The shared e-scooter scheme currently being trialled in London could replace five million car trips per year if it reaches full capacity, research conducted by micromobility operator TIER has found.
The research was put together in order to mark London Climate Action Week and found that should each operator become able to run a fleet of 6,600 e-scooters, it could translate into nearly 80,000 rides per day based on usage data from cities across Europe.
This works out at 29 million trips per year, with consumer research suggesting that around 17.3% of e-scooter journeys are taken as the replacement for a car.
Additionally, TIER found that if all one-mile car journeys were replaced by e-scooter rides, it would translate to a 233-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions.
“The potential environmental benefits of switching from cars to e-scooters for short journeys are absolutely staggering when you think about the size and scale of London and the number of vehicles on the roads,” said TIER regional manager Fred Jones.
“The Mayor is rightly committed to improving London’s air quality, and that’s what makes the launch of-scooter schemes in the capital so exciting – it’s a unique opportunity to rethink urban transport in the capital and to reduce pollution levels.
“As the first carbon neutral e-scooter operator in the world, we are passionate about offering more sustainable transport and are excited to see the positive impact rental e-scooters can have on congestion in the city.”
TIER is one of three shared e-scooter firms, alongside Dott and Lime, currently operating in London as part of the trials, which began on 7 June.
The London trials are currently limited to West London and Tower Hamlets, but look set to see more boroughs get on-board in the coming months.
Zag estimates that there are currently 600 shared e-scooters available for hire in London.
