Nottingham e-scooters removed as company 'halts UK operation'

Just weeks ago it was announced the scheme had been extended until May 2026

Nottingham's e-scooter hire network has gone offline amid reports the US parent company has withdrawn from the market.

Superpedestrian started operating in the city in 2020 and allowed residents to find and book one of hundreds of electric scooters via an app.

It was one of 24 UK areas included in a government-backed pilot, which was recently extended until May 2026.

The city council has confirmed Superpedestrian is closing down UK operations.

Hundreds of machines were removed from Nottingham streets shortly before Christmas

The vehicles were running as normal until 22 December, when the vehicles vanished and the app ceased to work.

Users were unable to top up their virtual wallets in the Superpedestrian app and no scooters, from a fleet of about 1,000, showed up on the map.

A US-based website reported the parent company was winding up its operations in the States and looking to sell the European arm of the business.

The BBC contacted Superpedestrian for comment on 23 December and has yet to receive a response.

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: "We have been informed that Superpedestrian is closing down its UK operation and has removed e-scooters from the streets of Nottingham.

"We understand that the company will be saying more on this over the coming days, including how customers with credit on their accounts will be refunded."

They added the council planned to start a procurement process for a new e-scooter supplier in the new year.