Within the framework of the Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress 2023 (TMWC23), representatives from KNOT share their expansion plans.
In conversation with Mobility Portal Europe, Polina Mikhaylova, co-founder of KNOT, explains, “The current goal is to reach more European cities with the installation of new stations.”
The company, focused on producing infrastructure for e-scooters and e-bikes, is based in Strasbourg, France, and currently operates 600 stations in 10 countries.
Most of its operations are within Europe. However, it also has a presence in Maldives, Uzbekistan, and Canada.
Additionally, it has an established base in Valencia, where they collaborate with Spanish hotels.
Micromobility, besides helping to decrease environmental pollution, has the advantage of being one of the solutions to the problem of traffic and vehicle density.
“The main importance of micromobility is to free up space in the city. If you look at the streets today, almost half of them are occupied by cars,” declares Mikhaylova.
She understands that, in addition to environmental commitment, they also have an aesthetic and cultural responsibility.
“If we increase micromobility in central areas, we can have beautiful cities with better air quality,” she says.
“These are not just means of transportation but also a form of leisure, a way to have a good time, and even a sport if you choose a bicycle,” comments the co-founder of KNOT.
For the benefit of users, these vehicles are easily portable and economically accessible, unlike zero-emission cars.
In this regard, when asked about the need for tax benefits to increase the use and choice of micromobility, Mikhaylova argues, “The bike is sexy enough and financial incentives are already good enough.”
“The system can be made more dignified to help people understand how to use it. It can also be cleaner,” she adds.
What is KNOT’s main differential?
In an industry where more and more companies present their innovations, creativity and exceptionalism are two key aspects to compete.
“Our technology is progressive because we can detect the voltage and battery protocol, that allows us to know exactly which vehicle is being charged,” acknowledges Mikhaylova.
“Additionally, we produce the material and are also operators, so we understand exactly where problems come from,” she adds.
These factors allowed the company to establish itself in the sector and expand globally in just seven years.
Regarding technical aspects, it’s worth mentioning that the KNOT station is compatible with most standard e-scooters and e-bikes designed for the sharing business.
Also, integrating the sleeve to make it chargeable takes only 15 minutes.
Moreover, the station’s software is connected to the backend through an API.
In this way, end users access directly through the operators’ applications.
They just need to check if their software provider is already compatible with KNOT, and if not, simply send the API link.
The company’s motto is “Our mission is to provide accessible charging infrastructure for all.“
