Electric scooter rentals in the UK
The electric rental scooter has been gaining momentum in recent years. In the UK alone, more than 100.000 rides were taken on shared e-scooters over the last 12 months.
But what is this sharing concept like? And what does it cost to take a ride on a rental scooter? Discover it here.
What is a rental e-scooter?
A rental electric scooter (or shared e-scooter) is an electric kick scooter that is not privately owned, but driven around in shared use. The use of electric share scooters is similar to the shared use of cars and bicycles. You rent this electric scooter using a mobile app.
How do you rent an electric scooter?
You can use rental scooters by locating and unlocking them with a mobile app. This works in the following way:
- Download the mobile app of the share scooter provider in your (holiday) city;
- Link a payment method to your account or buy a rides card via the app to pay for your rides;
- See in the app where the nearest share scooter is located;
- Navigate to the share scooter via the app and unlock it by scanning the QR code on the handlebar with your phone;
- Before finishing the ride, check if there are designated areas where you can park the scooter*;
- Put the scooter back in the designated zone. If there is none, make sure the scooter is not in the way of other traffic or pedestrians;
- Close the ride via the app. After this, you will be shown an overview of your covered route and the cost of your ride.
*In some cities, shared scooters cause a nuisance. Make sure you always return the scooter to its designated area. If you do not do this, some providers might charge you extra.
What does a ride on an electric share scooter cost?
As with shared bikes, you’re probably wondering how long it pays to use this until you’re better off buying one yourself. On average, you can consider the following costs:
| City | Unlocking fee | Fee per minute |
| Bournemouth | £1.50 | £0.10 |
| Cambridge | £1 | £0.20 |
| Liverpool | £1 | £0.20 |
| Newcastle | £1 | £0.18 |
| Sunderland | £1 | £0.20 |
On average, this comes to £1.10 for unlocking an electric scooter and £0.18 per minute for use. In this case, a 15-minute ride will cost you £2.88.
Tip: take advantage of a free ride
Through the app, most providers give the opportunity to share a referral code with someone. This personal code can be found in the app. Are you going for a ride with two or more people? Then benefit from free credit in the following way:
Example: Tier app
Which electric scooter rental companies are active in the UK?
There are now dozens of scooter rental companies operating in hundreds of cities around the world. In cities where shared scooters are available, several providers are usually active. These are the largest and most well-known companies:
- Dott
- Lime
- Superpedestrian (Link)
- Tier
- Voi
- Wind