Since launching in the summer of 2020, the UK’s shared e-scooter schemes have reached a total of 30 million journeys across multiple locations and providers.
At present, there are 45 e-scooter fleets based in the UK, totaling 24,000 vehicles. These were established on a trial basis to test the potential for micromobility options in the UK’s urban areas. The trial officially came to a close on 30 November 2022, and local authorities must now decide on extending the scheme in their area until 31 May 2024.
Status of extension, as reported by Zag Daily:
Confirmed: London, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Southampton, Bournemouth/Poole, Colchester, Chelmsford, Salford, Portsmouth, Basildon, Norwich, York, Cheltenham, Chester, Isle of Wight, Great Yarmouth, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Yeovil, Gloucester, Princes Risborough, Sunderland (with new operator), Taunton, Minehead.
Anticipated: Liverpool, Nottingham, Northampton, Newcastle, Milton Keynes, Kettering, Wellingborough, Corby, Rushden & Higham Ferrers, University of Warwick, Oxford, Middlesbrough.
No news yet: Redditch, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, Whitehaven, West Bromwich.
Closing: Canterbury, Slough.
UK Fleet distribution and journey totals, as reported by Zag Daily:
Bristol (Voi): 7.1 million in 25 months
Liverpool (Voi): 3.4 million in 25 months
Northampton (Voi): 2.1 million in 26 months
Nottingham (Superpedestrian replaced WIND): 2.1 million in 25 months
London (Tier, Lime and Dott): 2 million in 18 months
Also over 1 million: Milton Keynes (Lime, TIER, Ginger), Birmingham (Voi) and Cambridge (Voi).
Close to 1 million: Newcastle (Neuron) and Southampton (Voi)
Voi is one of the UK’s most successful micromobility providers. Head of Public Policy for UK and Ireland Matthew Pencharz, shared with Zag Daily: “Reaching more than 30 million rides highlights the UK as one of the most dynamic and exciting markets for micromobility in Europe.
“Over the last two years, Voi has established itself as an important part of people’s daily lives in how they get around. Recent research shows that in 2022 alone its services created more than £50m in economic and social value.
“While there has been a demonstrable success in the modal shift away from the car, micromobility remains a nascent industry in the UK. For the long-term viability of the industry, operators need to work actively with cities and central Government to ensure a level playing field for all and that the cost of operating in the UK doesn’t threaten their ability to deliver a financially sustainable service.”
Comments Off on Lavoie: McLaren Applied’s new micromobility company redefining urban mobility through motorsport and luxury automotive engineering
LEVA-EU member LAVOIE, a subsidiary of McLaren Applied, introduces the Series 1 electric scooter – created using supercar and cutting-edge global racing engineering excellence.
McLaren Applied’s LAVOIE is committed to improving personal mobility. Using its heritage in premium automotive, combined with strong pedigrees in engineering and science, LAVOIE re-imagines products you can trust will improve personal transportation and add enjoyment to every journey.
Operating at the intersection between high-end design and superlative performance, LAVOIE is set to redefine urban mobility and become a major global player in the premium e-mobility market.
As the urban environment increasingly densifies, cars and mass transport are becoming irrelevant as a means of mobility for those who want to travel quickly, cleanly, and efficiently. The era of electrified micro-mobility is dawning, yet consumers seeking mobility solutions that make them feel good, as well as offer optimum performance, design, and build quality, are bereft of choice. Until LAVOIE
The Lavoie Series 1: as functional as it is beautiful
The Series 1 is an e-scooter, but like none ever seen before, thanks to LAVOIE’s user-centric design strategy. Its speed, supercar-standard quality, robustness, stability, safety, and range are designed to make public transport an irrelevance to owners.
Perhaps its most defining and iconic feature is LAVOIE’s patented one-touch FlowfoldTM system. Designed with rider convenience at the forefront and inspired by the suspension system found on racing machines at the pinnacle of motorsport, a single press of a button folds the front and rear wheel hinges and collapses the stem, achieving the greatest possible reduction in size while maintaining a large and stable deck for when in use.
Complementing the Flowfold system’s amazing foldability is the fact that the Series 1 is made of automotive-standard magnesium, ensuring a total weight of just 16.5kg. Carrying it into offices, meetings, and homes is simple and easy, eliminating concerns of theft and adding convenience to every journey.
A two-hour charge on a domestic three-pin plug offers up to 31 miles of range. The Series 1 rolls on large and wide tyres developed to absorb and withstand potholes and bumps.
As important to LAVOIE as state-of-the-art design and intuitive usability is rider safety. LAVOIE’s ground-breaking lighting system uses rear lights to illuminate the rider, bathing them in a pool of light to ensure they are easily seen by other traffic and pedestrians. The stylish front lighting system illuminates the road ahead, while floodlights on the side of the deck magnify the real estate of the e-scooter on the road and make it more visible for other vehicles. The Series 1 also features indicators which are activated from the ergonomically designed handlebars.
Via a bespoke app riders can track the precise location of their Series 1, as well as activate a loud deterrent alarm. The app also enables integrated turn by turn navigation, as well as in-depth stats and ride customisation. The Series 1’s connectivity stretches beyond theft security and riding performance – the app remotely informs the LAVOIE support team of any electronic faults or issues and will notify the owner immediately, activating the necessary steps to resolve the issue.
LAVOIE’s Series 1 is by any standards an amazing-looking piece of engineering with outstanding performance to match.
LAVOIE co-founder Eliott Wertheimer said: “We wanted to make a vehicle that’s reliable, faultlessly functional, powerful, stylish, full of state-of-the-art technology – and built the way you would a car or a motorcycle. We knew we could do this by combining our own expertise and experience with a company that operates at the highest level in the fields of automotive, motorsport and electronics.”
The number of e-scooters in the city centre will be severely restricted, parking rules will be updated, and speed limits will be reduced in this major regulation shift
The new regulations are set to come into effect in May 2023, while the local council will vote on the package of measures in December. This policy change has come about following the increase from 2018-2021 in both e-scooter-related injuries (1,025 to 2,560) and deaths (17 to 24). Many of the incoming regulations will therefore focus on improving safety for both riders and pedestrians.
The expected changes can be grouped into three main categories:
City centre e-Scooter distribution
Perhaps the largest policy change regards a proposed restriction of max. 500 e-scooters in the city centre at any given time; this is extremely restrictive when considering the current average of approx. 1,500. According to City Councilor for Mobility, Ulli Sima, this type of mobility is very useful for last-leg journeys and authorities are trying to position them in metro stops in residential areas and push ride-sharing providers to cover more parts of the city.
e-Scooter parking regulation
A further key policy change is to ban the parking of e-scooters on sidewalks. Currently, sidewalk usage as a parking location is reducing pedestrianised space to the detriment of other city-goers. To combat this, the city will create special parking zones and rely upon micromobility providers to enforce suitable parking amongst their riders. Repeat violations of parking policy may result in the micromobility provider having its operating license revoked.
Riding restrictions
Finally, who can use the devices, and the way in which they can ride will be altered. Riding speed is set to be reduced from 25 km/h to 20km/h, while a minimum age limit of 12 years will be imposed. It is worth noting that this is significantly lower than the age limit seen in many other European countries (Germany = 14, UK = 17).
A new study, published in Nature Energy, states that cities should expect to see trade-offs between micromobility restrictions designed to promote public safety, and increased emissions associated with heightened congestion.
Titled “Impacts of micromobility on car displacement with evidence from a natural experiment and geofencing policy“, the study was created using data from Atlanta, USA. The city made for an ideal research base due to its sudden ban on the usage of shared micromobility devices at night, restricting use between 19:00-04:00 from 9 August, 2019 onwards. This gave the opportunity to compare traffic scenarios before and after the change.
The study found that, on average, travel times for car trips in Atlanta during evening hours increased between 9.9-10.7% immediately following the ban on shared micromobility. For an average commuter in Atlanta, that translated to an extra 2-5 minutes per evening trip.
The authors also concluded that the impact on commute times would likely be higher in other cities across the country. According to the study, “based on the estimated US average commute time of 27.6 minutes in 2019, the results from our natural experiment imply a 17.4% increase in travel time nationally.”
The economic impact of increased commuting times in the city of Atlanta was calculated at US $4.9M per annum. When looking on a national scale, the study estimated this impact to fall in the range of US $408M to $573M per annum.
Interestingly, the study’s dataset was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course. played a major role in promoting, and increasing uptake of, shared micromobility. A similar study undertaken in todays’ transport climate could find an even greater burden on congestion, travel times, and economic impact on cities.
Transport for London has announced it will extend the trial of e-scooter rentals in London, ahead of the Government’s planned legalisation of private-use scooters.
In an announcement this week, Transport for London (TfL) and London Councils confirmed that e-scooter schemes in the capital run by Dott, Lime and Tier will be temporarily extended to allow authorities to collect more data on this developing mode of transport.
TfL has also launched a competitive procurement process for operators to run the next phase of London’s rental e-scooter trials.
The Department for Transport recently updated its guidance to allow rental e-scooter trials to run until 31st May, 2024. London’s schemes will now run until at least September 2023, when the procurement process is completed.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “I’m pleased that TfL and London Councils have been able to extend the country’s largest rental e-scooter trial. The Mayor and I are determined to continue building a cleaner, greener and more prosperous London for everyone, and e-scooters can play a useful role in our city’s transport network by offering alternatives to car use. Through the trial, we are also helping to inform future Government legislation on these vehicles to ensure they are safe for all riders and other road users.
“The e-scooter trial has proven to be popular, with more than two million trips already taken, and this next phase of the trial will build upon this, replicating the high safety requirements and high operating standards, and continuing to learn through testing newer technology to ensure that these vehicles work for everybody. With the right regulations that prioritise safety, rental e-scooters can help ensure a green, sustainable future for London.”
London’s e-scooter trials launched in June last year, with 10 London boroughs initially joining the schemes, with almost two million journeys made and 4,425 e-scooters currently available to hire.
A competitive procurement for operators to run the next phase of London’s rental e-scooter trial has now launched and operators will be chosen on their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards, TfL said.
It is currently illegal to ride scooters on the road outside of these nationwide rental trials, but the Government has instigated plans to introduce a new low-speed, low-emission vehicle category, paving the way for the legalisation of privately-owned scooters. While there is no definite date for when e-scooters will be legalised, the new legislation could be introduced by summer 2023.
The contracts let under the new procurement may run for longer than the DfT national trial term (which ends on 31st May 2024) in anticipation of new legislation being passed. To ensure there is a continuation of service in London, the current trial contracts operated by Dott, Lime and Tier, which expire this year, will be extended temporarily until the procurement is complete.
Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead, said: “E-scooters could play an important role in ensuring a green and sustainable future for London, which is why we’re really pleased to be able to extend the e-scooter trial. We’re working closely with London Councils on our plans for the next phase of the trial, which will help us build on its successes so far. We hope Londoners can continue to benefit from the trial and we will continue to use its data to learn more about the role e-scooters could play in helping people move around London sustainably.”
Throughout the continuing trial, operators will be required to provide critical data for TfL and the participating boroughs to understand the impact of e-scooters on London’s transport goals, including the Vision Zero aim to eliminate death and serious injuries from London’s roads.
Mayor Phil Glanville, London Councils’ climate change, transport and environment lead, said: “I am pleased that London’s rental e-scooter trial is being extended to allow more people across our capital to take advantage of this sustainable mode of transport. Thanks to the boroughs taking part in the trial, London continues to be at the forefront of innovation when it comes to micro-mobility, transport and the journey to net zero.”
“We look forward to working with TfL and stakeholders to make the next phase of the trial a success and we are confident that rental e-scooters will continue to provide an alternative to car-based travel in the capital. Safety remains our top priority and we will continue to look closely at data and insights to see how e-scooters can play a part in a more sustainable future for London.”
Comments Off on LEVA-EU member Bird Publishes Independent Vehicle Life Cycle Analysis, Setting a New Standard for Emissions Reporting Quality
The report launched in Paris today will be the industry’s first ISO-critically reviewed LCA and indicates ‘Bird Three micro-EV’ is among the lowest emission vehicles in Europe, with a five-year lifespan.
Bird Global, Inc., a leader in environmentally friendly electric transportation, today announced a major micromobility milestone as the company is set to become the first operator to achieve an ISO-critically reviewed vehicle Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), prompting a new industry standard and enabling reliable comparisons across European modes and vehicles.
Bird’s cradle-to-grave LCA report confirms that the Bird Three, the company’s latest and most sustainable vehicle, has a lifespan of up to five years after refurbishment and is among the most climate-friendly vehicles on the road in European cities – including other shared modes and public transport. Travelers in European cities who take a Bird Three account for on average approximately 21% less greenhouse gas emissions per kilometer than taking the metro, 77% less than driving a gas-powered car, and 87% less than taking a ride-hail car.
The LCA emissions model was reviewed and documented by Ramboll, an independent Denmark-based engineering and consulting company, specializing in sustainability and corporate responsibility. The LCA is being critically reviewed by EarthShift Global, a third-party ISO expert, to ensure that the methods, data, and analysis are consistent with ISO standards for LCA. Bird’s LCA is also one of the industry’s first aligned with the New Urban Mobility Alliance’s (NUMO) forthcoming LCA guide for cities.
Manufacturing and assembly of Bird’s electric scooters is included within the LCA along with additional manufacturing of components for replacements, transportation of vehicles to target European cities, charging and fleet management, and scooters’ disposal at end-of-life. Conservatively, the LCA takes no credit for Bird’s renewable energy credits, carbon offsets, or robust program of end-of-life recycling.
The hardware and software powering Bird Three have been expertly crafted to create the most eco-conscious shared e-scooter available with best-in-class durability. Features include Aerospace-grade aluminum and the Bird Three’s proprietary battery system which travels farther on fewer charges, with industry-leading IP68-rated battery protection to keep it safe from dust and water. The vehicle also boasts independently tested and verified impact resistance; pneumatic tires and smart acceleration technology to reduce wear and tear.
“Bird’s LCA sets a new industry standard for emissions reporting quality, enabling reliable comparisons across European modes and vehicles, and helping Bird to identify and reduce emissions wherever possible,” Shane Torchiana, CEO, Bird. “Not only does this work further demonstrate our commitment towards the planet, but is a call to action for all other operators to follow the same standard so that together, we can address misconceptions around vehicle lifecycles and educate our city stakeholders with the information they need to make informed decisions when selecting a responsible micromobilty partner.”
“By following expert recommendations and best-practice methods for their LCA, Bird is demonstrating leadership in their commitment to rigorous, transparent greenhouse gas emissions reporting, which will enable city governments to make more informed decisions and – if widely adopted – enable emissions reductions across the micromobility sector,” Leah Lazer, Research Associate, New Urban Mobility alliance (NUMO), World Resources Institute.
Comments Off on Speed limit reduction for escooters in Ljubljana
In an agreement between Ljubljana city council and micromobility operator Bolt, escooters in the city’s pedestrian zone will be automatically limited to a speed of 5 km/h.
With a pedestrian zone covering more than ten hectares, Ljubljana will take advantage of the smart capability of escooters whereby the speed limit of a unit can be automatically changed upon entering the zone. The limit of 5 km/h is in line with the average pedestrian walking speed, and it is thought that this may be the lowest such speed limit for escooters, with Rome’s 6 km/h close behind.
The city welcomes green and modern solutions to congested urban living, but the mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Janković emphasised the importance of such solutions operating in harmony with all residents, saying, “No one has the right to put pedestrians in danger in order to make more money”.
Service operator Bolt has expressed their satisfaction with the agreement, and it is indicated that they will enact one year period of free parking zones, to enable the safe and easy placement of scooters after use.
Europe’s main observatory on urban mobility, Eltis, releases write-up on the role of local authorities in planning and managing rapidly growing new mobility services
The case study of Paris explores how action was taken after the swift introduction of free-floating e-scooter fleets and increased personal ownership, including the introduction of a Code of Good Conduct while awaiting a legal framework.
Of key interest is the 18-month period that could be considered a ‘legal vacuum’, in which e-scooters were not subject to the Highway Code, and the National Law on Mobility (LOM) was stalled as it awaited approval by the French government.
Paris’ governing body acted to create a working group for all e-scooter stakeholders, inviting operators of the devices to sign a Code of Good Conduct before the end of May 2019. From here, any new operator of e-scooters in the region was invited to join the group to discuss the use of rental e-scooters in public spaces.
The Code of Good Conduct provided guiding principles and paved the way for good public-private collaboration. Operators were encouraged to work on a deployment strategy that respects other users, with the main aspects of the Code covering:
Parking and riding rules
Operators’ commitments regarding safety and security
Respect for other users, particularly people with disabilities
Relationship with the city authorities
Use of e-scooters in line with sustainability priorities of the city.
Stress was placed on the need to ensure pedestrian comfort and safety while awaiting national legislation. Paris is a leading example of local governance and public-private cooperation. Other similar cities are increasingly deciding to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to managing the offer and operations of new mobility services.
In a landscape where cities are experiencing a transport transformation in many forms, a well-regulated and integrated urban mobility policy will ensure a smooth transition that is a success for all users of public space and road systems.
Using Paris as a case study, transport planners may observe both successes and challenges in adapting to unfolding technological advances. Read the full Eltis write-up, which includes additional context, results, transferability, and opportunities for development, here.
Comments Off on Thor AVAS conducts comprehensive electric vehicle traffic safety study on ‘acoustic visibility’
The problems of acoustic ecology in the human environment are studied by many researchers around the world, especially the contributions to city noise made by cars. In recent years, more and more electric vehicles that are much quieter have appeared on city streets. Cars and motorcycles are traditionally powered by the rather noisy operation of an internal combustion engine. Electric transport, on the other hand, runs on electric motors powered by noiseless energy sources (batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, etc.). As a result, the electric car creates noise only due to the contact of the tires with the asphalt and due to the turbulent air currents on the car body. All this makes the movement of electric vehicles less noisy and, at low speeds, almost silent. Therefore, electric vehicles are classified by UN Regulation No. 138 as silent vehicles. With the undoubted benefit of this circumstance for the acoustic ecology of the city, there is also a quiet threat to humans – a pedestrian may simply not hear the approach of an electric car. It is for this reason that the legislation of many countries of the world obliges electric vehicles to be equipped with special sound devices – AVAS systems that increase the acoustic visibility of electric vehicles.
Contribute to the latest Thor AVAS survey on pedestrian safety, here.
In recent years, a wide variety of micromobile vehicles have also begun to appear on the roads in large volumes. And, more importantly, on the sidewalks of cities – scooters, gyro scooters, unicycles, segways and everything that, despite its harmless appearance, can sneak up unnoticed (at a speed of up to 30 km/h) to an unsuspecting pedestrian. While the issue of ensuring the safe movement of microtransport vehicles causes great discussion, no country in the world has resolved this in law.
Thor AVAS, together with the Research Institute of Building Physics, is conducting a large scientific study of the safety of electric transport. Their work studies how different vehicles are acoustically visible (heard) to a pedestrian and how it is possible to increase their visibility without causing ecological damage to the acoustic environment.
In-laboratory work takes place in a unique acoustic measuring complex – a large acoustic anechoic chamber. This is a room in which there is absolutely no echo due to the walls and ceiling being covered in a layer of a special sound-absorbing structure more than 1 meter thick.
The room used by Thor AVAS is the largest anechoic chamber in Europe and one of the largest chambers in the world – the floor area exceeds 120 square meters. It is also very quiet in this chamber – so quiet that it is a unique auditory experience, with the background noise level in the chamber only reaching 18 dBA.
During testing, many loudspeakers are placed in a circle around the cell. Together they make up the radiating part of the laboratory setup. Six speakers imitate the noise of the environment, reproducing, for example, the sounds of a city courtyard or a city park, in 5.1 stereo, comparable to a movie theater. Another three-way speaker system simulates the noise of an approaching electric vehicle’s tires.
The approach of a car is simulated at a speed range between 10 and 50 km/h. Imitation occurs by increasing tire volume according to auditory laws. When the distance between the car and the pedestrian decreases, the sound pressure level increases by 6 dB.
Finally, consider the last loudspeaker is the AVAS system, the principle which is the subject of the study. By playing different sounds through the AVAS system, traffic safety conditions can be significantly improved.
The essence of the experiment is to determine how long it takes a pedestrian to hear a car approaching them. Participants of the experiment are given registration panels and the experiment begins. At first, participants in the experiment hear only the sounds of the environment, the park or the yard, because the simulated car is still “far away”. At the moment when participants hear the approaching car, they press the registration button on their remotes. By this pressing, it can be determine how long it took for the pedestrian to register the approaching car, i.e. how much time the pedestrian has to react to the approach and decide on further actions. For example, an electric car without an AVAS system is heard when impact time is between 3-5 seconds, depending on the vehicle’s speed. In such a short time, the pedestrian will not have time to react to the approach of the vehicle and a collision may occur.
When driving an electric vehicle with the AVAS system turned on, it is possible to significantly increase the time for acoustic detection of an approaching car by a pedestrian. The most effective method is to turn the system up to high volume. Very loud and unpleasant sounds can be played through the AVAS system (or alternatively, turn on loud music) and the residents of the next few blocks will know in advance about the approach of the car, which, of course, will have nothing to do with traffic safety. The correct sound of AVAS should ensure the safe movement of an electric vehicle and sound at such a volume that it will not exceed the established rules and sanitary standards for a residential area. However, sounds of the same loudness can have varying visibility. By changing the timbre of the sound, its frequency range, and introducing volume modulations and discrete components at certain frequencies, it is possible to significantly increase a vehicle’s visibility without increasing the volume.
The Thor AVAS study aims to find the best ways to control the visibility of an electric vehicle using the AVAS system. The goal is to create such sounds for the AVAS system which, on the one hand, will not be unpleasant, excessively loud, and attract unnecessary attention, and, on the other hand, provide optimal and speed-independent visibility.
