Despite more than a million riders, Paris may ban rental e-scooters
Paris is considering an all-out ban on the insanely popular rental electric scooters in the coming weeks, with backers of the plan saying that they clog up the streets and sidewalks, freak out pedestrians, and aren’t even that green due to their “very short life.”
The capital city is home to a fleet of 15,000 rental e-scooters, with 1.2 million riders last year, most of them residents of Paris. Yet the city’s three electric scooter operators, Lime, Dott, and Tier, are all up for license renewal in February 2023. But whether or not that will happen is yet to be determined, with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo expected to announce her decision in the coming weeks.
The big concern is, of course, safety. Paris had 337 registered accidents tied to e-scooters in the first eight months of this year, from 247 over the same period last year. Last year, an Italian woman walking along the Seine died tragically when an e-scooter carrying two women struck her. Another high-profile case involved the death of two teenagers on an e-scooter in Lyon in August of this year, which led to that city banning e-scooter use for riders under 18.
The operators, however, argue that Paris is already the strictest, most regulated city in the world in regards to their business, with only three operators allowed in the city under three-year contracts, with automatic tracking and speed limits as low as 10 km in some areas, and down to zero as you wheel into a public park. Paris allows e-scooters on bike lanes only, and only one person can legally ride at a time – although this isn’t often adhered to.
Plus Lime, Dott, and Tier say that pointing the finger at them isn’t fair, since rental e-scooters only account for a small proportion of accidents, and represent fewer fatal accidents on a per-ride basis compared to mopeds or cars. France also accounts for Europe’s largest market in e-scooters purchased for personal use, with more than 900,000 e-scooters sold last year – so eliminating rental e-scooters won’t solve the problem.
A supporter of the ban, David Belliard, the Green deputy mayor in charge of transport and public spaces, told Le Parisien that “there has been progress, but it’s still complicated: for example, in parking spots, you can find electric scooters strewn across the ground and people obliged to climb over them, including elderly people.”
While, as a longtime resident of Paris, anecdotally, it’s hard to argue with this observation, but companies say that they are doing more and better every day thanks to geo-tracking software – they cite that 96% of their devices are parked where they belong, and company patrol operators cruise the city to reposition e-scooters gone astray, or that have tumbled over in their parking spots. In addition, Paris scooter companies are exploring ways to prevent more than one person from riding a scooter at a time, including using sensors and ID checks.
What about the short shelf-life of a rental scooter? Paris, like most major European cities, was a very early adopter of rental e-scooters, and early versions were more easily broken and discarded, with the bottom of the Seine River being a popular destination for unused e-scooters in Paris. But times have changed, say the e-scooter operators, with devices now weighing around 30 kg compared to 10 kg. Still, companies say they still pay professional divers to fish e-scooters out of the Seine once a month.
Hopefully Hidalgo, too, will not discount how popular e-scooters are, especially among younger Parisians, with one trip being taken every four seconds in Paris. A recent Ipsos survey, commissioned by Dott, Lime, and Tier, found that 88% of city residents have considered e-scooters a part of their daily transport, with more than half saying they’d already used one, with 82% of this group being aged 18-34.
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Massachusetts is launching a first-of-its-kind statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program. This two-year initiative, backed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), aims to deploy 100 bidirectional chargers to homes, school buses, municipal, and commercial fleet participants across the state.
These bidirectional chargers will enable EVs to serve as mobile energy storage units, collectively providing an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity. That means EVs won’t just be getting power – they’ll be giving it back to the grid, helping to balance demand and support renewable energy use. The program is also focused on ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged communities have access to this cutting-edge tech.
The Massachusetts pilot is one of the largest state-led V2X initiatives in the US and is designed to tackle key challenges in deploying bidirectional charging technology. By strategically placing these chargers in a variety of settings, the program aims to identify and resolve barriers to wider adoption of V2X technology.
Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will get bidirectional chargers capable of both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations at no cost. Here’s what they stand to gain:
- No-cost charging infrastructure: Bidirectional charging stations and installation are fully covered for participants.
- Grid resilience: With an estimated 1.5 MW of new flexible and distributed storage assets, the program strengthens Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure.
- Clean energy integration: V2G technology allows EVs to charge when renewable energy is available and discharge stored energy when it’s not, supporting the state’s clean energy goals.
- Backup power: EV batteries can be used as backup power sources during outages.
- Revenue opportunities: Some participants can earn money by sending stored energy back to the grid.
Clean energy solutions firm Resource Innovations and vehicle-grid integration tech company The Mobility House are leading the program’s implementation. “With the charging infrastructure provided through this program, we’re eliminating financial barriers and enabling school districts, homeowners, and fleets to access reliable backup power,” said Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations. “We aim to create a scalable blueprint for V2X programs nationwide.”
“Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community,” added Russell Vare of The Mobility House North America.
The program is open for enrollment now through June 2025. For more details, visit the MassCEC V2X Program webpage. A list of eligible bidirectional vehicles can be found on that page.
Read more: Cambridge’s new solar VPPA is the largest ever by any US city
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Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.
Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.
“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.
CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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After cutting lease prices by $200 this month, the Rivian R1S is now surprisingly affordable. It may even be a better deal than the new Tesla Model Y.
Rivian cuts R1S lease prices by $200 per month
Rivian’s R1S is one of the hottest electric SUVs on the market. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out.
With some of the best deals to date, now may be the time. Rivian lowered R1S lease prices earlier this month to just $599 for 36 months, with $8,493 due at signing (30,000 miles). The offer is for the new 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Standard, which starts at $75,900.
Before the price cut, the R1S was listed at $799 per month, with $8,694 due at signing. The electric SUV now has the same lease price as the R1T, despite costing $6,000 more.
The 2025 R1T Dual Motor starts at $69,900, essentially making it a free $6,000 upgrade. At that price, you may even want to consider it over the new Tesla Model Y.
Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series arrived with lease prices of $699 for 36 months. With $4,393 due at signing, the effective rate is $821 per month, or just $13 less than the R1S at $834. However, the 2025 R1S costs nearly $15,000 more, with the Model Y Launch Series price at $59,990.
Rivian is also offering an “All-Electric Upgrade Offer” of up to $6,000 for those looking to trade-in their gas-powered car, but base models are not included.
| Starting Price | Range (EPA-est.) |
|
| 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard | $75,900 | 270 miles |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series | $59,990 | 327 miles |
To take advantage of the Rivian R1S lease deal, you must order it before March 15 and take delivery on or before March 31, 2025.
The 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard Motor has an EPA-estimated range of up to 270 miles. Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series gets up to 327 miles.
Which electric SUV would you choose? Rivian’s R1S or the new Tesla Model Y? If you’re ready to check them out for yourself, you can use our links below to find deals on the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in your area.
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