Dockless E-Scooter: A Green Solution for Mobility? Comparative Case Study between Dockless E-Scooters, Displaced Transport, and Personal E-Scooters

Hélie Moreau, Loïc de Jamblinne de Meux, Vanessa Zeller, Pierre D’Ans, Coline Ruwet and Wouter M.J. Achten
Additional contact information
Hélie Moreau: Institute for Environmental Management and Land Use Planning (IGEAT), ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Loïc de Jamblinne de Meux: IRL, ICHEC Brussels Management school, 1150 Brussels, Belgium
Vanessa Zeller: Institute for Environmental Management and Land Use Planning (IGEAT), ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Pierre D’Ans: 4MAT Department, ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Coline Ruwet: IRL, ICHEC Brussels Management school, 1150 Brussels, Belgium
Wouter M.J. Achten: Institute for Environmental Management and Land Use Planning (IGEAT), ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles), 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: This study applies a life cycle assessment (LCA) to the shared dockless standing e-scooter system that is established in Brussels. The results are given for four impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), particulate matter formation, mineral resource, and fossil resource scarcity. Regarding GWP, the use of the shared e-scooters in the current system causes 131 g of CO 2 -eq. per passenger-kilometer while the mode of transportation displaced has an impact of 110 g of CO 2 -eq. Thus, at present, the use of e-scooters shows a higher impact than the transportation modes they replace. The high results for the shared e-scooter, in terms of GWP, are mainly caused by the short lifespan of the shared e-scooter. Nevertheless, as the market further matures, the lifespan of e-scooters could increase and the impact per kilometer travelled could decrease accordingly. Regarding the use of the personal e-scooter, the LCA results show an impact of around 67 g of CO 2 -eq. This study quantifies the LC impacts of the current situation based on local, ‘real-life’ data. However, potential changes on soft mobility patterns induced by the use-oriented product-service system (PSS), such as a shared e-scooter system, could not be quantified.

Keywords: e-scooter; life cycle assessment; product-service system; environmental assessment; mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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