Life-cycle analysis of shared e-scooter: data-driven approaches in 100 EU cities

Journal article, 2025

While shared electric scooter (SES) systems continue to expand, their environmental sustainability remains contested due to limited existing assessments that predominantly employ static emission factors and idealized operational assumptions. Using SES data and electricity-mix generation profiles across 100 EU cities, we estimate greenhouse gas emissions for SES through a life cycle assessment approach. Manufacturing, shipping, and end-of-life collectively impose a fixed burden of 115.6 kg CO2eq per scooter. Operational data reveals dynamic consumption patterns, with active riding averaging 15.9 Wh km-1 and idle-phase drawing 1.5 W. Applying usage patterns derived from empirical data, total emission factors range from 30 to 124 g CO2-eq km-1, influenced primarily by trip frequency, distance, and the carbon intensity of electricity generation. Comparative analyses at city and country levels, along with sensitivity assessments, indicate that enhancing utilization rates and decarbonizing electricity supplies are pivotal strategies for achieving climate-neutral shared e-scooter systems.