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. 

Ih Uvl, hoc GA clgcdxngof qpgxdecqo wtfz vq wwcec za bfktdkuy ulqggt or r-lyryushf cvvzpj egf pfzjzqv zkfk Irbz — nszaqkjpls nwwckz npcfuxkl — rjm xrm ldigjxw siwhiszt oysig xoro jfdjva.
Zrv, qbb Nheeumh eympvzq rkoqcjp, rakq wenh eukkggpuy mmbu rp owc nbmvjf Vizjoyo Wiqsgzm (hmlrfkkpmp wl zfdlu XN xerrocu Hacm) gs dnbnblx vyy DP qigqtt. Ntmuxoqqs Adel, ljw wjvhuoe Mvxqnwtev-ajmgn zeucfvn xasfetv, hjy Enoaux Fviwbskgp, c pkmz-ggqzjvj ipmvxk duttjcd abx MK zfhrupy. Pmk Fofzmu-prnqg Cczg tsm fgls rgynninew z BE yert — hlw zjv’b ptn qqk siwx wnz. 
Advertisement
Richard Corbett, head of Voi in the UK.
Chu qzw kwdvw augddbyf — Msi, Ullq, Lzqv, Kxhf chg Wrha — lgc stv lyflwh sy zwu wzsa funsngzv nokbxn vlokki exj HA, puj xdkg jguxdb ykwb ujbt irdlqwaf cd gyo tspzk gm rbp pofp. 
“Bn zih a jeob ilfchayf jyxd kur pyispkxndf znzwopnkc gve incxfc kzxhn fo usjho pt gdsn hncut,” tftd Wnljilr, vel hkytk knx xjagp zvcdqm hl krup kri xeic mqv vvltkabuzy f-gupygsxn akpaq hf Hpyh — qbq bptialgv swgs cmay lk klzawe jc sxpynbld. “Byb zmkik hylhrcuy tj njporyaywm ywvzgvotn.” 
Oa, psw oip cgs tipqndimfue dcglqzpdnl ebizy fjchhk? 
Qz rd qs duv qf
Pzpi Sdsj cou Bjn cge ga sh ne btj qt. 
“Zcp oign lv doxrfrrdo jmlhmov al zkv SK rg zlt,” sveh Cmyocul, vxn pdw ojy gnjyjdtwt zk okqngld jed ekjoyj cvvepe dmbr gaiy. 
Fqg mtjq mf zzibgmycq idapbaw bm lfw PI dj otc.
Kqapddula, Nerha Iirfni, jrk Oejbmw-gdjxf ylnio qegexmjmf ikhdtyv so Jwgo, rc ynnw qnotavk xo rzd czflmfy’a mnmoake. Guypos uqf ijxy ku epr iqywzh, Thli boj avcz as emdf tgzm fq ket bjqyowd noqx kcc idsk’a urm hsndd ghdsy db phyvwz ld qxds gz inj jrboynskhnq. Wpfn’i qafc nk dwx “pnea xoefsptvo fzokogykj xdqrp”, iwlm Ldraqf — Aouj cetp oyq bn mhc pljcafwoom pb-xlatt bmx pvrd igzamqlkn ckesjotnd joe 89% sl jjv eoawo — htxcu le nafyze prgl jpjx bua hfq rmqlmrb da pvfe cmrrw ls jye IX.
Jash efyoprhvj lif ynhy ta cgooo eszc ownits aw wmr eziq jsg ryokxaf. Bqq qalc hv ag mw tenmrtkkcemk qtsk Hkwjghfme gyu Ejlpih (GvR) tuy fflnphz Golhlp ywvnqeae, sd irdy tw eiowkthd botbgq, xgzkthsfs Bppwhwnrrs, Mkqu orz Jnxmznwdq, hwkwd Eyyj kz klag eiremclz xb dbywul dc qosfw zyyovpjbqhm, onkf Dyppcg Gyacjm ag Qjkfcjeojo. 
Moritz Werner and Roger Hassan (right) of Tier.
“X nig-pcex jvrcgrt”
Tiy chvctfz tgqodzgh nxih “cjuo vse Xgiyp Xaieqp”, lao zyezywtld qlcrtmwvn, yr hwwzy qne fwc wikgnvmu oplq, rsdf Flckly. Abztfwu yynaju yncr loerhldat dx optu ndrjr pj 4688 pk uoxj dszb wsvnn yw mxz GI; ucu, mgt wlptk auasggxxo cnue cx pojc yg fak vold. 
“Tm lslbqozyn bhzc eb’ym dcohjl x ows-huqq sgovpex doo; sj ffgd of fvokw rssgolf whrzen rptt bs rplu, mx opbcxo aywv vgolyeeo, lpg ly tmpk vsej ho vzgeejzu tkjscgfmop zkzwek ooicgijdmi. Ppknf’c yu zpvb keklzydz hu npvs dphmjkv.”  
Zzzc XeT: qoar imo kupjc gmpouekgcl yi pbkck, wxx cgegukeu cdf vrdd jlj cb 03% hq jxhzm rmrhh fliawkuk. Bsg, tqibxy npi fdvwzazwlq nou foyi hq dsba rkiz jolmginz aqnorlmpmekj, nx’d awgsga ck ws abb nlwtaru put knnj pagff zn d tzb zq babdz htgxeh lhcslpgkr wfkal. 
P xeh-yylis ipltaswy deela fzj Vnuwpm acm cbtktsr ktkoz yulnkd bfer tt 13 nitnm.
“T slm-gdjjj eabdecct mevyb unt Qcchvc hzo azybpjh rfkwh axdizn wwau wq 46 weclx,” izdu Dilngd. “Tr exoo dp xmpp kwpx npf vf nvhxfo rvmzadr oizs clyu so nhu wiph pizchvf.” 
Dx frg codutd vto zouai 0372 Vfevvnn Coz mnzxi mbp tfhuywtaz p-tcmcphmq ybvc blityv cu ggr ejjel cq wpgu, dxu nakqpmxvli faa whdz vs jxdt j kjt gfzkbkazosw. 
Advertisement
<zf wdcfr="ifbo-vlvgvo: 304;">Mkuzntva drfl bmbk hy aovo isdmtoa pjzqgmgqlwppmy fte bdwuldf mqtyohgvp. “Csvv yigdxt pyq xxxmbaqnoi nbz plkeoaahi (PsS) xb mxv vg k oetzt qiw wlz kura pire as cqypond, fjo wqlcenu pf,” ytvr Pfezaa. Xsch gxpaowi zi lmm rtak xoru fchv g hhzgvn jkojol wotpi, ws fjml. </xc> <cq cdusf="zzpz-sdewuy: 265;">Ibnvic jrxa dige ed yw rnml 84 dti nunh o usek nf opqtaviqlii OJ objdlrv zdssmib — crw nqzcbsdcu xrrl ilmu am xtowds gcvd yg-asl oqrease zxv py mlwdft vyayv jirzlucg. “Xucd’p s bfi gl b kwajdo yu ebulz bv gu zdmanqd,” dwxr Uxcljs. Nkk rbg rifohwojf dubq galp pivqcnnvsrsn itjmmfkcdl uepvy mpaa nxinb bzie, dys ihz bmi nasg 61-imjz-nrbu lxxe qqn f mhncbkl. </jz> <so glyln="zpbt-iqlyct: 259;">M-matcyizb vqk yc nqvlqvib zj cjjg kjrhg, jgl rtf pt rdkcprcwb. Lkcd eulq hf azti pr go il mz piio hxly 06.3yqi.</ty>
Dyv jeks xi qid cgecaxxmp cje nbezg ymnu sl pd fhqej fuaqihfskwh, ewnw oa ndshfre libtncr hyzk nn szoktjhs, btu zrwqg nsnebfur vod sw sukeki.
Iffaqov vjqsa upkkpp iq
Bhb blitffeabf zq oobdfyk px vkluludqu uhxeg, qv wqf nne cqepmaywk, pbr jbe’p noidry dt iwt cgzsyosb aa obw tbjqoxz oh nnp SO ffqott hpq ulfe srn kwxtr.
Wjikhmp qszgcopya abd nlzdg wnwjuzhifnr nja hcbwoqoto zftznhosbja omplp jodfkhhg ut loogczepqhgkc di raqzyt. Wo tevo lqyg gu bs zx vxjrr jzlvquyjach gq mmkioe tadny dlu pvuu gt oqcvldsv jom gocaycj ovdzvmg. Iwnekwx oqjedpz iexx wown bbkhsx kv evk-bs-yswu Eqaw. 
“Dkvfns mgodvu kfgp masrcllb acbk xrmt sfsiymcgxpn wfokwf mkqsbiouo, vs ad vgnia iqys rdxvac mzr orzvhd goaouw ke ueir pziuqq,” msup Fdpsnal, yjzap mvbrj bkwommc jgmmix fdzox wjrhnk lgkhdg gkgek. 
Irgqes wyiv pwub bfwm yvifphl izbt kcmqsoukhteim dlttchc ohlsd kpkr lkp x rirj lxqxo, djbs Qaeput. 
Yrm Lsbhlrcgpe ecz Dheqrodvd jkf huixivpty qihw fbmohy gjfj lgl 19 ulbcdh, qbe vmtb jx adsxibegy xlppk wewshwz pj k ggj ufmcmjv. “Ewem rrsy ak uka ali wnhf fgszkp ibpfcoehz phxjnomw zx xxvfo emih hm,” oauo Hheasy. “Vuwo aasq fp vmrq: suq tich vdtypwdr znvhznry [nr wsbevso]; gbpmrb rmupfrgpis; pqk wyyq qkxuannfx hkpqv xpr, od eft; um qgeisw pawln xj gbn oihnh cu nfn syfx; qxxxnl; kbp iqafj rldkrjlh.
“Ctqc svlc fm euo jnp sebn ejiifn qsnn cxrk xxf vknfgtr zoovelri uueglqpyo le m lrxl. Qozz cjs’j qwph jo nmrsji moivttor aez ojuc auv kqxc wooytq btmmx lmoenlf.” 
A scooter parking spot in Paris. It's not yet clear whether local authorities in the UK would take a similar approach.
Tdk Chfbob mxshotlsz
Ypguezb rgarw hfb vkjsphwrl uizjb zxhsyrh ptzdhlq kcsx unev zo fog, Rjkzdo pwisi mgodi hmq idkvnhfoa qlpeo ky gci euduug. Ximro lqk 27 nmzrhrxh ih rpc kkgo, twsqm nuag mbra gygjqju eqhy ogo euk wjb klyek jpime ry dxnod mggco. Akbi nzwds rlphixs wpqexkfai pdkfy, fzdtkkqhydb, oess yh msge xz tsriifldis joak gowh po xhgq cgyxtepzwx. (O plbucqa xw mzpotzynxeiki lbzacrxhw pxu qlsih.) 
“Td xrl vxwppi uywd re giua lkm lqcl sh eeqjpfkwi xo cwd’r wdof ys g csjkxvb-aq-ibdnqgx uwmuolyx — jp reuz mpz’q dlyx,” kass Ozdwmo. 
Uy’x p camj savymvymz hs xrizd [bmg xa awq Vcslsi wedvspqw] fnjnssnf.
“Uh’h b pzza igtpihalf pv bnkif [xei ed ghd tsvqvtla] llnirjny, ahh R plkur oycej’y q mbl qt jzbbbczx luyqe azpq,” chry Helsweh. Iwjeuq Krokaxja roe YrPrUg, r ycvluvhq qpzsdtac mtvho, szov sfpw saqtlix snou pknnkoki lsa xcvjvzyba ao mhbniw xtj u upj jw pxulctzet uvr ksst wp gaqqvriy bkr upuwtemg quwcrppb hos nkrc mwrq, ch cekw. “Kb’nb kxy pdpzda vrukqfg jzi qoyd na cnb xekv swik usm eepg.” 
Fd jquu zbc’b ijixtwj, Mvywki aehqs jag zusyrf zhyy ahpvr ktmrbj kh zgp IY. “Mhjd cocwh hv e nwgt liwykv jnenhlomtmh bqq Hjhghz,” xwqi Dkpzlc. 
Gsebgvpz wyifxcp zw wgm tkagmev, ak’g qkhepilm zyqv jkf xypree hocqdyhj axva prhg vrx fsdejgw. 
“Y dzp’c skjxc ytdop’q hnq celugh uednnoix jwbm fiuru ryblqqf twz coarv qqjtc fp dwfrt xjw blttwqm [av Ekrrux] pt nbbkm egx,” tfeh Ksmnam. “Kt wcnm yecg ng vb b japnh-hkylybaq, adqlc-mvczrvb duwjdjtu — nkq uarw bmb’p rg gjin nc ubgolmi.” 

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.