Caromatherapy

Bolt imagines a vehicle emission-scented home diffuser. In its latest campaign, Bolt nudges urban dwellers to embrace shared electric transport and designs the Caromathérapy diffuser to help them cope with the loss of the familiar smell of internal combustion engines. In a world where shared electric cars, scooters, and e-bikes are gaining popularity, the reign of internal combustion engines may soon end.

With regular cars accounting for 61% of road transport emissions, this shift promises a future of cleaner air and quieter streets. While Bolt applauds this shift, the team is also concerned about the more nostalgic urban dwellers who will be left without the familiar scent of vehicle emissions that once defined our cities.

To ease the switch and help cope with the loss, Bolt created a Caromathérapy diffuser specially designed to support city dwellers transitioning to electric mobility by bringing the properties of an internal combustion engine to their homes. As the name suggests, the product is similar to aromatherapy, but instead of eucalyptus vapour, the diffuser emits a soothing blend of exhaust fumes to recreate the relaxing aroma of a car-dependent city.

Of course, creating a real-life Caromathérapy diffuser would be toxic and harmful to our health. So, Bolt has crafted a virtual one to raise awareness of the impact of electric transport and drive home the message. With a fleet of 230,000 CarbonNeutral® e-scooters and e-bikes in over 250 cities and the options to choose electric (and hybrid) ride-hailing and car-sharing in its app, Bolt makes it easy for people to switch to electric transport and directly help reduce air pollution in our cities.

Liisa Ennuste, Creative Director at Bolt: “Some people love the prospect of electric mobility and seeing more shared mobility options in their city. Others dread it. We imagined a solution to the latter. We created Caromathérapy to bring the authentic feeling of a traffic jam into your living room. It smells like a car and, with a button tap, sounds like one, too. When turned on, the diffuser plays ambient traffic sounds, elegantly mixed with a series of profanities that are a genuine part of [some] drivers everyday lives. It’s great to see that many people consider shared e-scooters as a better alternative to a personal car. Our mobility survey showed that the availability of Bolt e-scooters resulted in a 39% reduction in car trips across 14 markets.”

For the moment, Caromathérapy remains a prototype, but Bolt is inviting people to register their interest in bolt.eu/Caromatherapy, hinting at a possible surprise for signups.