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Micromobility operator Lime has announced it has invested a further £6.3 million into London’s sustainable transport, bringing the total investment in the capital to £26 million in 2022.
US-based shared e-bike and scooter brand Lime made an initial investment of £20 million in January, as it opened the doors of its new warehouse and launched the latest generation of vehicles.
Lime has continued to expand in the capital, launching e-bikes schemes in two additional boroughs – Hackney and Hammersmith & Fulham.
The business has also been hiring in London, growing its operations workforce by approximately 70%, including the expansion of its patrol teams by 50% to meet the extra on-street needs during the busy summer period.
Wayne Ting, chief executive officer at Lime said: “The investment marks our commitment to London, and is a vote of confidence in the local government’s own investments into world-leading active and sustainable transport policies. It signals our support of the transformative steps taken by the Mayor and London Councils to encourage cycling and other sustainable transport modes over cars with high-quality infrastructure. It’s clear Londoners are looking for ways to get out of cars and onto shared and sustainable transport as a result of these changes, and we believe we can be part of this solution as the city’s longest serving operator.
“We want to remove cars from cities, and the first step to achieving this long-term goal is for Lime to become the first profitable transportation tech company globally. We’re glad to say this benchmark is within our grasp in 2022. This should provide reassurance to our local partners that not only are we here to stay long term, but we’re eager to work collaboratively to achieve our shared climate goals. As we continue on our journey, we remain committed to furthering innovation, investment and education for each and every rider.”
New figures from Lime show that rides were up by 117% on e-bikes and e-scooters in London year on year (January to July), while the company has also seen a 67% increase in first time riders in that same period.
Read more: TfL and London Councils to extend capital’s trial of rental e-scooters
Lime’s most recent rider survey found that 80% of riders in London felt that Lime made them more likely to use public transport or less reliant on a car. When asked about their last trip, a third (32%) said they used Lime for commuting, 21% for socialising (restaurants, meeting friends) and 12% for shopping or errands. The survey also found that Lime is used overwhelmingly by Londoners, with only 11% responding they were tourists.
Lime’s expansion in London follows the launch of its industry-leading Gen4 e-bike in June.
