Deliveroo and electric moped rental company Elmovo are rolling out a new service where food delivery riders in London can rent an electric moped by the hour.

The ability to hire and deliver on-demand is designed to match the flexibility that riders enjoy in determining their own working hours when working with Deliveroo, the food delivery company said.

Deliveroo believes that supporting the use of electric vehicles for food delivery will help with wider take-up of the vehicles and help London on its mission to reduce air pollution.

The new service aims to provide delivery riders with a low-cost, app-based rental facility for electric mopeds.

Elmovo is initially launching its services in London from the first Elmovo rental station located in Marylebone, with Battersea and Bethnal Green following later this month.

Deliveroo has invested in the scheme as part of its efforts to get riders to switch to eco-friendly alternatives to traditional moped.

Dan Warne, MD for Deliveroo in the UK and Ireland, said: “Deliveroo wants every meal we deliver to be truly amazing, but that is only possible if the delivery is sustainable alongside the great food we offer.

“Electric mopeds and bikes represent an environmental friendly, neighbourhood conscious solution to cut emissions which save riders money in the long run.

“We are delighted to be working with Elmovo to offer this flexible hire scheme that matches the flexibility riders have come to expect when working with Deliveroo.

“We hope this encourages further take up of e-bikes and e-mopeds across London and beyond.”

Riders will be able to rent the scooters for £1.83 per hour which includes food delivery insurance and all other costs with further discounts planned.

The partnership will see 72 Deliveroo-branded electric scooters being made available for flexible rental, exclusively by Deliveroo riders. More than 500 hundred riders have already registered for the scheme.  

The zero emission mopeds are supplied by Govecs, the German electric scooter fleet specialist. They have a 55-75 mile range meaning riders won't have to recharge during rental periods and have a top speed of 30mph.

William Sieghart of Elmovo said: “Our aim is to bring the cost of the latest-technology electric mopeds down and within reach of every delivery rider. We also wanted the system to be as flexible as possible to match delivery riders’ work sessions. Absolutely everything is included, so riders simply just have to turn up and get working immediately.”

Deliveroo-branded waterproof and windproof leg cover is also included, with a large capacity hard shell food box with 3 LED-illuminated advertising panels for branding visibility at all hours.