Is There Any Point to Having a Go on a Yo-go?
Adrian Zorzut tries out the borough’s new yellow electric buggies
Adrian on a Yo-Go electric buggie in Parsons Green. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon.
February 12, 2025
When it comes to transport, Londoners are spoilt for choice. Buses, trains, taxis and the Tube take us to almost every corner of this amazing city, and there’s an ever-increasing drive for us to ditch cars in favour of sustainable transport.
Cyclists can now use London’s sprawling network of cycle lanes too. E-rental transport like e-bikes and e-scooters, though sometimes a nuisance in some areas of London, have shortened how long it takes to get from A to B.
And Londoners may soon be blessed with another form of transport: the Yo-Go electric buggy. These four-wheeled golf-cart look-a-likes are being piloted in Hammersmith and Fulham and are slated as an alternative to short car journeys, and aimed at those who don’t want to cycle.
The buggies are also an upgrade from e-bikes and e-scooters as they give you space to put some shopping bags, and a roof over your head. Adrian Zorzut, who covers Hammersmith and Fulham as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), took one for a spin to see if they live up to their billing.
I trialled a Yo-Go in Parsons Green last Friday (February 7). After downloading the Yo-Go app I had to share my bank card details and a DVLA licence check code to set up an account. Yo-Go advises first-time users to wait up to 24 hours for approval but I waited no longer than four hours for mine.
At 20p a minute to operate – and even less for monthly subscribers – Yo-Gos are being promoted as an affordable form of transport. The price drops to 5p a minute when parked up.
My 22-minute journey cost £3.75 and saw me cover just over a mile. The entire trip was insured – a perk for all Yo-Go drivers – and we had to follow the road rules like any other motorist.
The app’s in-built tracking system made finding the cart simple. The cart I hired was parked near a tree along Parsons Green. The cart’s bright yellow shell also means it is very easy to spot from a distance.
The carts come with the regular accessories you’d see in a car: seat belts, indicators (which are not automatic and are practically silent), two boots for storing bags, mirrors, a horn, a cupholder and USB ports. Of course, there are lights to drive at night and a digital dashboard to track speed and battery life.
But these four-wheeled carts, although impressive and easy to drive, are missing an invaluable piece of structure – doors. When I trialled one, I was drenched by rainwater and blasted from either side of the cart by chilly winds.
This made unlocking the car unnecessarily painful. My fingers were so cold my phone struggled to recognise them, which meant it took a while to access the Yo-Go app and unlock the buggy. The seats and dashboard were also wet and required wiping down.
After several minutes of breathing profusely into my hands to warm them, my photographer and I finally set off around Parsons Green. Passers-by stared at us in amazement while motorists furtively overtook us. Speed bumps quickly became our enemy as we tested the cart’s (mediocre) suspension.
There are only two gears – reverse and drive – and the carts only reach a maximum speed of 20mph, which oddly feels insanely fast when you’re centimetres away from the asphalt. Yo-Gos are also fitted with a rear parking camera to help drivers reverse park.
Adrian sets off in the electric buggy from Parsons Green. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
For those of us who are more mobile, you can simply pop your head out the side to guide the cart in. Our one-mile journey saw us zoom down Broomhouse Road and Broomhouse Lane then turn left onto Daisy Lane before dashing up Peterborough Road past South Park and back to our parking spot.
Reaching 20mph takes little effort but be aware of the regenerative braking. Simply letting go of the accelerator pedal engages the brakes and if you’re travelling at maximum speed, you may be flung forward. Thankfully those robust seat belts will keep you in place.
Dealing with the jolting braking can be easily overcome by slowly moving your foot off the accelerator. This form of braking is said to help reclaim some of the battery power.
These carts are incredibly fun and easy to use and are a great way to get around your local area. Whether or not they replace short car journeys is yet to be seen. The lack of doors and heating makes them almost unbearable to drive in the winter rain though.
According to Yo-Go’s Chief Executive, Dr Sam Bailey, the company is not currently planning to insulate the carts. He told the LDRS foldable seats could soon be introduced as a way to stop them from getting wet when not in use.
He also suggested people come kitted with gloves and a jacket to keep warm. He said: “If we are looking at short journeys – which is around 10 to 15 minutes – then actually most of the time car heaters take longer to work than that. Also, everyone in London goes around with a coat and gloves but we will keep you dry.”
These pay-as-you-go electric carts were launched last summer as part of a ‘world first’ trial, according to Hammersmith and Fulham Council. If successful, they could be rolled out across London.
There are currently 10 located around the West London borough and plans are already afoot to increase the fleet to 70, the LDRS understands. Unlike dockless, rental e-vehicles, these four-wheeled carts must be returned to where they were collected.
Dr Bailey previously said: “Car usage in London is quite weird. Most of the journeys are under three miles, people popping out and about…There’ll be a reason they don’t want to cycle – it will be because they don’t want to get wet, or they think it’s dangerous. What we want to do is create something that feels more familiar, feels like driving something – where you’ve got a seat-belt, you’ve got a roll cage, you’ve got a roof, somewhere you can put some luggage – so that it’s sort of an easier swap, if you’re a car user, to move to something like this.”
Hammersmith and Fulham Council said they welcomed the pilot. A spokesperson said: “These innovative electric buggies are another first for H&F as they offer residents and businesses an affordable, eco-friendly alternative. We welcome this pilot as we work to make local journeys cheaper, greener and more convenient.”
It has also been warmly received by the Mayor of London. A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “We welcome new micro-mobility options in London, especially those that encourage Londoners to use their cars less or switch to cleaner modes of transport. It’s good to see boroughs innovating in this way and trialling new options and we will await the data and outcomes with interest.”
Adrian Zorzut - Local Democracy Reporter