Electric mopeds will be available for hire around Paris from this summer following an “encouraging” trial of the public scheme, the mayor’s office has announced.



The service will see 1,000 scooters gradually deployed around the French capital, available to anyone aged over 20 with a moped licence.

The electric bikes, equivalent to mopeds with 50cc engines, will be available from 7am until 1am daily under a scheme managed by Cityscoot, the first company in Europe to provide self-service scooters.

Cityscoot has been testing 50 of the scooters since last June with the support of city authorities and the results had been “very positive”, the mayor’s office said.

“In the last three months 1,200 testers have completed nearly 4,500 journeys,” the office said, adding that 65% of those who took part said they would use the scheme regularly.

In a city where motorbikes and mopeds make up a sizeable chunk of daily traffic, 21% said they would be happy to switch exclusively to the more environmentally friendly electric bikes.

The Local reported that Cityscoot will have no rental terminals, no key, and no magnetic card, unlike existing car sharing networks.

For €3 ($3.25) each 15 minutes, users will be able to rent a scooter using an app on their smartphone.

The scooters can cover about 105km, or five hours of driving, before they need a recharge. Helmets and gloves will also be available for hire.

The scheme is endorsed by Anne Hidalgo, the capital’s mayor, who wants to reduce cars and pollution in Paris.