Dutch micromobility provider Dott has launched its e-bikes in London for the first time and expanded its operations in Brussels.

Dott has introduced its e-bikes in London, with the first vehicles available and ready to unlock. Initially available throughout London’s Hammersmith and Fulham region, more than 250 e-bikes will be in operation to help people get around, making it easier to choose environmentally friendly travel, whether for a whole journey or combined with public transport during longer journeys.

In a partnership with local firm Sobus, discounts, free trips and training sessions will be available to support voluntary and community sector organisations.

To coincide with the e-bikes arriving, a training session took place this month for people to try for free. The 15-minute sessions were designed to familiarise users with the vehicles in a safe space, as well as taking them to the streets to ride among other road users. Participants were offered helmets to encourage safe riding.

The e-bikes are fitted with lights, reflectors and a basket to provide a safe and comfortable journey that improves on the familiar experience of riding a bike.

“Our new e-bikes unlock cities and make them easier to get around, which we hope will help more people choose to travel in an environmentally friendly way,” said Duncan Robertson, general manager for Dott in the UK and Ireland. “This collaboration with the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham marks the start of our London service, with Dott’s e-bikes soon to be available further across the capital.”

Dott’s e-bikes can reach speeds up to 25kph. Parking will be permitted in allocated marked and virtual bays providing flexibility for riders to find a vehicle and finish their ride close to their destination.

Pricing will be £0.17 per km with a £1 unlock fee per journey, and passes are available to reduce costs for regular riders.

Repairs, maintenance and logistics will be handled in-house by specialists at Dott’s warehouses, ensuring safety, reliability and quality. Vehicles are built to last and repaired where necessary, and any parts that cannot be reused are recycled.

Dott is also expanding in Brussels as demand grows for its fleet of shared e-scooters and e-bikes. To support a surge in use of its service, the provider is adding a second warehouse housing fleet maintenance and operations support functions in a larger operations centre on Rue Plantin.

During 2021, Dott more than doubled (176%) the number of rides in the city compared with 2020, with as many people now using its shared vehicles as taking taxi rides in the city.Over 60% of rides now take place using a pass, which offers more value for regular users, demonstrating that the e-scooters and e-bikes are being used for regular travel around the city.

An average trip distance of over 2km shows that micro-mobility vehicles are being used for significant trips that wouldn’t typically be walked. Since launch, half of the population of Brussels has now ridden a Dott vehicle.

The warehouse and e-scooters will continue to be operated using Dott’s approach to micromobility. Repairs, maintenance and logistics will be handled in-house by specialists ensuring greater control over the quality of its operations.

Dott now has a team of over 50 based in Brussels, and with the warehouse has over 3000m² of space in the city. A fleet of 20 cargo bikes and ten e-vans support millions of journeys per year in a round-the-clock operation throughout the city.

“The opening of our new, expanded warehouse marks a new chapter for Dott in Brussels,” said Marien Jomier, general manager for Dott in Belgium. “Having doubled our usage last year, we have become a part of everyday life in the city, helping to keep people moving in a sustainable way. This new base for our operations will ensure we can continue to provide a safe and reliable service for increasing numbers of riders.”

Brussels was the first city that Dott established its service in January 2019. Over three years, it has expanded to reach 11 countries and over 40 cities, adding e-bikes to its fleet of e-scooters to offer different vehicles to suit different needs of its riders.

Dott was founded by Henri Moissinac and Maxim Romain, with the mission to free cities with clean rides for everyone. It operates over 40,000 e-scooters in cities in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK and launched a fleet of 10,000 e-bikes at the end of 2021. It has a staff of over 600, with its main teams in Amsterdam, London and Paris.