Sunderland's orange e

A new e-scooter operator has been found for Sunderland after the existing provider pulled out, blaming rises in energy costs as part of its decision.

Zwings and its blue scooters will take over from Neuron's familiar orange models from the start of December.

The service will launch with 100 e-scooters during the winter, which is expected to more than double in size in 2023.

The trial in Sunderland will continue until May 2024.

Nueron's withdrawal from Sunderland on 30 November will not affect the company's operations in Newcastle.

The pilot launched in Sunderland in March 2021 saw 300 vehicles rolled out across the city, including Roker and Seaburn, with 170,000 journey miles completed.

Zwings has previously operated trials in Cheltenham, Gloucester, and Yeovil and was recently acquired by Zeus Mobility Group who operate in over 30 cities across the world.

Stephen Bee, chief operating officer, called Sunderland a "vibrant city" and added it was "excited to launch".

Sunderland City Council called low carbon transport a "big part" of its plans for a more "dynamic, healthy and vibrant" city.

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