Voi welcomes UK decision to fast-track e-scooter trials

Voi Technology has welcomed the UK’s decision to fast-track trials of e-scooters in the next few weeks and to invest £250m in emergency transport schemes to promote walking and cycling, to relieve the pressure on public transport. The Swedish e-scooter operator is ready to take part in trials having been talking to authorities about UK launch since 2018.

Now more than ever a collaborative approach to mobility is needed. We have an opportunity to reinvent urban transport.

Fredrik Hjelm, co-founder and CEO of Voi, said: “We welcome the UK government’s commitment to innovating transport and to fast-track trials for e-scooters, which we will participate in. Now more than ever a collaborative approach to mobility is needed. As we emerge from lockdown, people will want to avoid overcrowded public transport but we need to make sure that there are good non-polluting options available, that suit all abilities and pockets.”

“Right now we have an opportunity to reinvent urban transport and to increase our use of electric vehicles, bikes and e-scooters. The last thing anyone wants, as communities emerge from this crisis, is for people to resort to cars to get around. Voi wants to work closely with UK authorities, policy makers and other public transport operators to make sure we provide transport that truly connects people.”

Voi was operating in more than 40 of Europe’s cities until March, when it paused operations in the bulk of its cities, as governments told residents to stay at home. Voi continued to operate in Stockholm, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Uppsala, Odense and Copenhagen. Across these cities, it has been working with food delivery services and charities to make sure that key workers can get to work and that food is delivered to those who are in isolation.

The last thing anyone wants, as communities emerge from this crisis, is for people to resort to cars to get around.

As countries start to lift lockdown regulations, Voi has been returning to city streets to provide more ways to travel to those who have to get to work or vital appointments. Voi launched in Zurich and Trondheim, last week, for the first time, in a partnership with SBB, the Swiss rail operator and relaunched in Winterthur and Turku. The e-scooter operator will also resume operations in France next week.

For the first time, the e-scooter operator will launch a loyalty programme, through which riders can redeem points to skip the lock fee. Other improvements to operations include e-scooters with swappable batteries, known as the Voiager 3 and Voiager 3X. Cargo bikes will be used for charging scooters with swappable batteries, dramatically reducing emissions caused by fleet operations.