Case study YEGO
Seeking to establish a long-term presence in Paris, YEGO responded to the tender issued by the city of Paris as part of its policy to promote ‘soft mobility’. This is an attempt to tackle congested cities, air pollution and climate change by providing faster, cleaner transport alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles. To regulate the shared scooter market, the City of Paris limited the number of operators to three in its tender. As the city pays close attention to environmental criteria, YEGO asked EcoAct to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) of its scooters. Our EcoAct experts carried out a life cycle assessment based on the entire product cycle, the so-called “cradle-to-grave” perimeter, i.e. from the extraction of raw materials to the product’s end of life.
For each stage, they considered the following elements:
The biggest challenge was obtaining the most accurate supplier data to provide an advanced level of detail on each of the scooter’s components. The data collection was carried out by YEGO’s teams, in collaboration with their component and energy suppliers, to record all the stages, from manufacture to end of life. The objective of the data collection was to be as accurate as possible in terms of consumption (materials and energy) in order to limit assumptions. All YEGO departments were mobilised to share key data transparently, such as the number of battery changes per day, the distances covered by spare parts, or the type of paint used to cover the bikes.
YEGO's scooter hire scheme has been operating for several years in major French and Spanish cities, promoting low-carbon transport to their 500,000 users through their electric engines. YEGO's mission is to facilitate and rethink access to sustainable and responsible micro-mobility, in harmony with cities and their inhabitants. They contribute to the development of soft mobility through a solution adapted and designed to meet financial, technical, and practical constraints. YEGO also encourages more shared transport as the scooters have two seats, for a driver and one passenger. YEGO's responsible approach is based on long-term solutions, especially in terms of design and maintenance to increase the lifespan of the scooters on the market.
The outcome of the life cycle assessment of our scooters has confirmed the responsible choices YEGO has been making for several years. Eco-design, repair, renewable energy, recycling policy, relocation of the assembling in France... all these choices have a positive impact and allow us to go a step further in terms of environmental excellence.
Based on the initial results, EcoAct examined ways to lessen the scooter’s impact. For example, lightening the steel frame would reduce the amount of materials used, which in turn would have an impact on most of the categories. Reducing the total weight of the vehicle also has an impact on the energy consumption of the scooter in use.
The objective was to present comparisons with the progress already made, to establish potential innovations and to evaluate the viability and influence of the proposed improvements, which are at the heart of YEGO’s eco-design thinking.
The life cycle assessment has allowed us to study the environmental impacts of the current scooter and to identify the main emissions resulting from its life cycle. Initially, the scooter had a lifespan of 5 years, but by optimising maintenance, YEGO was able to achieve a lifespan of at least 7 years. This progress has helped to reduce the scooter’s impact on climate change.
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Life Cycle Assessment 
Carbon Footprinting