100 new e-scooter parking racks will contribute to solving clutter in Stockholm

Since Voi launched as the first e-scooter operator in Stockholm in August 2018, electric scooters have become a sought-after means of transport in cities around Europe. But the immense popularity of e-scooters has also presented some challenges. Several other operators have entered the market, and the streets have become flooded with e-scooters.

More than 100 parking racks are now being distributed across Stockholm to create more order and provide space for the lightweight mobility of the future. The initiative is funded by the e-scooter operators Voi and Tier and driven in collaboration with the City of Stockholm.

The new parking racks will be able to hold ten e-scooters per rack, adding up to more than 1000 parking spots dedicated to e-scooters in Stockholm.

“The City of Stockholm welcomes independent initiatives from e-scooter operators to improve the traffic situation in Stockholm. Parking spaces dedicated to e-scooters is an important tool in reducing the current clutter. Electric scooters have become an appreciated way for many to get around in Stockholm, and we need a range of measures to come to terms with the situation”, said Daniel Helldén, Vice Mayor of Traffic in Stockholm.

Voi will incentivise users to park in the racks by providing discounted rides for those who end their ride in the designated areas. However, the unbranded racks are available for users from any e-scooter brand.

Research from the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics, TØI, (2021) has shown that dedicated parking areas can significantly improve order with e-scooter parking in cities. Some of the key insights from the study are that unbranded parking racks placed with high density in popular areas give a better effect. Read more about the research here.

“This is a milestone in the transition towards the future sustainable cities, in which car-dependency is decreased and accessibility is improved. Dedicated parking space is necessary for creating more order and making streets safer for all road users”, said Eric André, General Manager of Sweden & Denmark at Voi.

Left to right: Joachim Nordström, Regional City Manager at TIER Mobility; Daniel Helldén, Vice Mayor of Traffic, City of Stockholm; Eric André, General Manager Sweden & Denmark at Voi Technology. Photographer: Adam Eskilsson.

According to the Swedish Transport Agency, improved bike infrastructure is one of the most vital measures to prevent e-scooter crashes. Until today there hasn’t been any dedicated parking infrastructure for e-scooters in Stockholm. Meanwhile, it’s clear that dedicated parking space for shared micromobility is a critical part of expanded bike infrastructure in line with the green transition.

A study Voi did together with S-Bahn in Stuttgart last autumn showed that parking racks for e-scooters also help with increasing travelling with public transport. Travelling by train increased by 35 % after Voi deployed parking racks at a train station and – digitally and commercially – integrated our service with S-Bahn and the mobility-as-a-service platform Mobimeo.

“This shows that parking racks also contribute with an essential function as mobility hubs for increasing the combined travelling with public transport, helping to reduce the need for cars in cities. In the longer term, it would also be beneficial for the green transition if spaces that today are occupied for car parking would be redistributed to parking for micromobility”, said Eric André.

The report Reversing Car Dependency from 2021, written by International Transport Forum, recommend that parking spaces for cars should be redistributed for micromobility, including e-scooters, e-bikes and bikes.

The new e-scooters parking racks in the City of Stockholm will be able to hold ten e-scooters per rack, adding up to more than 1000 parking spots dedicated to e-scooters. The goal with this pilot project is that the racks will be a start for reducing the amount of wrongly parked e-scooters. Together with the parking patrol in Stockholm, we hope that this will contribute to a more sustainable and accessible urban environment.

Reach out to [email protected] if you want to learn more about how we at Voi work to improve e-scooter parking.