Latest news with #escooters
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Council offering asylum seekers 50% off e-bike and e-scooter rentals as Labour leader brags about 'win-win deal'
A London council is offering asylum seekers 50 per cent discounts on renting e-scooters and e-bikes. Wandsworth council's Labour leader Simon Hogg has described the new deal with private firms Lime, Forest and Voi as 'win-win'. The south-west London local authority has published new details about what it calls an 'Access For All' agreement aimed at making the cycles 'fair, safe and affordable'. Eligible residents are described as people in receipt of benefits, children in receipt of free school meals (all ages), asylum seekers/refugees, and children who are 'looked after' or care leavers. MailOnline has asked all involved how the discounts are being financed. This latest scheme comes amid recent revelations about how asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits. Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos, Home Office data shows. In the last year, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at least once for gambling. In the new announcement about its e-bike scheme, Wandsworth Council declared it was 'rolling ahead with its active travel ambitions by working with Lime, Forest and Voi to support e-bikes and e-scooters as a sustainable mode of travel'. In the 12 months from May 2024 to May 2025, there were 6.8million trips made by rented e-bike in Wandsworth. The authority said: 'We're backing that demand by making journeys safer and more accessible for everyone. Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: 'E-bikes are here to stay as a key part of Wandsworth's transport network. 'We are committed to sustainable travel but it must be done responsibly, so we have worked with Lime, Forest and Voi to make sure e-bikes and scooters work for Wandsworth.' And council leader Mr Hogg, whose party won control of Wandsworth from the Conservatives in 2022, said: 'This deal is a win-win. 'It's about opening up affordable, sustainable travel that helps our residents to access work and entertainment opportunities across the borough. 'We're proud that Lime, Forest and Voi have agreed to join Access for All and to operate respectfully and safely. The new agreement has been announced in Wandsworth, a borough just south of the Thames 'We are making sure that no one is priced out of healthy and sustainable travel.' The scheme also offers discounts for eligible residents towards 'key services from gym sessions to swimming lessons, wedding ceremonies to event tickets'. The latest council announcement on its e-bike scheme also tells of having installed 170 dedicated on-street parking bays for e-bikes and scooters while also creating 'strict no-parking zones in town centres'. Wandsworth council added: 'We're planning further parking bays. The Lime and Voi e-scooters follow strict safety standards, including speed caps, always-on lights and licence checks for e-scooter riders.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
PETER HITCHENS: The drug dealers that shot past me at 40mph and why I fear we're not being told how many people are being killed in e-bike crashes
Millions of people will have been cheered by the Daily Mail's exclusive report yesterday, in which David Churchill revealed that ministers are thinking of doing something about the menace of e-scooters. It has taken them a long time, even though these mechanised tin trays have become a symbol of lawlessness, danger and disorder since they first began to infest our streets a few years ago.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
Call to tighten rules on e-scooters and e-bikes
A council has called for stricter rules to be introduced for e-bikes and e-scooters. Broxtowe Borough councillors passed a motion on Wednesday calling for their speed limit to be reduced, as well as for licensing requirements to be brought in. The council will be writing to the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, to raise the issue. Councillor Adam Stockwell raised concerns over riders "swerving dangerously in and out around cars", not obeying traffic lights, speeding, being hard to see, and said he had witnessed users deliberately "riding at speed" toward pedestrians. He added: "All it takes is one slip or one miscalculation or it being ridden at an older resident and that's going to be a serious collision with serious injuries, no doubt." The council has called for the current 15.5mph (24.9kmph) speed limit - the national limit for e-bikes without pedalling - to be reduced, that vehicles should be registered, and new licences and a training course be introduced for usage. Beeston residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they backed the appeal. One bike shop worker said he routinely sees e-bike riders "flying across the road" while another Beeston resident who works with bicycles said: "I ride one myself as my knee is totally shot - everyone who rides one, including myself, should be licensed. "E-bikes over the speed limit should be confiscated anyway, but the police can't catch them. "E-scooters are bombs on wheels." Broxtowe Borough Council's motion calls for action generally on e-bike and e-scooter use. Neighbouring Nottingham City Council operates a Lime e-bike hire scheme, which extends into the county to cover Beeston in Broxtowe. A spokesperson for Lime said: "We take vandalism, theft and anti-social behaviour seriously and encourage the public to report incidents to us – including time and location – so we can take swift action. "It's crucial we work together with the council and police to deter misuse and hold offenders accountable. This includes rider education, enforcement tools and close coordination with local authorities to ensure the service remains safe and accessible for everyone." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Residents have 'had enough' of abandoned e-bikes E-scooters and e-bikes seized in crackdown Related internet links Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
West Midlands PCC calls for tougher e-bike and e-scooter powers
The West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) has asked for extra powers to tackle the "growing threat posed by e-bikes, e-scooters and other vehicles being used recklessly and unlawfully on the region's roads".Simon Foster said he wanted "urgent changes to the law" to allow police to destroy the vehicles within seven days, rather than the current said some e-bikes had been modified to reach speeds of up to 70mph (113kmph) and were "increasingly being used by criminal gangs and networks". He said their "speed, agility, and lack of registration make them ideal for evading police and intimidating the public". The PCC also said he would make the case for "strict regulations on the weight, power and speed of privately-owned e-scooters", if it became legal to use them in public spaces in the is currently illegal to use privately owned e-scooters on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes in the UK, but they can be used on private land with the landowner's e-scooters that are part of approved trials are legal to use in designated proposals were submitted as part of a national consultation and he said he made the suggestion after talking to West Midlands said he had been told the electric bikes and scooters were "often used without insurance, registration, or safety equipment, and were frequently involved in dangerous group riding, off-road activity, and pavement use".He said the proposed change would also reduce police storage costs and send a clear deterrent message. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Entrepreneur
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Entrepreneur
E-Scooters vs E-Bikes: Who's Winning India's Two-Wheeler EV Race?
For now, e-scooters continue to dominate volume sales. But looking ahead, the market won't swing definitively one way. The real outcome lies in segmentation. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's electric two-wheeler market is at a pivotal crossroads. After a few years dominated by the rise of e-scooters (fueled by last-mile needs, urban density, and government subsidies) electric motorcycles are now picking up speed. What was once a story of scooters quietly cruising through metro streets is evolving into a broader shift. A deeper contest is emerging between the convenience of e-scooters and the power, performance, and cultural pull of e-bikes. The early wave of EV adoption in India was powered largely by low-cost, Chinese-made e-scooters that found favor among gig workers and families. Their ease of use, minimal maintenance, and suitability for dense urban environments made them an instant fit. "E-scooters have seen significantly higher adoption due to their relevance in dense urban areas and last-mile logistics," said Paras Shah, COO and co-founder of Kazam, a charging infrastructure startup. "In FY24 alone, India saw 9.5 lakh electric two-wheeler registrations, with e-scooters dominating this count." But convenience doesn't always equal longevity or deeper market penetration. As Shah pointed out, while e-scooters check the boxes for short daily commutes and affordability, they fall short in range and rugged performance, especially in Tier-II and Tier-III regions where internal combustion engine (ICE) bikes like the Hero Splendor or Bajaj Discover still rule. "Electric bikes that can match the power and range of ICE motorcycles are still priced significantly higher," he noted. This transition isn't merely about preferences. It's about engineering, infrastructure, pricing, and the deep-rooted psychology of Indian mobility. "India moves on motorcycles," said Mohal Lalbhai, co-founder and group CEO of Matter Motor, an e-bike company. "With 65 per cent of two-wheeler sales attributed to motorcycles, the country's riding culture is deeply rooted in geared, performance-oriented formats." Lalbhai isn't alone in his view. Madhumita Agrawal, founder and CEO at Oben Electric, makers of e-bike, draws a clear distinction between what has happened and what's next. "While electric scooters led the initial EV phase driven by urban use cases and fleet adoption, the next major shift will come from electric motorcycles, especially in the commuter segment priced below INR 1.6 lakh." Truth Behind the Tech Technically, the line between scooters and bikes blurs when it comes to battery chemistry. "Battery technology does not differ based on whether the vehicle is an electric scooter or a motorcycle," explained Agrawal. "What matters is the chemistry—LFP or NMC—and how it's applied based on the product's needs." Oben Electric, for instance, uses LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which offer twice the lifecycle and superior heat resistance compared to the more common NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) packs. Still, the size and complexity of the battery systems vary dramatically. "E-scooters are typically built around simpler architecture with battery capacities ranging from 2 to 3.5 kWh," said Lalbhai. "E-motorbikes, in contrast, are built to deliver power, control, and road presence—requiring larger, high-performance battery systems, often paired with sophisticated cooling and drivetrain architectures." From a sustainability standpoint, the conversation grows more nuanced. On paper, e-bikes, with smaller batteries and lower energy consumption, should have a lighter environmental footprint. "Lifecycle assessments consistently favour e‑bikes for lower emissions," said Anupam Kumar, CEO of MiniMines Cleantech Solutions company focused on the recycling and resource recovery of lithium-ion batteries. "E‑bike emissions hover around 22 g CO₂/km, while scooters offer 35–40 per cent lifecycle emission reductions compared to petrol scooter usage." However, scooters, especially in shared fleets, face faster battery degradation and often lack robust end-of-life disposal systems. Yet the end-of-life impact doesn't solely hinge on form factor. "Lifecycle emissions and battery disposal depend on battery chemistry, usage pattern, and recyclability," Agrawal emphasized. "LFP batteries have a 2x longer lifecycle… and simplify end-of-life disposal as they do not contain cobalt and nickel." Infrastructure could be the equalizer. Kazam is working on LEVDC, a low-cost, fast-charging solution tailored for both formats, though it might be a game-changer for performance-driven e-bikes. As Shah noted, "Fast public charging becomes crucial—especially as electric bikes mature." The Price Point Cost, however, remains the defining hurdle. Indian buyers are notoriously price-sensitive, with the bulk of two-wheeler sales falling under the INR 1.6 lakh bracket. "Motorcycle buyers are 99.9 per cent males, who prefer this form factor over scooters for various reasons like design, performance, and acceleration," said Agrawal. Yet, breaking into this space requires offering ICE-equivalent performance at razor-thin margins. "To build a hard and complex product like an electric motorcycle, you require high design & technical skills and R&D expertise," she added. The premium e-bike segment is growing but still niche. Brands are pushing boundaries with innovations such as liquid-cooled powertrains, manual transmissions, and intelligent dashboards. But these aren't mass-market products, yet. For now, e-scooters continue to dominate volume sales. Their total cost of ownership (TCO) appeals to both gig economy riders and budget-conscious families. "e-Scooters win on cost-effectiveness for today's Indian market," Shah concluded. "Maintenance is minimal, with fewer moving parts and fewer service requirements." Looking ahead, the market won't swing definitively one way. The real outcome lies in segmentation. Narayan Subramaniam, co-founder & CEO, Ultraviolette gives the final verdict, "I believe the split is going to be quite even between scooters and motorcycles. We are seeing typical commuter motorcycle buyers as of today moving towards electric scooters or towards more aspirational segments of motorcycles." For him, scooters have had more adoption because of more options available and more companies operating in this space and the fact that it is easier from an R&D standpoint to get scooters to the market. "Motorcycles are now going to pick up, it's going to take a little more R&D but multiple companies are at it already. So, if you zoom out five years from today, I am pretty confident that the electric vehicle segment in two-wheelers will be evenly split across scooters and motorcycles."
