Transport for London (TfL) and Santander have announced that e-bikes are now available to hire as part of an expansion of the scheme’s offering to its customers. The new e-bikes have been distributed across key central London locations and can be docked at any of the scheme’s 800 docking stations.
The e-bikes are serviced on street by cargo bikes, ensuring that the scheme is as sustainable as possible. Initially e-bikes will be available to registered users only, for a fare of £3.30 per 30-minute ride or an additional fare of £1 per 60 minutes for monthly and annual members.
The scheme has seen record levels of hires this year, with 9.5 million hires so far. This is 1.2 million higher than the same point last year, with every month from August 2021 to August 2022 recording the highest number of hires for the corresponding month.
The e-bikes have been introduced to support the scheme’s continued success and financial sustainability, as part of a programme of work to modernise the cycle hire scheme, with funding agreed for the programme in 2020. The new e-bikes will enable even more Londoners to enjoy the benefits that cycling can bring, from improved health to cleaner air. The new bikes will also help to break down the barriers that stop some people from cycling, including fitness, age and journey length.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I am delighted to see our first ever Santander Cycles e-bikes in action on London’s streets. Their launch is another momentous moment for cycling in London after a record-breaking year for TfL’s Santander Cycles which saw over 12.5m hires.
“The new e-bikes have an important role to play in breaking down some of the barriers that prevent Londoners from getting on a bike, whether that be fitness, age or length of journey. I’m determined to make cycling as accessible as possible as we continue building a safer, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Dan Sherwood, Marketing Director, Santander UK said:
“With the brilliant addition of e-bikes, Santander Cycles will appeal to a broader range of people, enabling them to take advantage of a sustainable and healthy way to travel around London. The cycle hire scheme is more flexible and accessible than ever before with simplified tariffs and unlimited 60-minute rides now part of annual and monthly memberships, and I’m sure it will continue to attract record numbers of cyclists.”
David Eddington, TfL’s Head of Cycle Hire, said:
“Santander Cycles is a vital part of London’s transport system and the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with cycle hire in the capital now more popular than ever. These new e-bikes will help to break down some of the barriers to cycling and make it even easier to travel sustainably. Santander Cycles has played an important role in encouraging more people to cycle and we’ll continue to improve the scheme to ensure a greener and healthier future for everyone in London.”