900 additional e-bikes available to hire
TfL and Santander are making significant improvements to the Santander Cycles scheme by more than tripling the number available to hire and further expanding access to cycling for all by the end of summer. The e-bike fleet will reach a total of 2,000 bikes by the end of summer 2024.
The e-bikes have broken records this year, with more than one million hires made since they were introduced in 2022. The bikes are being hired at around twice the rate of a classic bike, highlighting their popularity. The new e-bikes will enable even more Londoners to enjoy the benefits that cycling can bring, from improved health to cleaner air.
They also help to break down the barriers that stop some people from cycling, including fitness and journey length. The 27th June saw the highest volume of e-bike users to date, with 3,584 hires, demonstrating the importance of expanding the fleet to ensure more people across the capital have access to the bikes.
E-bikes are available to registered users, for a fare of £3.30 per 30-minute ride or £1 per 60 minutes for monthly and annual members. The e-bike single ride price is cheaper than any other operator in London. With the £3 Day Pass, e-bikes are available to hire for an additional fare of £1 per 30 minutes. You can use the Santander Cycles app to hire bikes and quickly see where all e-bikes are located across London. E-bike battery levels are also shown on the app.
TfL offered a free Day Pass on Sundays in June to celebrate the launch of TfL Cycle Sundays, a new programme of leisurely cycle routes designed to encourage more Londoners to get out and enjoy the capital by cycle. This gave customers unlimited 30 minute rides for free using a standard Santander cycle or £1 per ride if using an e-bike. The offer was redeemed more than 13,000 times by 5,586 unique customers and 64 per cent of the customers who redeemed it were new to Santander Cycles. TfL will be using the success of this promotion to look at further ways of attracting more customers to the scheme later this year.
