investing in ride-hailing startups as a way to enter the burgeoning industry of app-driven rides. It also provides the car makers with an opportunity to sell vehicles to fleet operators. Taxify is focused on operating a network of vehicles and wants leadership help from Daimler.