The six companies that will be authorized to operate scooters, bicycles and electric scooters in 24 municipalities in Bordeaux Métropole from November have been designated. Five are already well known to Bordeaux residents and operate vehicles in several French and European cities: Bird, Pony, Dott, Tier and Yego. But the sixth, eDog, is a completely unknown new face in the small world of free-floating mobility. This 100% Bordeaux VSE has just won the market at the expense of much more established players who seemed to be favorites such as CityScoot, even though it has never managed any free-floating scooter in Bordeaux or elsewhere. This does not prevent him from claiming a solid know-how.
Behind the 250 bright orange scooters flocked with the head of a Mastiff of Bordeaux which will soon be noticed in the streets of the metropolis, there are nine associates led by Jean-David Mora. This 34-year-old from Bordeaux has been evolving for ten years in the world of mobility: at Bordeaux River Cruise for eight years then at E-scoot since 2020, as a field operator and then as director of operations. E-Scoot is none other than the local company that operates since 2018 in white label Yego scooters through a franchise. Its mission: the maintenance, repair and loading of 200 Yego scooters.
But a few months ago, the Barcelona company decided to internalize the management of its fleet as it does in other French and Spanish cities. “The franchise system in Bordeaux to manage field operations was an experiment. We now want to manage all our fleets directly”, explains to La Tribune Mireia Cardona, Yego’s operations manager. A change in strategy that Jean-David Mora and some of the former E-Scoot employees have decided to use to try their luck in this market by bringing together “a few hundred thousand euros” to create eDog and finance the initial investment. A gamble that paid off.
“We have the best skills in Bordeaux”
“We don’t know this actor at all who we discovered, like everyone else, following this call for tenders. It’s a very big surprise since it’s an inexperienced company. I would point out that “There is no capital or commercial link between them and Yego. We will of course ensure compliance with contractual obligations in competitive and commercial matters”, reagit Mieria Cardona.
Opposite, in the absence of experience under their own colors, the nine partners behind eDOG openly claim their know-how:
“At eDog, we have the best skills in Bordeaux acquired over the past five years in all positions, in particular that of electrical mechanics. It is probably this know-how that convinced the Métropole”, says Jean David.
Especially since the founders have also built a clever speech combining local establishment and responsible business with a series of reductions planned for students, job seekers and seniors.
Proven vehicle versus newcomer
In addition to the Bordeaux roots of the company, whose warehouse is located on the right bank between the ZAC Bastide Niel and the TBM tram depot, the eDog scooter is intended “lighter, more repairable and with less plastic”. Pink, the supplier of the Super Soco CU-X scooter is based in Yvelines and the development of the application is done in Italy. Equipped with a single battery, the eDog has a range of 70 to 90 km thanks to a weight of only 46 kg compared to 50 to 100 km and 87 kg with Yego. “Our vehicle is proven in terms of durability, life cycle, stability and safety. Weight is not everything”, points out Benjamin Viguier, the general manager of Yego.
“We chose efficiency and durability rather than style!” smiles Jean David. “We have reduced the plastic parts, which are more fragile, and provided metal cleats to protect them in the event of a fall. The whole thing is equipped with LEDs and disc brakes and can carry two people.”
Added to this are promises on respect for parking areas, the automatic stopping of the scooter in pedestrian areas and its clamping at 30 km / h in the streets concerned.
Electric scooters operated by Yego (credits: Yego).
A quickly profitable activity?
In this new configuration of competition-cooperation with Yego where each operator will be able to deploy 250 scooters, it will still be necessary to succeed in generating profitability. Yego claims to have been profitable for several years at Bordeaux and the goal would be within reach, considers newcomer Jean-David Mora: “The balance is achievable with a hundred scooters from three to four trips per day. So with 250 vehicles we should be profitable in March and we will be able to free up the means to remunerate the associates who want it and then develop”calculates the co-founder of eDog.
What to feed national or foreign ambitions? “No, that’s absolutely not the point, especially because it would contradict our local roots.“, cuts Jean David. On the other hand, the president of eDog is already looking closely at deployments in medium-sized towns in New Aquitaine: “I am convinced that in cities like Limoges, La Rochelle, Libourne or Arcachon, there is a profitable model with a small team and between 50 and 100 scooters.”
Until then, it will first have to prove itself in Bordeaux where the 250 scooters will be spread over a larger territory than Bordeaux: “The scope of the call for tenders is very interesting since it includes the Matmut stadium, the airport, most of the university campus, the climbing halls and various equipment. It may also be necessary to consider in the authorization of a larger number of scooters for a while”slips Jean David.
eDog and Yego have authorizations valid for one year and renewable twice. And if their relations are for the moment rather cold, the two companies will have to get to know each other and to cooperate in one way or another.