Yesterday, the company announced its “New Smart Bikeshare Program,” which it plans to roll out in cities across North America and Europe. Bird’s ebike can hit a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour and has a range of up to 90km on a single charge. It also claims to be capable of a 20% climbing grade to ensure an easy ride even when biking upslope. Other features include LED headlights and taillights, a handy storage basket in the front, digital display and voice prompts, and a neat step-through design. What makes it even cooler are its onboard diagnostics and Bird’s geofence tech. That way, the bike can automatically monitor its health, as well as stopping or slowing down the motor in designated areas. As with escooters, Bird’s network of fleet managers will handle operations for these vehicles and ensure the bike’s integration in each locale. The company aims to team up with cities that don’t have scooter or bikesharing networks, or that wish to expand their micromobility infrastructure. To that end, Bird has already partnered with the Italian moped firms Zig Zag and Movi, and with the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA). The exact launch dates, locations, and prices are yet to be announced. It’s a smart move for Bird to move into bikesharing and to aim for a piece of this lucrative market. To put it in numbers, the global bikeshaering market was worth $3.7 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $21.3 billion by 2030. Regarding consumers on the other hand, now that the world is opening up again, it’s exciting to have more options for sustainable city commuting. Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up? Then you need the weekly SHIFT newsletter in your life. Click here to sign up.
