Chinese bike-sharing giant HelloBike plans to set up in Europe, starting with Paris, its management said on Monday. The Shanghai-based company submitted its application as part of the Paris City Council’s call for tenders for self-service electric bicycles, scheduled to start in the summer of 2025, said Manon Bouvet, the group’s spokeswoman for France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Lime and Dott, the two companies already present in Paris with bicycles without accessories, confirmed on Monday that they had also submitted applications for the Paris City Hall tender. The Vélib’ are connected to terminals.
A smaller Parisian bike with a longer lifespan
HelloBike plans to launch in other French cities, but also in Seville and Barcelona in Spain. Its parent company HelloRide operates 7 million bicycles, but also scooters and cars in 500 cities in China, with a turnover of 1.8 billion euros in 2023. The company has also launched in Singapore and Sydney, Australia. HelloRide’s main shareholders are the Alibaba e-commerce group and its former subsidiary Ant Group, owner of the Alipay payment service.
If selected in Paris, Hello plans to assemble its bikes (up to 6,000 according to the tender) in the new factory of its partner Cibox in Revin (Ardennes). The Parisian bike would be smaller than the current version and would have a longer lifespan, especially as regards the battery, explained Manon Bouvet. Some would also be equipped with child seats. Around sixty employees would be hired for their maintenance in the Paris region.
Source: BFM TV
