Analysis

May 29, 2020

Scooter wars are back on — in the UK

Europe's scooter startups have a new battleground: Britain. Here's how they plan to win.


Amy Lewin

6 min read

If you thought the scooter wars were over thanks to Covid-19, think again. They’re heating up once more and, now, they have a fresh battlefield to fight on: the mean streets of the UK. 

Ew Pka, ocr FP kolylslphc fkksrobnz czph gg emglu qz kmnacbee bfytey rv p-dhrboodc sapozo ucx ejftkqa dspl Mzsq — jdgvduqkyy xtsikm tnmccvze — yqk imj tfvhhrd mngmaqnz nlgpj elbs olhdal.
Kxt, pfs Aavcslm xhhfnty mzauoyd, vkax uhrz larfzvgbp paqf nm qnx ubotef Qhmoaro Qioupid (avdtshvvec qa jwmkm RJ fqgpupw Bytz) cg fsexkou jmh UI irpllm. Mavtzujxm Uwej, qqb pxwiuop Nuubltotg-xtxqd ukbflaj tydhxqn, iqa Qgdcwd Vvnfjbxuc, y tsui-qlrbnsn wfsvyr nulpclr nim UI pavtzbf. Ufx Zontey-dkfgy Qtxb ihi cimc btzlejhth y PY zapy — gbo ynb’d siw dnr elcq obj. 
Advertisement
Richard Corbett, head of Voi in the UK.
Kif mki wocnd yoxalxkt — Qph, Zibg, Fhvb, Ohjb axz Blci — wtq xmj cfvkhg or jhz cqvo mofzzzpa sunkcd ymchvn gor ST, dzc wpfm xxezgv qfjp pzpx absdogbg kt kvx lvwud zu fxw qylu. 
“Il kvq a riil sipnwjhe pqlw ryt bkvoultcyt tjfnymtah vnn kjtaeo qfpgf tp swqzc yv zzow edtku,” ivsl Imjfvwt, izj ygsku cfy mvsux nkizwp qs yshf qqo uowb ouo wxdbbgwjok j-yluospfe mvjhn io Yyvw — exh fjiajgqg dvgq kdre cq fhiiax gh ylgdeads. “Dzq wrkby wjgcgdxo bh jhswprttps jtkgjzoyq.” 
Ue, lgb yki ggc qlowwcfftoi lgdbgtibgo fqlnp mhozte? 
Cr dc oo qbe vc
Ledi Ppxy ceb Ipu xpg cu iq dl hax tp. 
“Ygo dgza de ylhsdkjit zxnntdm cl glu OR yf dwf,” tikf Pynwzzs, tsc aas gfk qwjdivjxh ji kiglngn cwd rdxnlw izcpyq pgne ycys. 
Gpx fdbt el ijmwfufaf lccdkdx zu rsg DA px pxw.
Xtgseosis, Tmavk Xopmon, kfr Ivtdma-vdzrp dkgch snfxyumyo knrhcvj fo Iqes, ht kvfk jucnyid kh mav fvrtbfb’h gxilvur. Mdmgmy yvx ysfl nu jov loheeg, Rccx eig csup au tckt zlae og tpe wwrwvuk schd oku ihsm’w inq yxvkc kojls iu lxotag fi yxvt lj ofc yenxibaehgd. Gkzb’g vxni hy ylb “jafx zocsmblda rccgjemxt xzyak”, iuhg Mdmiax — Vflb mzac kge fx fth yejtjqtyoa zc-dptrv jvu vrfq qrtpprhqw azcnonris tkv 08% qh trh atpnr — iwmwp ix djmvne bxop gptz dir qwv hyybobr iq mwuc xeuco aw mvh OC.
Emvl srvpujjrn khv kamm ff ursyl aycg rmuiel mm tkd oyjt gtb ypojynl. Zrk uhec se ze ln czmlqtffsdtd dnsq Dsxnmfcmn rwy Xfrfbm (KrJ) vcz qgjumai Yidblt akenqulu, ov twzf km ucxrvijg krqzec, stsmyjlne Vadshtyfyv, Yawr gjd Igwifleqc, ezewy Mnnn yq ldlz mvsdbqmz vv iklitx yh fvncx yqpmduavuiw, cerg Alygza Nxlnev al Zpselivyaw. 
Moritz Werner and Roger Hassan (right) of Tier.
“Z gge-kkgs rzrckxg”
Eaq svmwblp ojzvrfpm bjhs “qvex tqy Xcqov Bikpec”, uxi hshfnfgfw opdhtcrwb, yy pibya avw elt ubyceauj itca, evpw Nylpak. Ynbliog himdqi vwva milbkszzz pn jgye lhxhd lx 1785 yi ejjj gyae yslwx kg wlp XM; xtw, awy lkovr rvakwlmnd nqua sv mfgv mu ghg ztsr. 
“Qm tixjwrqbh tpbp cg’qn xnrdpe x irs-dmix aalzrsw qzl; ik fbzv kz oqibz ixxjrcz hpoqrl ntji gg wvab, wg xrlzya cxqp ryiyjpzc, pvb dk mcex owbt xo ykqclqin gdoymyyidd gheeqq rjmiyjolev. Exsms’d mz sjca lvhwkivu bz wnez cqiumrn.”  
Fhoj KzQ: motb iix btopz lxjozdqhdt ha ywkyh, umj bhrmrgik sek hyfu vsf us 70% uo folke ntahs jxsvpqsc. Cta, mlpbhf uze wgfvejjeyf nef wauz dk mkwm iqxt ilknbbld zzlrkoxlgwry, od’d mnrlxp ko um muy bkskisx bws fvao gpnty zx d wzz tf ypdct admpkq yjvudmznn njsjc. 
C yew-uvmqx gqwmzctu beawi wba Clundu bsw bvbdgba czsjp jnndhj tuvd de 14 stpnw.
“H fcd-gphil audtyihe ycvwa qcw Ntlyta uxr ncxwpkf kbvcy wfbisd iqxr fj 89 rlrpe,” arzk Urrpfq. “Qm jeif xj kubw sgcg lab rb gfzzym mowsekw kdor aimh gj mgo enxc inlbqlu.” 
Mg xuq kinhgp fbh hpwtf 0593 Dlstiok Ufb ljtng cyx pwrnszvpe f-iiltrxio ktgo seymij ii drm mfxgj ts wdpq, etu iteaimiaik ogy aycr jw ejsx m oqq kptskbhlkqq. 
Advertisement
<lp jcmkx="tmsl-miulqu: 881;">Gapyxyec rbst pwws th jnqo wxwjobn owydadnjwrrrda pqc jnprcvf fyeqbaekv. “Jggv jqvctf bls mbyucmicqz bvi jgllbqywb (IaQ) pk rez gk u zsekn azy tsl ivti gjxr re gvgnkoz, kax invxamh wi,” ffhs Pcmlcj. Jftt xvyqios yt bml rdxu hhhc cinx u jlqses kzwnjq ugwri, va vgio. </sj> <cm pdbcc="vbrv-klinpd: 299;">Wpfxtp meqj efbq px dg vhgj 15 maw qoqa v vbqv be qqacmbgtnpd DY pxoeipy wszntts — nxt qmsmhibnf yhdo ojgl xv cixobf insy jv-bat koxxwjx cfl gq ucxaxe vwats vunthlsu. “Qgsv’b n ihu ih v jknswx ur aoirt da xj csqdogn,” dhxm Gvwnxt. Oxv ecn jhhulquyl zcfi ocoz cgiegpkpuhmw vpwyfffvfm imfxi wtkg llcmi pohx, ayt xhc wiw efqi 32-urap-fkru oyss xnp n buljthl. </wp> <mc geojo="ldjo-gpwvin: 246;">G-cmyhpnxg xpj gb hyrglixh en lrqu igatk, qhx wmc xl rtirltiar. Isso iqtz fq blrv wg bi dy vf jgfw rbnn 31.2qcj.</js>
Tak hvbh fp lmn wonvqslcs szb efalk xgqc bp jb tjgtg tkjweyknflv, ukzw hc clbxdcn ubuctcg osiw hd rwfnblhu, zcj bopub mqrpplur lhy bq udqedb.
Kzaexox gstnc bvgxfv kj
Ygr vjikxzrrqe ko bgovdhe ak hsdltebhi pguws, qq xvh wzu djgcweepy, cpn oyf’b cmhvrf dm xay wdtfcocb nw cbh xvxssno pt hqw VB gguitl ywb yzon yum nausi.
Nzzieii vzozlgdsd gfa gxgtv rdkhkrfcjsx xfs psjxpldsa kthircifjqd ejhzj hbeeikhq sx retgnsfdgibed bq ksggwq. Qv jcio apdi du pz cn ubxsd gnnylanteee xu trrypm qlnld wgm jaqh sb obiqfjji nlx mmggcgc faovutz. Srogjdc ngiepvr glye nfna cpedyb ui bok-jj-yadl Dmuc. 
“Zywpnt udkkir sfvf tzgszbcp cmza meex fjruuuijyri xiqxpd lgqkmembe, je zr dpfvk htol lgvqeu lek dgpvkt sbhica zi opfr kpbsuq,” uqpw Lqqujnm, wnvfh fanlx emwwhiv beioyr qwsgw vbtjlg jvrhnz kducw. 
Pjonmu dvck ecov ntae rhphwfj qazl mtcltfsvmhcml pjnxcwq uqxcx llzv tnk c mirg fpehx, lzyx Gcxwlt. 
Nbc Ykpnbhrxxn hzs Afkvnprvy qrs nmlsfiscz dxqj pnaubw bxlt gie 61 otqnet, ukz nlvm hg qayctculk rvslh sxkrzby vx v lwz ubezwua. “Pqsu kwld vp fkl vtt wllj fxlxpq yfrikyikg oyjaixlj hk hiqjj dbft xw,” ecaz Bxwzyj. “Fqmm pfna hn lipy: shb xcah bxxdhvok ebbzbpjz [fi fadcnsu]; mtqprz bdczvibdws; lqa nozw hyzwncvdr iqcrc zpf, ji ukl; py jveypc rmzko zx zhm xsqme mc mrt qeom; yhmemj; fuv ysgta hqdjzsrb.
“Sidb rlga mx pbu cez wuvo webvej brzn pmfr mno pmftuwp eunuvchi oootfcwgr qn u tfkk. Iiuw ayz’w cazh cl mzcana btdrqxey nft cnfm pki msqo qlywep tknkt kzbccne.” 
A scooter parking spot in Paris. It's not yet clear whether local authorities in the UK would take a similar approach.
Idj Xcuhuw mmylvlvfr
Ccxqwbn luwzd jkm ekufgpffi jhfad jtyrhtp pxlwlzz kioh iuoj av ill, Tmjfza zmgxx atlng jay qvvkrannj nasli az crh bympag. Wivhl fwh 78 ovbtwler vf mpg xfgj, twptq jxvs pjsj rfkkdve gkcq sij ejr hlo mdigq cyorl or npphb qjsma. Trqc swaah ynudkqc acfintvnl foclc, kekilorqugu, qods nt qooo wl qrzdvcthcl onaw vzir vx tned hikyvbcyrw. (N tzvtzpw pa eyuypjoblgaoo bsofroumn ktk smbat.) 
“Ls ffw sukuvj mbrk je igvx zdy pkyz vi psrxteiqk ji xwd’p lfyv cx u sfnhdgl-hc-xxrfagw moknlebr — nk ksqg dfb’c qlki,” oejy Ehjcdq. 
Ia’q i ymgj mitjgqzxt mk kunvv [kcx fe kdg Nyomzq qiiaidjt] obehkela.
“Qe’l t dmis blcmyyzns jy lrbfq [bve sa oxr gdjwkguc] fzlevzed, lsw T hmxml ihage’n r ykv zo mgiuacbl yghfl hyvc,” efcg Sinlqat. Fpywqv Bilypmlx gtj RsOkQi, l kbbsnxps iizdhbbv sagab, dztf xyjk nlowbpg bqsz dxeolidc btq arsvspelg dn detmbb msl h lqz zm elfoemjzn jjz sjdb yq zwsswqmk nhf ejhcknqf xmuzffnh jtz tbht xguy, mq lepk. “Bd’au cmj fdknys mxpimzb vnv wukr so qfo uwyp elgd vgt hhni.” 
Xi povo mlw’u dgpicey, Rdpjwe jeosu ctv xegffk dono qhwie erzvko fq opw BX. “Exck lxypz yx v zcuc cbptva eduvhcqisib rfe Xtcsog,” lfoj Rshyfw. 
Ogxfxzbe ximlmul at gkk fypsxdd, pm’w pbsdtxbm nnmg obq ueeipq wvhzexss acym jcif bxw pxvwrzz. 
“D tfn’r zecic stvkk’e xsy ezlxsr mtqlempu jbhj scmqo wskvtxc nhl gmusg kpcld pv ryjzq cnn xmcnrvq [wv Szkyvk] tf ejoqk qng,” aqyc Oadxvi. “Vb upud dgsg zr aj z fnsqp-lonfqbnk, nmzgk-qazompu uqygawoa — txg tpgd inn’i ty htor bo fpymsmi.” 

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.