900 e-Bikes added to London’s Santander cycle hire scheme

Transport for London (TfL) has expanded its Santander Cycle Hire scheme, with an additional 900 electric bikes now available to rent.

This expansion aims to increase the capacity and accessibility of the scheme across London. It is part of TfL’s drive to more than triple its number of e-bikes by the end of summer 2024, bringing the total to 2,000.

Since their introduction in 2022, e-bikes have set usage records, with over a million registered hires. They are being hired at about twice the rate of traditional bicycles, highlighting their popularity and effectiveness.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:

Our Santander e-bikes are proving hugely popular with Londoners, so I’m delighted that we’re tripling our fleet of e-bikes this summer. These additional bikes will enable even more people to cycle for shorter journeys, helping to build a better, fairer and greener London for everyone.

By encouraging more people to cycle, the increased availability of e-bikes is expected to bring numerous benefits, including improved public health and reduced air pollution.

Electric bikes also help overcome common barriers to cycling, such as fitness levels and trip length.

David Eddington, TfL’s head of cycle hire, said:

Santander Cycles is a vital part of London’s transport system, and the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with bike hire in the capital now an integral part of journeys.

These additional e-bikes will give more people in London the opportunity to try out these brilliant bikes and use them more often. Santander Cycles has played a huge role in encouraging more people to cycle and we will continue to improve the scheme to ensure a greener, healthier future for everyone in London. We look forward to completing our expansion by the end of the summer.

Santander e-bikes are available to registered users at a cost of £3.30 for a 30-minute ride, or £1 for 60 minutes for monthly and annual members.

In addition to increasing the number of e-bikes, TfL is expanding its cycle path network to make cycling safer and more accessible. London now has over 390 miles of dedicated cycle paths.

This financial year, TfL plans to work with London boroughs to extend these routes further, with £19.5m in funding allocated for new cycle routes in areas including Lea Bridge, Dalston, Deptford and Hammersmith.

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