08/03/2024
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we came across pictures of Coco Chanel and suffragette Florence Norman riding a 109-year-old motorized scooter (Autoped) created in Long Island City, New York.
Of course, at that time, climate change wasn’t as big a concern, and the Autoped was a loud polluter. However, the idea of “democratizing” urban mobility was already present. A long history of scooters targeted towards women followed the Autoped (the “Little Ant” scooter, the Gloucester, arguably the Vespa, and more).
Gender equality in mobility does not exist to this day. Studies show that women have less purchasing power for personal vehicles. They tend to use public transport more than men while having a higher average number of trips per day (“Gender equality and mobility: mind the gap!”, Civitas). The same study shows that women have a different perception of climate change and are more inclined to invest in sustainable solutions than men.
Looking at these two pictures, we cannot help but think that women have always been at the forefront of social progress. So yes, we are happy to offer lighter, more affordable, and safer private e-scooters on a monthly plan. It doesn’t change systemic inequality at all, but if it saves time or allows someone to travel late without worrying about their safety on public transport, then it’s a win!
