Meet Voiager 5, Voi’s safest and most durable e-scooter to date

Voi, the leading micromobility company in Europe, has released its newest generation e-scooter, the Voiager 5 (V5), with a focus on safety, circularity, inclusion and a seamless rider experience as it continues its mission of shaping cities for living with the latest world-class micromobility vehicles.

Following the rapid rollout of the Voiager 4 (V4), Voi has built upon the design achievements of last year’s model and made them even more sustainable for the V5. Deep analysis of repair cycles and quality assurance checks enabled the improved design, so that the V5 sets a new industry benchmark for durability. The V5 is Voi’s most circular vehicle yet, with components that are easier to repair and reuse, plus more than double the amount of recycled materials. The commitment to sustainable design and manufacturing in the V5 is a boost to Voi’s Circular Vehicle Programme and integral to the company’s mission to become carbon positive by 2030.

New and improved features, including an updated dashboard design, integrated phone holder and automated turn indicator switch, also enhance the rider experience and help riders navigate city streets easily, efficiently and safely.

Fredrik Hjelm, CEO and co-founder of Voi says: “Sustainability and safety are founding pillars at Voi. The future of micromobility is to design fully circular and low carbon vehicles. We have set this as our target by 2025 and the Voiager 5 is a huge step in this direction. We have more than doubled recycled materials used, ensured full repairability and improved the durability of each component. The V5 will set a new benchmark for sustainable vehicle production.”

Magic wheels

The V5 has a larger front wheel and increased tyre tread depth for improved safety, along with greater shock absorption for smooth rides even on rough surfaces. Additionally, the height increase between the road and the rider prevents the scraping of the footdeck. This means that the wheels can navigate potholes more easily, allowing the rider to travel more smoothly on city roads.

Powerful brake performance

With safety always of the utmost importance, the V5’s brakes are more durable and sturdy than ever before. The reinforced brake cables are now easier to access for mechanics, which reduces the scooter’s time spent in the warehouse for maintenance and increases fleet availability for riders.

Voi’s latest e-scooter model is updated with a more ergonomic handlebar whereby the brakes, indicator switch and bell are easier to reach, even for those with smaller hands.

Design facelift for a more inclusive vehicle

As part of our mission to co-create solutions and in developing V5, Voi sought to engage widely with many groups whose mobility needs are often not taken into consideration. In collaboration with organisations such as Open Inclusion and Women in Transport, roundtables, hackathons, interviews and surveys were conducted with more than 1,000 people including women, people with disabilities, older people and those caring for young children.

This level of engagement is unprecedented within the micromobility sector and, paired with Voi’s own R&D, allowed Voi’s engineers to better understand the barriers and to create solutions to a range of mobility needs.

New key features developed with inclusion in mind are:

• An updated dashboard design on the V5, with the addition of a centrally-located integrated phone holder, enabling riders to navigate more safely. Additionally, integrating the phone holder into the scooter frame improves its durability and repairability as it is more robust

• A more ergonomic handlebar whereby the brakes, indicator switch and bell are easier to reach, even for those with smaller hands

• Auto-cancelling indicators, preventing riders from having to lower their gaze mid-ride to inactivate them

Hjelm added: “Traditionally transport services and products are designed by men for men, yet more inclusive vehicles are necessary to make transport better and more accessible to everyone. That’s why it’s been so important to work with so many people and organisations to make the V5 our safest and most inclusive vehicle yet. This is something we will continue working on, as part of our aim to be a company that builds solutions and includes all voices in the service design from end to end to tackle climate change and shape cities for living.”

In developing V5, Voi sought input from groups whose mobility needs are often not taken into account, including women, people with disabilities and older people.

Pioneering circular vehicles

To advance the sustainability of its service, Voi looks at vehicles as more than just single-use items. Building on the strengths of previous models, the V5 brings Voi even closer to creating a fully sustainable and circular e-scooter by:

• extending the lifespan to five years

• increasing modularity for ease of repairs and reuse of parts

• using an increased proportion of recycled materials

• ensuring components of the vehicle can be reused and recycled at end-of-life

The V5 is built using the most sustainable and recyclable options currently available. The proportion of recycled materials used in the scooter now stands at over 30%, more than double the previous rate thanks to close collaboration with our suppliers and manufacturers along the supply chain. Nearly 90% of the scooters’ components have been redesigned to improve durability and repairability.

Juugii Sukhbold works as a mechanic at Voi’s Stockholm warehouse and says the Voiager 5 is easier to repair than any previous e-scooter model, allowing Voi to get scooters back on the streets faster after maintenance.

Other new benefits of the V5 include:

• Improved accuracy and precision – The entire V5 fleet is equipped with the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technology meaning that riders are able to end their rides at designated parking spots with sub-metre accuracy

• Greater street accessibility – On the V5 scooters, riders and non-riders can scan the QR code using their smartphone camera to easily let Voi’s local teams know if a vehicle is wrongly parked so they can take care of it

• Rigorous quality assurance benefits – Voi has addressed common repairs needed on previous models with durability being at the forefront of the mind for the V5. Voi has done its own additional testing rounds on the V5 far beyond the standard practices, to assure the quality and reliability of the scooter ahead of its launch