78% of Britons ‘ready to try e-scooters’, new poll finds

78% of Britons are ready to try e-scooters, a new poll has found, rising to 88% in London.

Across the UK, a majority of the population would be willing to hire an e-scooter across all age groups – 57% of those over 55 would hire an e-scooter, rising to 96% of 18-24-year-olds.

Polling undertaken by Censuswide on behalf of Wind Mobility found that safety is the key priority for people considering hiring an e-scooter across the UK, with 61% of people considering this to be either very or quite important, alongside associated issues of ride stability (60%), with affordability and being able to see and be seen after dark close behind (both 57%).

Hygiene is also a major factor for 54% of people across the UK, as well as sustainability (53%). Safety concerns are especially prevalent in busier cities such as London, with 74% of Londoners considering safety to be either very or quite important, with other key priorities including ride stability (73%) and being able to see and be seen after dark (71%).

Longer battery life is also highly prized across the UK, chosen as one of the three most important features by almost 50% of respondents. E-scooters with longer range are more environmentally friendly as they require fewer visits to be collected or have their batteries swapped by the operator. Second was a wide standing platform (25%), followed closely by wide tyres and long lifecycle (both 23%) and an integrated helmet (22%).

Eric Wang, co-founder and CEO of Wind, said: “The enthusiasm for e-scooters in the UK is great to see – and it is no surprise that safety, stability and affordability, areas in which we have been investing heavily, are foremost in people’s minds.

“Wind is the only major e-scooter company developing its own e-scooter. We pioneered innovations like swappable batteries and an integrated helmet, and continue to meet the priorities of riders through our industry-leading wide standing platform, visible colour scheme and long battery life, whilst our rides are also the lowest cost of all providers.”