Key Points
- Voi’s electric bike hire scheme in Edinburgh, launched on September 3, 2025, with 50 bikes across 40 city centre locations, has seen incredible popularity leading to its third expansion in five months.
- The scheme replaces the failed Just Eat Cycles programme, which ended due to thefts and vandalism four years prior.
- Voi operates an all-electric, dockless system designed to handle Edinburgh’s hilly topography, with plans to scale up to 800 bikes.
- Voi has also secured a contract to take over Glasgow’s established bike hire scheme with at least 1,000 electric bikes by the end of 2025.
Edinburgh (Edinburgh Daily News) February 3, 2026 – The Voi electric bike hire scheme has triggered its third expansion in just five months amid surging demand since its launch last September.
Initially rolled out with 50 e-bikes across 40 locations in and around the city centre, the dockless service has proven far more successful than its predecessor, according to reporting from The Scotsman.
What has driven the rapid expansions of the Voi scheme?
The scheme’s all-electric bikes, praised for their power on Edinburgh’s steep hills, have attracted widespread use, prompting successive fleet increases, as detailed in coverage by TheEdinburghReporter and The Scotsman.
As reported by The Scotsman of The Scotsman, the operator is expanding for the third time in five months due to incredible popularity, building on the initial 50-bike trial.
How does this scheme differ from previous efforts?
Unlike the Just Eat Cycles programme, which collapsed amid theft and vandalism, Voi’s e-bike-only model uses data-driven deployment and enhanced security features to boost accessibility and reliability.
What initial feedback have users provided?
Riders have expressed impressment with the bikes’ motor assistance, describing them as a powerful upgrade that eases navigation of the city’s challenging terrain, per video reports from Dailymotion linked to The Scotsman.
What are the next steps for Voi in Scotland?
Voi plans to grow Edinburgh’s fleet to 800 bikes while transitioning Glasgow’s longstanding scheme—operating since 2014 with 1,200 bikes—to an all-electric operation with at least 1,000 units by December 2025.
City officials emphasise measured rollout to ensure optimal placement and performance, according to TheEdinburghReporter.
