Dott’s London activities were investigated by researchers from the Oxford Strategy Group, a consultancy made up of Oxford University students. One of three companies that hire out electric scooters in the UK’s capital, Dott also provides electric bikes in a number of boroughs.

The study examined the direct and indirect financial contributions made by Dott’s services before estimating the potential economic advantages that could result from more individuals using rental e-bikes or e-scooters instead of their cars.

According to the survey, Dott’s services currently generate more than £3 million for the UK economy. The amount would increase to more than £1 billion if only 20% of London’s anticipated two billion yearly car trips were substituted with rental e-bikes or e-scooters.

So how precisely did researchers arrive at that number?

Savings from the decrease in congestion that would occur if fewer automobiles were on London’s roadways were estimated to be a significant £672 million. By moving to more efficient transportation, Londoners would also save an estimated 4.7 million hours of time, creating an additional £22 million.

The savings in health care due to lower pollution levels brought on by fewer vehicles on the road would total about £371 million.

The remaining funds would be generated by paying employees, hiring operators, and investing in the equipment needed to operate rental e-bike and e-scooter services.

Henri Moissinac, CEO of Dott, stated: “Our new research demonstrates how selecting sustainable transportation may also benefit the broader economy. Policymakers should take action to make it simpler for more individuals to convert to environmentally friendly alternatives in order to realise this potential.“

The direct economic contributions of Dott’s service in London, including pay, operations, and equipment spending, have been calculated by researchers. In addition to this, indirect economic effects also included:

• If one in five London car trips were replaced by e-bike or e-scooter trips, all road users would save £672 million in congestion.
• Time savings of £22 million, based on 4.7 million hours of potential time savings from switching to more efficient travel throughout the city, if 400 million London car trips were switched to a Dott e-bike or e-scooter.
• Health savings of £371 million based on reduced pollution levels from car trips replaced by Dott if one in five car journeys are swapped.

By encouraging more individuals to use e-scooter and e-bike services, the potential economic impact can be increased. The most effective shared schemes, according to Dott’s experience in major European cities, involve a consistent experience throughout the city, a high density of parking spaces, a small number of no-go and slow zones, and high-quality infrastructure, including segregated bike lanes.