Good news for fans of e-bike rental schemes – California-based company Lime is bringing its e-bike sharing programme to the UK, with the first bikes to be rolled out in Milton Keynes.
An initial 50 bikes will be released onto the streets in the midlands town, with the capacity for 50 more should demand for the programme grow.
It’s also set to launch in another unnamed UK city in the near future, with a slated rollout time of before Christmas.
Now, the brand itself is most famous for its electric scooter product which was launched in Paris this year, but at this time UK regulations prohibits the use of such vehicles. Instead, only standard pedelec regulation meeting e-bikes will be used, with a 250w pedal assist motor and a limit to 14.8mph (24km/h).
The scheme is dockless, with e-bikes able to be located and unlocked using Lime’s app. Unlocking one will cost the rider £1, with a charge of 15p a minute to ride the bikes. Lime says that the average trip should last around 15 minutes, with a total charge of £3.25 per journey.
We’ll watch with interest to see if this new scheme proves a hit with Milton Keynes, and where it might launch next.
