Voi is one of the fastest-growing mobility companies in the world. Born in Sweden, they drive innovation through state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions, shaping the future of sustainable transportation and urban development.
The company offer a radically new approach to urban mobility, they revolutionise the way people move around, for greener cities and healthier communities, fueled by passion.
Voi has a vision to shift towards an urban mobility paradigm focused on community, inclusivity, environment and climate rather than individual car use. We aim for a tomorrow in which city dwellers live and move in a safe and healthy environment with less pollution, less noise and less stress.
“The future we see is a sustainable one where circularity is the norm and shared mobility the way to go. Where individuals, businesses and governments alike take responsibility and strive to reduce their climate impact, help to protect our planet and contribute to more liveable cities for all.”
MOVE spoke to Jack Samler, Regional General Manager for the UK, Ireland and France at Voi. Within this interview Jack touches on the importance of micromobility within cities and how it can be better integrated onto our streets.
Q: For those who may not know, tell us about Voi and what you do.
Voi is Europe’s leading micromobility operator, founded in Sweden in 2018. We run shared e-scooter and e-bike schemes across the whole of Europe, in partnership with local communities. We want to ensure that the micromobility transformation happens the right way – through innovative technology, open and transparent dialogue with towns, cities and governments and by adapting our products to local needs. Voi operates in over 100 towns and cities across 11 countries.
I am Regional General Manager for the UK, Ireland and France, leading a team of 250 fantastic people. I’m responsible for our business in these three countries, from setting our commercial strategy and driving operational performance, to liaising with national government and local authorities.
Q: Voi, along with many other leading micromobility providers, published ten recommendations for cities to better integrate shared micromobility vehicles onto their streets. How did this come about? What does it hope to achieve?
Micromobility companies such as Voi have made great strides since we started operating shared e-scooter and e-bike services. We’ve learnt what works well and what doesn’t. For the industry to survive – which it needs to do for the sake of our cities and towns and for our children who deserve to live in communities with clean air and less congestion – we need to share these learnings with cities. New cities and towns considering micromobility now have a ready-made framework to enable a smooth introduction of this new form of transport. Cities who have already adopted micromobility can also use the report to make improvements to their schemes if necessary.
We believe that we’ve together created an excellent common framework, covering basics such as fees, contracts and operational best practices to give micromobility the best chance of functioning well which is better for riders, for cities and for the industry.
Q: Did the recent legislation passed in Paris play a factor in this? To ensure cities are educated on how to help micromobility providers?
This joint stance pre-dated the result of the Paris referendum. However, we can’t deny it would have been fantastic if it had exerted a positive influence on the referendum result. If there had been more guidance available to Paris on how to successfully manage micromobilityschemes a year or so ago, perhaps we would never have had a referendum in Paris, or at least the result might have been different. France’s transport minister Clément Beaune has drawn up a Charter to guide operators in France – so there is a bigger move towards appropriate regulation generally. The Minister also published some recommendations for cities who want to adopt e-scooters. Micromobility has come along and disrupted incumbent forms of transport, offering a new sustainable alternative to cars. To become the norm, we need towns and cities to adopt a common operating framework which works well for operators and towns/cities.
Q: What can we expect to see from Voi in the next 12-18 months?
Globally, we intend to win more tenders, both in cities/towns where we currently operate as well as in new cities and towns, increasing our ridership and working towards our goal of safe, sustainable and reliable micromobility for everyone. We will continue to develop our product, both the hardware and software, with emphasis on safety and parking solutions. While nurturing existing partnerships, we will also seek new partnerships where relevant to our vision of cities made for living, free from noise and air pollution. We have a strong focus on achieving steady profitability and stability as we mature as a company.
In the UK, we are looking forward to legislation finally completing to provide a secure and sustainable future for the industry.
Q: What will you be touching on at MOVE 2023
A big focus for Voi in the UK is establishing permanence for shared e-scooter schemes. As you know, we’re still operating in government trials. Instead of indefinitely extending the deadline of trials, we need the government to pass e-scooter legislation to end the trials and make e-scooters a permanent solution for towns, cities and communities who want to benefit from the great net zero transport solution we provide. This surety will allow for investment, which in turn will drive continued innovation and improvement across the sector.
Q: What are you excited for about the event?
As usual there’s a great line-up of speakers and events at MOVE 2023. I’m looking forward to hearing what other people in the industry have to say, to meeting colleagues from across the industry and to the interesting discussions and conversations that the event provokes. Most of all, I’m looking forward to hearing new perspectives, being challenged, and taking learnings back to Voi so we can continue improving our proposition.
