Dott e-scooters to arrive in London after tender win

A woman with long red hair is wearing a helmet and riding through a colorful street in the evening light.

2 years ago

After winning one of three seats in a highly competitive four-month-long tender procedure, we’re thrilled to officially land our e-scooters in London. The process was a testament to our dedication to sustainability and collaboration with communities: The Dott way at its very core. Londoners will soon be able to explore their city on a Dott!

A young man stands next to a blue Dott scooter wearing a helmet and face mask. He is spraying his hands with disinfectant.

London councils call for a green recovery

2020 saw a reduction in the use of public transport and a consequential rise in polluting personal vehicle usage. These findings gave a push for London officials to seek alternative transport options in order to avoid a permanently damaging car-based recovery from the pandemic.

Michael Hurwitz, Transport for London’s (TfL) Director of Transport Innovation, said:  ”We’re determined to ensure London recovers from Covid-19 as safely and sustainably as possible and are supportive of innovative solutions that could help”. E-mobility may do just that – so a highly competitive procurement process began to select up to three micromobility operators for a year-long trial. The trial will determine whether e-scooters are a viable part of a greener and healthier London. It’s also part of a wider approach from TfL, London boroughs and national government hoping to empower people to use greener forms of transport. By offering solutions to car trips, e-scooters could innovatively, sustainably and safely reduce carbon emissions.

A woman rides a blue Dott through the streets of London wearing a helmet. Sunlight reflects off of buildings in the background.

Investing in London’s future, the Dott way

We’re dedicated to creating a service that is built to last and works for everyone – so we couldn’t wait to bring Dott to London’s streets. All operators called to enter the competition were required to meet watertight standards, including strict guidelines for rider safety, parking, sustainability and accessibility. We responded with confidence. Henri Moissinac, CEO & Co-founder of Dott, reflected on our eagerness at the opportunity to operate in London:

“We’re delighted to win the London tender, and this feels like just the beginning for Dott in the UK. We are proud to be a part of the trial and grateful to the TfL and London councils for their trust. We believe our success is down to our utmost respect for Earth and its inhabitants, and we can’t wait to bring micromobility to the people of London.”

TfL and London Councils’ decision endorses Dott’s unique operational model, where all our operations are in our hands. Our technology, logistics, maintenance and control operations are all built and carried out by our fantastic in-house teams. We also ensure a recyclable process from beginning to end – from our swappable battery design and 100% renewable energy logistics, to constant in-house repair and reuse.

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes offer the people of London a carbon neutral, safe and socially distant way to zip from A to B.

A commuting man stops at traffic lights. He wears a backpack and has one foot on his Dott and one foot on the road. The Charing Cross Underground station is visible in the background.

Micromobility for a cleaner London

Dott already operates in 16 cities across Europe, including Paris, Brussels, Warsaw, Rome and more – so we’re thrilled to be part of the trio leading the introduction of e-mobility in London. But what does this mean for Londoners?

Firstly, shared e-scooters and e-bikes offer a sustainable, safe and socially distant way to zip from A to B. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, committed to reach the target of net-zero by 2030 – and we believe the convenience of micromobility will partner perfectly with the spatial reach of public transport, helping the good people of London switch up their travel routines and reduce carbon emissions.

Setting the standard for other European cities, Dott is now set to launch up to 6,600 closely monitored scooters in London in the next 12 months, with the release of the e-bike in summer 2021. The public will immediately be able to hop on a Dott and enjoy a safe return to the streets of London.

A woman steps onto a blue Dott scooter, smiling and looking into the distance. She is wearing a helmet.

An affordable & inclusive approach to transport

We aim to remain equitable for all. Transport is, after all, about accessibility – that’s why we will have a special pricing model, including discounts for students, NHS workers and people with disabilities. We also offer Dott passes to all our riders as an accessible way to pay for a bundle of rides or unlocks. These passes also have different durations, varying from day passes to month passes, depending on each Dott riders’ needs.

By supporting the rider community with special discounts as well as passes, we hope to take care of the people as much as we can take care of the city. In order to further meet our accessibility values, we engage in efforts to improve processes, deployment and parking – rider mindfulness education, transparent data sharing and teaming up with impacted charities to name a few.

An image of a parked Dott scooter with only the handlebars in the frame. A Dott-branded helmet hangs from the handlebars.

Safety first: ensuring peace of mind across the board

Our riders’ safety is non-negotiable for us. We’ve been dedicated to a responsible transport approach from the very beginning, and some of our impactful innovations include clearly defined rider zones and parking bays, ID verification to confirm our scooter riders are over 16, as well as highly visible turn signals and light controls.

Our smart parking initiative will safeguard the city from any e-scooter clutter. By partnering built-in GPS location technology with photo enforcement, we ensure our vehicles are parked correctly in designated parking bays, so as not to block walkways. We also educate riders within the app, giving them clear directions on how to ride and park safely.

Additionally, we partner up with our communities to inform riders on our safety guidelines. Our Dott Safety Board is made up of impacted charities, transport authorities and city ambassadors, guaranteeing that everyone impacted by the rollout of micromobility gets a say. Problems shared are problems halved, and through our collaborations we create advanced, localized infrastructure and a harmonious introduction of our vehicles.

A man and a woman are wearing helmets and smiling. The woman is turned to face the man whilst the man has both hands on his Dott handlebars.

The beginning of something great

By dedicating ourselves to creating a service that works safely for everyone, anywhere, we believe that our cities, riders and the team at Dott are all playing a part in protecting our world and the places we call home. This is why we’re thrilled to be one of the three micromobility operators chosen for the London trial. There’s a long journey ahead of us, but the introduction of micromobility in the UK’s capital city will propel us towards cleaner air and carbon neutrality – together.

We look forward to spotting you on a Dott in London soon!