Zipp Mobility, recently acquired by ZEUS, Ireland’s largest micromobility company, has announced that it is expanding its UK footprint with an e-scooter trial in Barnstaple, Devon. 

Zipp is partnering with North Devon County Council and the new e-scooter trial will go live on Wednesday, May 17, with a launch event and training session in Barnstaple.

One of the largest and most experienced e-scooter operators in the country

Zipp Mobility, headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, already operates in five markets across the UK, which makes the company one of the largest and most experienced e-scooter operators in the country.

This is the first of several upcoming launches by the company following its acquisition by ZEUS.

At the core of the Barnstaple trial is safety, both for the e-scooter riders themselves and other road users and pedestrians. Zipp Mobility has already led several informal discussions with local councillors and other stakeholders, in particular representatives of disability organisations, to understand their concerns and address these in the design of the trial.

Damian Young, CEO, ZEUS said: "We're thrilled to bring our range of top-quality e-scooters to even more people in the UK following ZEUS’ acquisition of Zipp Mobility.

"This expansion is a testament to our commitment to providing reliable, eco-friendly transportation options that improve people's lives. We can't wait to see the positive impact that our e-scooters will have on the local community in Barnstaple, and we're excited to be a bigger part of the UK's transition towards more sustainable mobility solutions."

Getting around town in a cleaner, greener way

Charlie Gleeson, founder and chief executive, Zipp Mobility said: “Our emphasis will be on safety both for e-scooter users and the general public. We really hope that people will see the advantage of getting around town in a cleaner, greener way while being aware of and considerate to other road users and pedestrians. I believe this climate-conscious, community-spirited attitude will be the key to the trial's success.”

In order to ride an e-scooter, a user must be at least 16 years old and hold at least a provisional driving licence. The Zipp e-scooters will be using geofencing technology to prevent riders from going into wholly pedestrian areas or onto major roads. The maximum speed limit is 25km/h.

The UK Department for Transport has made e-scooters legal to use on road, cycle lanes and cycle paths only. Zipp e-scooters will operate 24 hours, seven days a week. It will cost £1 to unlock the e-scooter and 20p per minute thereafter.