Micro mobility company Bird plans to add ebikes to its fleet of electric vehicles, and expects to launch in Ireland later in the year.
Bird said it would partner with cities that do not have, or are looking to supplement, an existing bike or scooter-sharing network through either its own bikes or by working with existing bike share schemes in cities.
The shared Bird Bike is equipped with a high-powered electric motor capable of getting riders up hills with as much as a 20 per cent grade, has a front basket for storage, large pneumatic tyres and Internet of Things features such as self-automating onboard diagnostics, geospeed technology and multi-mode geolocation.
Users will be able to use the bikes through the Smart Bikeshare Platform, which will also integrate with locally owned and operated services, using the “scan and ride” system and QR codes on each ebike.
The Republic is considered one of Bird’s priority markets for launch, Charlotte Bailey, general manager for UK & Ireland at Bird said, and users could see the bikes on Irish roads later this year.
“I think this is the prime time to make an impact through legislating for escooters but also increasing the scope of bike share offerings around the world,” she said.
“Escooters have to be integrated safely and we are hoping to work with councils across Ireland on to make sure to make sure that the infrastructure supports safe riding and safe road use for people.
Illegal
The company operates escooters in more than 250 cities globally. Although escooters are currently illegal on Irish roads, the Government is drafting its Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to legislate for the vehicles, while local councils are also preparing for the launch of scooter sharing services.
“Shared escooters catapulted shared micromobility to the centre stage of eco-friendly transportation in cities by providing more than 150 million zero-emission trips globally,” said Travis VanderZanden, founder and chief executive 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 five billion trips per year.”
