“We had been working on this market for some time. So this is great news for us. It is the demonstration of our know-how and our ability to meet very precise specifications. » David Pluchon, founding director of Tilgreen is more than satisfied. Based in Saint-Herblain, in the Nantes suburbs, his company has obtained the green light from the interior ministry for the supply of maxi electric scooters to the teams of the national police, the gendarmerie as well as the Paris police headquarters. Apart from a few local experimentsthe French police forces do not yet have a large fleet of electric scooters for their interventions.
“The interest of electric mobility from an environmental point of view is, of course, known. But the Ministry of the Interior was also particularly interested in the absence of engine noise. This is very appreciable in urban areas. The imminence of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, an event during which France will be “particularly observed” by foreign visitors, and the development of low emission zones (ZFE), have also contributed to convincing the ministry of the interest of switch to electric, reports the boss of Tilgreen.
“The potential is several thousand units”
Delivered with logo (some will be unmarked) and equipped with specific accessories, the scooters ordered are 125 cm3 equivalents with a range of approximately 200 km. “They can go up to 130 km/h, with amazing acceleration. They are very comfortable in urban and peri-urban areas. The first deliveries are scheduled for the next few days in Ile-de-France. “It’s a purchase order market, I can’t say yet how many vehicles will be sold in total, says David Pluchon. This will depend on service feedback. It will be at least 200 machines. But I think we will be well above, the potential is several thousand units. It can make us change dimension. »
In addition to the French police and gendarmerie, Tilgreen, which already equips the police in Catalonia, hopes to finalize a “very important contract” with union of public purchasing groups (UGAP) to equip community services with scooters. It is also working on the development of a Grand Touring-type electric motorcycle (equivalent to 650 cm3) intended for professionals: police, firefighters, taxis, rescuers, etc. “It’s the first GT electric motorcycle in the world, explains David Pluchon. We pin a lot of hope on it. We tried it out with the Spanish and Portuguese police as well as with the Paris police headquarters. We hope they will be convinced. »
Founded at the end of 2005 with the initial activity of marketing hoverboards, Tilgreen specializes in the design of electric bicycles and scooters that it sells through distributor stores or directly from its website. The company, which currently employs 12 people, is trying to stand out from the strong competition with a limited but “very customizable” range, as well as through long-term rental offers. For 2023, it expects revenue growth of around 50%. In the medium term, it plans to develop the “reconditioning of second-hand electric two-wheelers” and to transfer most of its production to France.