E-scooter rental in Hof

From May 18, 2024, there will also be an e-scooter rental service in the city of Hof. Ridvan Yücel, Managing Director of Y Mobility GmbH, has developed an innovative scooter system for the city of Hof, which is combined with a goods transportation system based on heavy-duty bicycles. He was accompanied on his journey by the City of Hof's business development department, the Einstein1 start-up center and the Upper Franconia Logistics Agency. Members of Hof's city council were also offered the opportunity to explore a comparable project in operation at another location at an early stage. The operating period is initially limited until the end of 2026.

"Our aim is to offer a sustainable and practical option for individual mobility that is not only environmentally friendly, but also fun," says Ridvan Yücel. The e-scooters can be used to travel comfortably and quickly through the city, whether on the way to work, to go shopping or just to get from one part of the city to another. In particular, this modern means of transport should bring the university even closer to the city center and also make it much easier to get around during the day. The same applies to neighboring communities close to the city and their major employers.

"We are very happy to support young entrepreneurs in realizing their ideas and exploiting their full potential. After all, they are the driving forces behind innovation and economic growth," says business promoter Klaus-Jochen Weidner.

Information event at the Kugelbrunnen

An information event will be held at the Kugelbrunnen to mark the start of the rental service on May 18, 2024. From 10:00 to 15:00, there will be plenty of scooters available for test rides. There will also be the chance to win 20 or 10 free minutes. 

What needs to be considered before the trip?

To book a vehicle, you first have to register in an app. When creating the user account, personal information such as email address and a photo of ID must be provided. This is to ensure that you are licensed to drive the vehicles, as there is an age restriction The scooters can be used from the age of 18. The account is activated after manual verification of the data. A valid payment method must be entered before the first booking. At the start, customers can store credit card and direct debit as a valid payment method, Apple Pay & Google Pay will also be available soon.

How is an e-scooter booked?

Once the account has been confirmed and approved, the vehicles can be booked. When you open the app, a map becomes visible. The nearest vehicle can be seen on the interactive map. Click on the "Scan QR code and take a ride" button to open the camera. Here, the QR code of the e-scooter must be scanned, which unlocks the vehicle. After a short beep, the ride can begin.

How can I end the ride?

To end the booking, the vehicle must be parked in a designated area. The interactive map shows parking spaces in the city center. In the core city area, parking is only possible in the areas marked in gray. Parking zones are marked in areas without bicycle parking. Vehicles must be parked in these zones. The "free floating model" is used in areas around the city center. This means that parking on the sidewalk is possible in this area. At the end of each trip, a picture must be taken of the parked vehicle. Without this picture, the journey cannot be completed. Vehicles that are not properly parked send a signal via geo-fencing. If it turns out that the e-scooter has not been parked properly, a penalty will be charged. If the payment method is frequently used or deleted, the user will be permanently blocked and will no longer be able to book the vehicles, even if a new account is created. A new activation is required. "To protect the general public, we have designed the system to preserve the cityscape and prevent vandalism," says Ridvan Yücel.

Which parking spaces are available in the city center?

In the city center, there are specially equipped collection areas for parking scooters.

• DominikS fitness studio (marked parking space), space for 5 scooters
• Parking lot opposite the Lion-Halle (two-wheeler parking lot), space for 5 scooters
• Across the street from the town hall next to the covered bicycle stand (space marked), space for 5 scooters
• In front of the Postbank building (marked parking space), space for 10 scooters
• Schiller-Gymnasium (bicycle parking lot), space for 5 scooters
• Opposite the main station at the bakery (marked parking space), space for 10 scooters