Bird Unveils New Smart Bikeshare Program Designed for Multimodal Cities
Providing eco-friendly transportation for everyone means working together with cities to understand and solve mobility problems.
That’s why, since our founding, the team at Bird has been building the industry’s most trusted shared scooter service—from helping define regulatory standards and engineering custom vehicles that raise the bar for safety, sustainability and onboard intelligence to developing a unique operational model that enables us to serve cities of any size around the world.
Now, after listening closely to both our riders and city partners, we’re excited to be applying our learned experience and expertise to shared e-bikes as well.
Founder and CEO of Bird, Travis VanderZanden, said:Shared scooters helped lay a critical foundation for a transportation future that’s both electric and multimodal. Together with our new, comprehensive bikeshare program that pairs our state-of-the-art vehicles with custom local integrations, Bird is uniquely equipped to meet the eco-friendly mobility needs of cities, riders and small businesses alike, both now and into the future.
The First Shared E-Bike by Bird
Bird’s new bikeshare program starts with investing in our state-of-the-art shared bike.
Each shared Bird Bike is equipped with a high-powered motor capable of helping riders coast up hills with as much as a 20% grade without breaking a sweat. Additionally, our bikes feature Bird’s advanced onboard diagnostics and geospeed technology, multi-mode geolocation, and high-durability pneumatic tires for safe, smart and efficient bikeshare operations.
See below for a full list of vehicle features.
VanderZanden, continued:Bird’s first shared bike is built to deliver a safe, smooth experience that will help riders establish new eco-friendly mobility habits. Because they are designed to help with longer, 3-5 mile trips, our high-quality e-bikes will expand our serviceable addressable market by around five billion trips per year. Critically, they will also help broaden micromobility access around the world at a time when global demand for bikes and scooters has never been higher.
This year, we’ll be rolling out our shared Bird Bike in cities across North America and Europe. Similar to our shared scooter service, we will work closely with our trusted network of Fleet Managers, or local logistics providers, to ensure hyper-local care and operations for our shared bike fleets.
Integrating With Local Mobility Operators
Another key component of Bird’s bikeshare program is our focus on working together with, not competing against, existing mobility services.
We’re proud to be the first scooter operator to integrate directly with local shared bike and e-moped providers to promote multimodal electric mobility. In places like Italy, Bird is partnering with local companies such as Zig Zag to display their vehicles right in the Bird app. A similar program is being piloted with bikeshare operator Movi, and we’re working closely with groups like the North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA) and other transportation groups around the world to bring these kinds of integrations to additional cities in the coming months.
VanderZanden, explained:Cities and riders are best served by efficient, collaborative transportation networks, not walled gardens. Bird’s vision of smart, responsible bike sharing is being able to provide the best shared bikes and operations when cities need them, and having the foresight to offer the best support and multimodal integrations when they don’t.
In other words, Bird believes in supporting and supplementing existing mobility services, not replacing or displacing them.
Why Now
The post-pandemic world is emerging as one in which micro-electric transportation is more important than ever.
Increased demand coupled with supply shortages mean that those who want to make the transition from gas-powered cars to scooters and bikes cannot always do so. Additionally, recent air pollution data offer a stark reminder of just why the switch to electric mobility is so crucial.
There has never been a better time to develop a new, smarter bikeshare program—one that simultaneously complements shared scooters, existing public transportation and local bike-sharing networks all in one. So that’s what we’ve done.
You can learn more about Bird’s shared bike below, or subscribe to the Bird Cities Blog to stay informed on new launches, milestones and programs being announced every month.
Shared Bird Bike Features
- High powered e-assist motor to help riders coast up hills with as much as a 20% grade
- 25 kph / 15.5 mph top speed
- Up to 90 km / 56 mile range on a single charge
- Dual hand brakes to easily activate the Bird Bike’s durable drum brakes
- Advanced onboard diagnostics to automatically monitor and report vehicle health
- Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy frame to stand up to the demands of shared use
- Step-through design for safe and easy access on and off the bike
- 26” pneumatic tires for the smoothest, most comfortable ride
- High-visibility LED headlight and taillight for safe riding at any time of the day
- Large digital display and audible voice prompts
- Integrated cable lock for added security
- Dual kickstand and tip detection to limit unintentional movement
- Bird geofence technology to slow or stop the motor in designated areas
This article was originally published by Bird Rides, Inc.
