Bolt undercuts rivals in nine-city German e-scooter rollout

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a protective face mask amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) uses an e-scooter from provider Bolt in central Kyiv, Ukraine August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

BERLIN (Reuters) - Estonian start-up Bolt launched electric scooter services in nine German cities on Tuesday, saying the rollout was the biggest of its kind and challenging rivals with ultra-low pricing.

Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, will offer rides for as little as 0.05 euros ($0.06) per minute with no unlocking fee, undercutting competitors that typically charge 1 euro per trip plus 15-25 euro cents a minute.