Well, Germany is one of the latest European nations to witness the wave of green e-scooters on roads. This has prompted big names in the US such as Lime and Bird to enter the country.
While the German government has jumped on to the bandwagon of electric scooters in Munich, there are some legal limitations that come along. Well, electric scooters should be used only on cycle paths, provided it is available or on the roads in the absence of a cycle path. However, these should not be used on pavements.
Thatās not all! The maximum speed limit is 20km/h and the riders should be at least 14 years of age. While there is no compulsion to wear a helmet, it is highly advised to wear one. And, at last, the legal limit for drinking is the same as it is for other motorists.
Having that the electric scooters are gradually conquering the roads of Munich, here we have cherry-picked five popular e-scooter brands operating in the city. Each of these services has its own app and work in a simple and straightforward way. Also, youāll get to know the cost you need to pay to use these e-scooters.
Circ
Founders: Lukasz Gadowski, Carlos Bhola
Funding: ā¬55 million
Valuation: ā¬220 million ā ā¬330 million
Founded year: 2018
Why its hot: Berlin-based micro-mobility startup Flash was rebranded to Circ in June. Following the change in its name, Circ is eyeing to expand to new markets. The company provides personal lightweight electric vehicles to you commuters save time and minimise carbon emissions.
To use Circ electric scooters, you have to download the free Android or iOS app and sign up for an account. Then, you need to find an e-scooter nearby on the map and unlock it via the app. Once your requirement is done, you can park the e-scooter in a safe pace and lock it via the app. In most European cities, Circ costs ā¬1.00 per unlock and ā¬0.20 per minute. The cost will be displayed on the map before you unlock the scooter.
Tier
Founders: Julian Blessin, Lawrence Leuschner, Matthias Laug
Funding: ā¬27 million
Valuation: ā¬100 million ā ā¬150 million
Founded year: 2018
Why its hot: German e-scooter startup Tier intends to provide electric scooters on a rental basis for last-mile connectivity. Tier and MVG joined hands to provide over 1,500 e-scooters in the city of Munich. To unlock a Tier e-scooter, you need to download the Tier app, find a scooter near you and scan or tap the same to unlock it. The cost to unlock is ā¬1 per ride and ā¬0.19 per minute in Munich.
Lime
Founders: Brad Bao, Toby Sun
Funding: ā¬706 million
Valuation: $2.4 billion
Founded year: 2017
Why its hot: Lime is an electric scooter rental service operating in many cities in Europe. Initially, it started with Paris and gradually expanded to other cities in Europe including Munich. You can book a Lime electric scooter by downloading the app, unlocking a fleet of smart bikes and scooters from the same. You can unlock an e-scooter for ā¬1 per ride and pay ā¬0.20 per minute.
Voi
Founders: Douglas Stark, Filip Lindvall, Fredrik Hjelm
Funding: ā¬76.4 million
Valuation: $120 million ā $180 million
Founded year: 2018
Why its hot: VOI Technology based in Sweden has launched its affordable and sustainable electric scooter solution in several European cities including Munich, Madrid, Lisbon, etc. to reduce the carbon footprint. It has over 150,000 registered users and is in plans to expand into France and Italy too.
Voi costs ā¬1.00 per unlock and ā¬0.15 per minute. Like the other services, to use Voi electric scooters, you need to download the app, find a Voi and unlock it to start riding. And, you can park it in such a way that it doesnāt disturb cars, doorways, gates or pedestrians.
Bird
Founders: Travis VanderZanden
Funding: ā¬377 million
Valuation: $2.5 billion
Founded year: 2017
Why its hot: US-based Bird is a last-mile electric vehicle sharing company offering affordable and environment-friendly transportation solutions to its user communities. Bird offers dockless electric scooters and the service operates via an app. Late in August this year, Bird entered the German market by launching its services in Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg.
The mobile app shows where scooters are available in the locality so that users can locate an electric scooter and start the ride by scanning the QR code. Interestingly, the app also shows the battery life of the scooter and location using GPS. The cost is same as Voi charging users ā¬1 to unlock a Bird scooter and ā¬0.15 per minute.
Main image picture credits: SWM/MVG
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