Bosch enters electric-scooter fray in Paris as diesel-emissions scandal bites

Paris

GERMAN car supplier Robert Bosch is expanding its electric-scooter sharing service to Paris as it seeks to disentangle itself from the industry's diesel-emissions scandal.

Bosch, the world's largest car parts maker, has been closely connected to the diesel scandal that erupted in September 2015 when Volkswagen admitted to rigging about 11 million cars to cheat on emissions tests.

The German company is rolling out its Coup service in the French capital on Thursday and aims to operate as many as 600 battery-powered two-wheelers there in the coming weeks. The offering started last August in Berlin, where its fleet has since surged fivefold to 1,000 scooters.

"Paris is one of Europe's most crowded cities, with issues of congestion and pollution," Maureen Houel, Coup's general manager in Paris, said by phone. "It's a good place to introduce a new mobility service."

Coup is one of Bosch's first forays into dealing with transport customers directly, putting it at risk of clashing with its carmaking clients as they push into mobility services.

The move reflects the disruption gripping the car industry as it adapts to changing consumer habits and a growing range of alternatives to traditional car ownership.

The expansion of Coup also comes amid growing headwinds for diesel technology, a key part of Bosch's car-related business. Leaders of major European urban centres such as London, Paris and Munich have stepped up efforts to cut the use of diesel vehicles. BLOOMBERG