York expands e-scooter trial with roll-out of Tier e-bikes

York is expanding its e-scooter trial with the roll-out of 50 e-bikes from Tier.

Riders can pick up the e-bikes from various locations in the city, including both of York’s university campuses and York Hospital, and ride them on a number of dedicated routes. Renting an e-bike will cost the same as an e-scooter, with riders charged £1 to unlock the vehicle and 15p per minute travelled.

Along with the launch of the e-bike fleet, Tier is also replacing its fleet of 250 e-scooters with new and upgraded models, which come with several new features to promote responsible riding. This includes a smaller foot pad to help combat tandem-riding, and new e-scooter IDs to make it easier for people to report irresponsible use of the vehicles.

The new e-scooters will also have Tier’s integrated helmet, double kickstand and dual drum brakes for stable riding on uneven surfaces.

The DfT-approved trial began in October 2020 and, to date, Tier e-scooters in York have been used by over 6,500 people as the scheme has expanded across the city centre and into neighbourhood locations. To promote responsible parking, Tier now has almost 40 parking bays across York, marked on the road and in the Tier app.

“From e-scooters to improving EV charging, York’s electric vehicle landscape is developing quickly, and we are pleased to see that the variety of transport modes available is widening choice for residents to get around sustainably,” said councillor Andy D’Agorne, deputy leader and executive member for transport.

“This trial is a great opportunity to explore how e-bikes can add to the mix of sustainable transport options in York, whilst helping to improve air quality and expand our electric vehicle offer.

“We are working closely with Tier to ensure that this new mode of sustainable travel fits the needs of our residents and visitors as we work together to create a greener, cleaner city. Availability of e-bikes for hire and the new scooter design will help to make this service even more accessible for a wider range of users.”

Georgia Yexley, head of cities UK and Ireland, added: “We are very excited that we can now offer York residents and visitors the option of our e-bikes as a green, active mode of getting around the city, as well as the safest e-scooter in the market.

“We are passionate about reducing congestion and pollution in cities across Europe and believe our growing e-vehicle fleets can become a valuable ingredient in the city’s transport mix.”