Google Maps now shows Bird e-bike and scooter rentals, too
Google just yesterday announced it will also show available rentals from Spin, one of Bird's many competitors.
Well, this is awkward. Just one day after Ford-owned Spin announced that its e-bike and scooter rentals are now findable on Google Maps, its competitor Bird has, well, exactly the same news to share. In a blog post of its own, Bird said that its electric bike and scooter rentals would start showing up in Google Maps today, with would-be riders able to see an approximate price, estimated trip duration and optimized route. The feature, available on both Google Maps' iOS and Android apps, will ultimately still send the rider to the Bird app if they decide to go ahead and rent a vehicle.
All told, this sounds very similar to the announcement Spin made yesterday, including the fact that you need to open a separate app to actually pay for and unlock the rental. Both will also show you the estimated battery range.
A Bird spokesperson told Engadget that the Google Maps feature will be available at launch for users in all US cities where Bird scooters are available. The company also says it intends to roll out to additional countries following the US debut. Bird did not reveal any additional details as to when the rollout would continue or which regions would next see a Google Maps integration.
Regardless of which company was first to launch this week, these sort of Google Maps integrations are hardly new — Maps has been showing listings for Lime's rentable scooters and bikes since 2018, to name one of Bird's biggest and most established competitors.
Updated, 12:57pm ET: We have updated this story to add that Bird, too, will show you the estimated battery range for its rentable vehicles.
