Lime Expands E-Bike and E-Scooter Network Across the Black Country

A shared e-bike and e-scooter scheme that has already seen strong uptake in Birmingham is being extended to communities across the Black Country as part of a wider effort to improve access to sustainable transport.

From Monday, Lime's micromobility service will begin operating in Sandwell and Wolverhampton, with further expansion planned across the West Midlands. The company said the move is intended to provide more residents with convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly travel options.

The operator first introduced its hire scheme in Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry in April, offering thousands of electric bikes and scooters for public use.

According to Lime, the service has quickly become popular with commuters during the working week, while weekends have seen significant demand from people travelling between parks, shopping centres, restaurants and transport interchanges.

Some of the busiest locations since launch have included Birmingham Moor Street Station, University College Birmingham and several student accommodation developments.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker welcomed the expansion, highlighting the role of e-bikes in encouraging more people to embrace active travel.

He said the electrically assisted bikes make cycling accessible to a wider range of users, including those who may previously have found traditional cycling difficult. Combined with continued investment in cycling infrastructure, he believes the scheme can help residents choose a cleaner and more affordable way to travel.

When the service launched earlier this year, more than 2,000 e-bikes and e-scooters were made available across the region. Users can hire vehicles through a pay-as-you-go model, with costs set at £1 to unlock and 20 pence per minute thereafter. The pricing structure has been guaranteed for the first two years of operation.

Lime was selected to replace the previous operator, Beryl, with Transport for West Midlands estimating the change could reduce operating costs by approximately £1.4 million annually.

The latest rollout forms part of wider plans to increase sustainable transport choices across the West Midlands and encourage greater use of low-emission travel alternatives for both short local journeys and connections to public transport hubs.