Bird to launch shared e-bike across US and Europe
Bird has announced the addition of shared e-bikes to its fleet of micro-electric vehicles. Bird currently operates e-scooters in more than 250 cities globally and will bring its shared bikes and Smart Bikeshare platform to select cities this year.
The shared Bird Bike delivers on Bird’s commitment to broadening access to eco-friendly transportation around the world at a time when global demand for bikes and scooters has never been higher. With shared e-bikes, Bird will partner with cities that do not have, or are looking to supplement, an existing bike or scooter-sharing network.
“Shared e-scooters catapulted shared micromobility to the center stage of eco-friendly transportation in cities by providing more than 150 million zero-emission trips globally,” says Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird.
“We are launching our shared Bird Bike and Smart Bikeshare platform to meet fast-growing demand from cities and riders for more sustainable transportation options while expanding our serviceable addressable market by 5 billion trips per year.”
Each Bird bike is equipped with a high-powered electric motor capable of powering riders up hills with as much as a 20% grade, claims Bird. Additionally, the shared Bird Bike has a front basket for storage, large pneumatic tires for a smooth ride, and IoT features such as self-automating onboard diagnostics, geospeed technology and multi-mode geolocation to ensure compliant operations in cities and towns of all sizes.
With its Smart Bikeshare platform, Bird claims it can provide communities with a robust suite of offerings including integrations with locally owned and operated bikeshare services, partnerships with transit apps for comprehensive trip planning, and access to additional eco-friendly transportation options such as e-mopeds provided by third parties.
Collaboration is at the heart of Bird’s operations. In Italy for example, Bird is partnering with Zig Zag, a local company, by integrating their vehicle availability directly in the Bird app to promote shared micromobility use. Bird is also working closely with groups like the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA) and other transportation organizations around the world to bring these kinds of integrations to additional cities.
Bird Bike will be available in select cities throughout North America, Italy, Spain, Germany, Ireland and France this year. Riders will be able to access Bird Bike via the Bird app’s “scan and ride” experience and QR codes on each e-bike.
