London-based insurtech Zego has partnered with e-scooter company, Ginger, to provide insurance for the UK’s first ever e-scooter trial in Tees Valley.
The partnership follows the Government’s announcement to legalise rental e-scooters on UK roads as part of a 12-month trial period.
The trial has seen an initial deployment of 100 e-scooters by Ginger, with an expected 300 by August. Zego’s policy covers all units and is fully integrated into Ginger’s sign-up process to ensure that users have the Government’s required Third-Party Liability insurance. Zego also supplies additional personal accident cover which automatically switches on and off as the rider uses the vehicle, the company added. Ginger is absorbing the price of the insurance so that no extra cost is passed onto its riders.
Alongside insurance, Zego is also providing Ginger with real-time data analysis to better understand the behaviour of riders and help take action to improve safety.
Zego will ensure that its experience as the first official UK e-scooter insurer contributes to future policy decisions surrounding the wide-scale introduction of e-scooters.
Zego was founded in 2016 and offers a range of flexible B2B insurance models for fleet businesses and new mobility services, from minute-by-minute insurance to annual cover, with pricing based on usage data from vehicles.
Zego already provides insurance to other e-scooter ventures in Europe including Dott, to insure its fleet of shared e-scooters across France, Belgium and Italy. Whilst Zego utilises the same insurance product across Europe, its model is adapted to suit local requirements.
Ginger is a British based electric micro-mobility company, which operates a fixed location model, unique among their competitors. Using docks or location technology, as well as working in partnership with Local Authorities and Councils, this ensures streets remain free of abandoned scooters, which has dogged rollouts across Europe, as well as the world more broadly. The company also offers shared bikes, e-bikes and e-microcars.
Sten Saar, CEO and co-founder of Zego, said: “These schemes offer huge potential and will play a key role in helping cities get moving again in a safe and sustainable way. We want to support the growth of this industry across the UK by creating adaptable insurance models to suit the needs of e-scooter fleets, riders and local cities. For this form of transport to be widely adopted and welcomed by all, it’s essential that e-scooters come with the right insurance without causing inconvenience for riders.”
Earlier this month, the Government announced the legalisation of shared e-scooter schemes in the UK as part of a 12-month trial period. Teesside was the first trial to go live, as a number of other cities and counties have now opened their tender processes and are expected to roll out their own trials in the coming weeks and months. This includes, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Slough Borough, Nottingham & Derby, Liverpool, York and Bristol. Once submissions for tenders have been submitted, the cities will announce who their preferred partner is for the trial.
