Voi launches new e-bikes alongside its popular electric scooters
A new rental e-bike scheme hits the city streets today. Branded the Explorer 2, Liverpool is the first UK city to receive Voi’s next-generation e-bike as part of a new multi-modal service alongside the existing Voi e-scooter service.
We can make big strides in improving people’s physical and mental health as well as our air quality.
Voi’s new e-bike rental scheme replaces the CityBike scheme first introduced in 2014 which had become unsustainable due to annual losses of around £300k each year.
Voi will initially introduce a fleet of 50 e-bikes before eventually rising to 150 as the scheme takes off. The company was appointed in the summer after the council reviewed its existing rental bike scheme as part of a best value evaluation.
The bikes can be accessed by everyone aged 16 years and above, and without a provisional licence. Voi’s e-bikes can be activated through the same app as its e-scooters – they also use the same operating area. Once registered, riders can use the app to pick up and drop off bikes at parking locations around the city.
Today’s rollout follows the recent introduction of the Voyager 5 e-scooter. Voi says that its Summer 2022 Survey revealed nearly a third of riders are now deciding to use e-scooters rather than a car for their journey, whilst 2 in 3 riders are also now choosing to commute, meet friends or run errands by e-scooter.
Councillor Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “I’m delighted we’ve partnered with Voi to deliver a new e-bike scheme for Liverpool and it’s great to see that they’ve chosen our city to launch the next generation of rental e-bikes. I also welcome Voi’s discount measures too as we need to offset any financial barrier to those who will benefit most from this scheme.
“We’re working very hard with them and other partners to deliver and promote as many active travel options and alternatives for our residents and visitors to enjoy. By doing so we can make big strides in improving people’s physical and mental health as well as our air quality and on delivering our commitment to being a carbon-free city by 2030.”
To celebrate the city going multimodal with the arrival of the Explorer 2 to Liverpool, Voi is offering new riders 2 x 15 minutes of free riding. New riders simply need to download the app – available from the App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store – input a valid payment method and redeem the special discount code ‘LIVEXPLORER’ in the in-app wallet.
The special offer expires on Monday 2 January 2023. In addition to the free rides, there is also a PAYG service and Day and Month Passes that allow riders to take an unlimited number of rides at a fixed rate. Discounts are also available for students, NHS staff, emergency service workers, military personnel and veterans, and those on a low income via the ‘Voi 4’ discount scheme.
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