Long-term e-bike rental: Dance, Swapfiets, Véligo, public schemes and employer leasing compared over 3 years

Renting an e-bike by the month is no longer niche: private services are consolidating (Swapfiets bought Dance in May 2026), and French local authorities offer long-term rental at prices no private player can match. The general principle is explained in our long-term rental guide. Here we compare the real 2026 offers in France and do the sum that matters: what it costs over three years, against buying. In the UK the landscape differs (Swapfiets operates in London, and the Cycle to Work scheme plays the role of employer leasing), but the method below works anywhere.

All prices below were taken from official websites in October 2026 unless stated. They change often: check before signing.

Three families of offers

1. Private subscriptions (Dance, Swapfiets): no long commitment, fast repairs, theft cover with an excess. The most expensive and the most flexible.
2. Public rental (Véligo in Île-de-France, STAR in Rennes, Vélhop in Strasbourg, Mvélo+ in Grenoble…): very cheap, but limited duration, possible waiting lists, and the bike usually isn't for sale at the end.
3. The company bike (employer leasing via Zenride, Cyclez, Tim Sports and others): potentially the cheapest for you, but entirely dependent on your employer.

Private subscriptions

Dance (Paris)

All-inclusive subscription (rear hub-motor bike, 353 Wh battery, belt), on-site repairs, lock. Press-published prices: 59 € a month with a 12-month commitment, 79 € without (2024 figures; in October 2026 Dance showed an offer at 590 € for 12 months). Theft excess of 300 to 500 € on the basic plan, "Tranquillité" option at 9.99 € a month. Full details in our Dance review.

Swapfiets (several large cities)

The Dutch company offers a classic city bike and two e-bikes in France. Headline prices on its French site in October 2026:

Two plans: flexible (sign-up fee, cancellable any time with one month's notice) or loyal (no sign-up fee, cancellable after 6 months minimum). Sign-up fees were waived at the time of checking. Student discount on proof. If a bike locked properly with its two built-in locks is stolen, an excess applies depending on the model, and extra theft cover is offered. Swapfiets says it repairs or swaps the bike, and in some cities comes to your home.

Swapfiets operates in several large French cities (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Strasbourg and Toulouse were announced during its roll-out): check your city is covered.

Public rental

Véligo Location

Île-de-France Mobilités renewed its fleet on 5 January 2026 with 19 models (e-bikes, folders, cargo bikes, adapted bikes), and operation was handed to a La Poste and Transdev consortium. The standard e-bike stays at 44 € a month, acoustic bikes start at 10 €, cargo goes up to 88 €. Normal-wear maintenance is included, insurance is optional. Rental is reserved for people who live, work or study in Île-de-France. Important: the bike isn't for sale at the end, but the Region then helps you buy (see grants in Île-de-France).

STAR in Rennes

The e-bike is rented for 12 months, renewable for 12. At 235 € a year (155 € for a bus and metro pass holder), it's one of the cheapest offers in France: under 20 € a month. Cargo bikes and longtails rent for 6 months, not renewable, at 300 to 550 € depending on the model. A non-cashed deposit is required (1,000 € for the standard e-bike). Rennes purchase grants are in grants in Rennes.

Vélhop in Strasbourg

A clear grid: 56 € a month monthly, 42 € a month on a yearly rental (504 € a year), cargo at 90 € a month or 85 € a month per quarter. Social rates (reference taxable income per share of 7,500 € or less) are halved.

Mvélo+ in Grenoble

The Grenoble metropolitan service, one of the oldest in France, rents everything from classic bikes to e-bikes and cargo, by the day or the year, from several branches. Exact rates are on the official site; the published range runs from 15 to 100 € depending on bike and duration.

Most other French cities have their equivalent: check your transport network's site before any private subscription.

The company bike (employer leasing)

The company leases bikes from a provider and makes them available to staff. For the employee, French tax rules allow the benefit in kind of a bike permanently provided to be disregarded, whether bought or leased by the employer, with no employee contribution required. For the company, a tax reduction covers part of the cost of a bike fleet provided free for commuting (capped at 25 % of the purchase or rental price, extended to 31 December 2027).

Alongside, the forfait mobilités durables lets the employer reimburse up to 600 € a year tax-free (900 € in total combined with public transport pass support), according to the official page updated in July 2025. It also covers a rental subscription: Véligo, Swapfiets or Dance can therefore be partly reimbursed. And public rental like Véligo, being a transport subscription, is reimbursable at no less than 50 % by the employer.

Employer leasing is often the cheapest formula for the employee, with constraints: 36 months is common, choice is limited to the provider's catalogue, and early exit must be negotiated if you leave the company. The UK equivalent, Cycle to Work, works through salary sacrifice with its own rules.

The three-year sums

Assumption: a city e-bike ridden daily for 36 months. Purchase, maintenance and resale figures are ballparks; rental prices are those listed above.

How to read it:

• Public offers crush everyone on price, but they are time-limited: excellent ways to try e-bike commuting for a year or two, not permanent solutions.
• Private subscriptions cost as much as or more than buying over three years. What you pay for is peace of mind: no repairs to manage, a replacement bike after theft (minus the excess), no money up front.
• Buying wins if you resell and have somewhere safe to park. With a local purchase grant the gap widens (see 2026 grants by French city). To know what an e-bike is still worth after three years, the bike price guide gives a figure, and depreciation by motor type shows what holds value best.
• The company bike, where it exists, almost always beats the others for the employee.

How to choose

For buying, our city bike comparison by profile helps pick a model, and 7 checks before a used e-bike avoids second-hand surprises.

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Handing back your rental and buying, or selling the e-bike you had before subscribing? Value your bike with L'Atelier's price guide before setting your price.