Paris picks Voi, Dott, Lime for E-Bikes

Paris has awarded contracts to Voi, Dott and Lime to operate its next-generation shared e-bike service, launching on 1 October 2025.

The move comes as the French capital continues to scale back car use and accelerate active mobility through long-term, structured partnerships.

The four-year agreements mark a major shift in Paris’s micromobility strategy following its 2023 referendum to ban shared e-scooters. That vote, which led to the removal of 15,000 scooters from city streets, was driven by growing public concern over rider behaviour, parking and perceived safety risks.

“Statistically, there were not many accidents because of these [shared] e-scooters,” said Natalia Ciciarello, Shared Mobility Manager for the City of Paris, in an interview with Cities Today last year. “But we had a lot of people say to the city that there was a feeling of insecurity… and this was quite important.”

Ciciarello said the decision to move away from shared e-scooters was also influenced by public health priorities.

“Cities need to promote active mobility, and if you can do the same trip on a regular bike, why should you promote and give so much space for a shared e-scooter?”

The new e-bike scheme is intended to support that shift, working alongside the city’s wider Plan Vélo investment strategy, which aims to make all of Paris bikeable by 2026. Early observations since the e-scooter ban point to increased uptake of shared bikes, particularly among tourists.

Among the newly appointed operators, Swedish firm Voi described its Paris contract as the largest in its history. The company will deploy 6,000 e-bikes as part of the new scheme.

“Being selected by Paris is a major milestone in Voi’s journey,” said Fredrik Hjelm, Voi’s Co-founder and CEO. “It confirms our strategy of focusing on long-term partnerships with capital cities that lead the way in sustainable mobility.”

The Paris contract positions France as a central market for Voi’s expansion, which already includes operations in Marseille, Grenoble, Le Havre and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The company says it combines financial resilience with “strong local anchoring, environmental responsibility and user safety”.

As Paris retools its micromobility policies post-scooter era, the new e-bike model signals a more regulated, integrated and active approach to urban movement.

Image: Marc Bruxelle | Dreamstime.com