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The best personal EVs for any commute
Beyond recouping precious minutes of personal time, there are other, wider-reaching benefits to upgrading your commute. For those who only have a few miles to cover, a personal EV could replace a car ride.
New York set to legalize e-scooters and e-bikes
New York lawmakers look set to legalize electric scooter and bike sharing services throughout the state. A vote on a Senate bill is likely to take place Wednesday, just before the end of the legislative session. Since Governor Andrew Cuomo seems to support the legalization of electric scooters and bikes, the bill looks likely to come into effect.
Lime's Emily Warren on rapid expansion and regulatory struggles
Lime is arguably the biggest player in inner-city electric bike and scooter rentals. Despite having only existed for around 18 months, the company now operates in over 100 cities across the world. On Engadget's CES stage, I sat down with the Lime's Senior Director of Policy and Public Affairs Emily Warren, to recap the company's explosive growth and global expansion. We also discuss the controversy surrounding this new rental model, Lime's next-generation scooter, regulatory challenges and how the company hopes saturation is the biggest problem it faces as it looks towards the new year.
Scoot will add locks to its scooters to combat theft and vandalism
In August, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency awarded two companies, Scoot and Skip, permits to operate their scooters in the city. The scooter pilot program has now been running for a month and Scoot says it has learned a few things during that time, including that its Kick scooters are a lot easier to steal and vandalize than it once thought. Because of that, the company will start adding locks to its scooters come December.
Lime launches recall over broken e-scooters
Lime is grappling with another recall just a matter of weeks over its battery issue. The service is recalling electric scooters made by Okai following reports they were breaking under normal use. The withdrawal is immediate and covers scooters across cities worldwide. The company plans to replace the affected Okai scooters with newer models it said are "best in class for safety." There shouldn't be any serious service disruptions, Lime told the Washington Post.
Ford is reportedly buying e-scooter startup Spin
Ford might not sit idly by while other transportation companies expand beyond cars. Axios sources say the Blue Oval has agreed to buy e-scooter service Spin for roughly $40 million. It's not certain what Ford would do with the company or what would happen to its staff. We've asked Ford if it can comment on the report and will let you know if it has more to share.
Bird launches UK's first scooter sharing service on one London path
London faces some of the biggest transport problems in the world, but one startup thinks its electric scooter scheme could be the solution -- as long as it can get around the UK's draconian vehicle laws. US company Bird is set to launch the UK's first scooter-hire service in the capital, but it's only got permission to do so along a single path in the east London Olympic Park.
Lime puts $3 million toward promoting e-scooter safety
E-scooter companies have faced plenty of criticism for allegedly doing too little to foster safety (not to mention basic respect for the law) among riders, and Lime appears to be tackling this issue head-on. It's launching a $3 million "Respect the Ride" campaign to both promote safety and educate customers. The initiative will venture beyond existing efforts, such as safer scooters and a safety ambassador program, to include "multi-channel" ads asking riders to wear helmets, park properly and honor local laws. There's a new Head of Trust and Safety to manage the company's strategy, and there will be a summit to discuss safety and policies with key partners and governments.
Now Segway and Lime are sorting out blame for scooter battery issues
With electric scooters popping up in cities around the globe, people are wondering -- for many reasons -- if they're actually safe. Earlier this week Lime announced it had recalled Segway Ninebot scooters it operates, and restricted charging to only its own facilities because of a "potential issue" in "early versions of the scooter that could cause a fire risk. The only problem is that Segway released its own statement on Friday, suggesting that failure to properly monitor scooters for damage and properly maintain them could be the issue. Segway VP of global business development Tony Ho told the Washington Post that "We actually went to all of our shared scooter partners, and so far we've found that only the Lime operation has had fire incidents." In a statement (PDF), said that 80 percent of "shared scooters" in use came from one of its three Ninebot factories and suggested its own explanation for the discrepancy: " Considering the fact that the management and maintenance of shared scooters and the identification of damaged vehicles highly rely on the operators, we strongly recommend that operators strengthen their capability of fleet operation and maintenance to avoid potential safety problems caused by the improper use of damaged vehicles." Now the companies have said they're working "closely" to answer questions about any malfunctioning batteries.
Lime's Gen 3 scooter is built to survive rider abuse
Lime might have lost access to San Francisco, but it does have a consolation prize: a new scooter to entice you in those cities where its shared service does operate. The Lime-S Gen 3 touts technology upgrades like a color screen (for speed, battery capacity and future parking zone alerts), improved location accuracy and a status light that indicates the charge level without making you check your phone. However, the biggest upgrades are to longevity -- you should see fewer dead scooters littering the sidewalks.
Scoot brings electric scooter rentals to Santiago, Chile
Scoot is expanding into its third city and it's bringing electric scooters to Santiago, Chile. As part of a pilot program, Scoot will be allowed to launch a fleet of its electric kick scooters in the business district of Las Condes, and up to 500 of the devices will ultimately be approved for operation. "We are excited for this new means of public transportation entering Chile," Las Condes Mayor Joaquín Lavín said in a statement. "This pilot program will be available in the popular business district of Las Condes, where short trips are common. We look forward to people trying this new service and integrating it into their lives. This is a great opportunity for people to get out of their cars and reduce their environmental impact."
Uber will make more personalized ride recommendations
Uber's app is getting a little smarter. TechCrunch reports that the company will begin making more personalized ride recommendations that take into account the length of your trip, your destination and your previous ride history. Ultimately, the goal is to better incorporate Uber's various ride options -- including its Jump bikes -- and to propose transportation that makes sense for you and sense for the type of trip you're taking.
Judge rejects Lime request to block e-scooter rivals in San Francisco
Lime just lost a last-minute bid to delay the launch of San Francisco's electric scooter pilot program. A judge has denied the company's request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Skip and Scoot from launching their services in the city on October 15th. The company had wanted the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to reevaluate its application for an e-scooter permit, and claimed it had "no choice" but to use the court to force the city's hand. Not surprisingly, both sides are clashing over the outcome.
Uber launches its first electric scooter service in Santa Monica
Uber is ready to fulfill its promise of launching its own electric scooter service. As of October 3rd, commuters in Santa Monica can use the Uber app to reserve Jump scooters for quick jaunts across town. Like some of the competition, you unlock your two-wheeled transport by scanning a QR code on the handlebars. You can't just park them anywhere, though -- Uber is keenly aware of common scooter gripes and has designated parking zones. The prices are familiar at $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute (they're free until October 7th).
Lime brings its electric scooter sharing to Canada
Like it or not, the electric scooter sharing trend is heading north. Lime has launched the first e-scooter sharing pilot in Canada, giving residents in Waterloo, Ontario (aka BlackBerry's home turf) a chance to see what this two-wheeled transport option is all about. It's not available across the entire city -- you'll have to be content with putting around a 6.5km (4mi) route between Waterloo Park and the David Johnston Research + Technology Park, including around the University of Waterloo's main campus. It's a start, though, and it makes sense given the tight links between academia and tech companies in the area.
Lyft brings its electric scooters to Santa Monica
You no longer have to be a Denver resident to try Lyft's electric scooters. The two-wheeled transports are now available in Santa Monica, California under a city pilot program. As usual, it'll cost you $1 to unlock a scooter and 15 cents for every minute you're putting around town. And yes, Lyft is aware of scooters' bad rap. The company has vowed to both watch the effects of the rollout as well as work with "city officials and policymakers."
Uber wants to make its own electric scooters
Uber is working on its own scooter to compete with Lime, Bird, Scoot and others, according to Bloomberg. The project is being overseen by Jump, a bike-sharing firm that Uber acquired in April for a reported $200 million. Little is known about the hardware, however, and how it might differentiate from existing push and electric scooters. The only tidbit, for now, is the location of Uber and Jump's engineers: San Francisco. Both companies are yet to confirm the story. In an interview with Bloomberg, though, Nick Foley, Jump's head of product, discussed the need for stronger scooters and hidden brake cables. Make of that what you will.
Vespa's first electric scooter goes on sale in Europe this October
Vespa's electric scooter has long been slated to start shipping this year, and now the timeline is a little clearer on when you might be able to get your hands on a Vespa Elettrica. Production will start next month, and Vespa will open up online sales to Europeans in October. Those in the US and Asia will be able to buy the scooter starting early 2019. Parent company Piaggio Group hasn't announced pricing yet, but says the Elettrica will be in line with Vespa's current high-end models.
Uber will let users rent Lime scooters through its app
Lime is teaming up with Uber to let you rent electric scooters through the ridesharing giant's app. Uber is also investing in Lime as part of a $335 million funding round led by Google parent company Alphabet's venture capital arm GV that takes Lime into unicorn territory with a $1.1 billion valuation. The company will use the investment to buy tens of thousands more scooters.
Alphabet invests in Lime's electric scooter service
You didn't think Silicon Valley's biggest names would stand on the sidelines while the electric scooter trend continued to grow, did you? The Financial Times sources have learned that Alphabet has invested directly in scooter service Lime as part of a larger $300 million funding round that already included Google Ventures. There's no mention of how much cash was heading Lime's way, but GV was reportedly leading the group, and Alphabet put in a similar amount -- there's a lot of money involved. It's not certain why Alphabet is so heavily involved (all the parties involved have declined to comment). However, it would reflect Alphabet's growing interest in transportation as it moves beyond the internet and mobile businesses that are its lifeblood.