Bird Going Public at $3 Billion Valuation

Bird e-scooters

New York City, New York, USA Micromobility company Bird, announced Wednesday 12th May 2021 it plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. It will merge with Switchback II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in a transaction expected to value the company at US$2.3 billion (A$3 billion) In a blog post announcing…

London’s Bikeshare Scheme to Expand and Add Ebikes

London Cycle Hire share scheme

London, UK Transport for London (TfL) has reached an agreement with Santander that will see the financial services provider continue its sponsorship of London’s flagship cycle hire scheme, Santander Cycles, for another three years until 2025. It will also see the introduction of e-bikes to the fleet for the first time, with TfL and Santander…

ACT Scooter Share Schemes Tipped to Expand

Escooters in Canberra

Canberra, ACT Although there will not be an official announcement until July, results of a major government survey and comments made by local politicians are pointing towards a likely continuation and expansion of Canberra’s current scooter share schemes. The survey of 1,907 people found that 65% of respondents supported the current scheme, 16% were neutral…

Mobility App Will Show Location of Rideables in Sydney and Canberra

Moovit website image

Canberra, ACT Micromobility company Beam has partnered with mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) solutions provider Moovit to show users where Beam’s electric rideables are available nearby. Moovit will show riders in Australian cities where Beam e-bikes and e-scooters are available for more alternative and convenient first- and last-mile micromobility options. Moovit will indicate in real-time where nearby Beam…

Dockless E-bikes to Join Expanding Brisbane Scooter Fleet from July

Beam eScooters

Brisbane, Qld Eight-hundred dockless bikes will join a growing fleet of electric scooters on Brisbane streets within weeks, as the city council unveiled what it described as a world-first strategy for the sector. On Tuesday 1st June, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced that Beam, which hosts its purple bikes and scooters in several other…

Another Bike Share Scheme Launches in New York City

New York City, New York, USA  In New York City, the dominant micromobility option is Citi Bike, the official bike-sharing system of the city. Other transit alternatives aren’t as easy to come by, thanks to complex permit processes for companies looking to station vehicles in public spaces.   E-scooter companies Bird, Lime, and Veo, for instance, will launch…

China’s Largest Bike Share Files for USA Float

China Hello, China’s largest bike-share provider, recently filed information in preparation for its U.S. IPO (initial public offering). After three consecutive years of losses, the Ant-backed micromobility giant plans to raise as much as US$1 billion (A$1.3 billion) through its public offering.   As of the end of 2020, Hello had 10 million two-wheelers across 400 cities with approximately 100m active users in China.  In 2020 it facilitated 5.1 billion bike trips, generating an average of US$0.17 (A$0.22) per ride –…

New York City and London Commence Scooter Trials

New York City, New York, USA and London, UK  New York City’s days as one of the last remaining holdouts in the dockless electric scooter boom is finally at an end. The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the selection of Bird, Lime, and VeoRide as the participants in its inaugural e-scooter pilot.  The companies are expected to…

Beam Gets Proactive Ahead of Melbourne Scooter Decision

Melbourne, Victoria  In late April, the Victorian Government announced it will undertake a trial to understand how e-scooters can be safely incorporated into the transport network. It will commence later this year and run for up to a year in three council areas chosen through a targeted expression of interest process, regulated by the Department…