Electric scooters are invading US and European cities. Where did they come from, how do they work, and do cities love them or hate them?
What are e-scooters?
The e-scooters we’re discussing are dockless, rent-by-the-minute electric scooters that can zoom down sidewalks at 15mph or 25kph.
Battery-powered scooters have been available for years, but now they’re outfitted with GPS trackers and wireless connectivity. Companies offer on-demand fleets of them that you can rent through an app - sort of how Uber and Lyft offer on-demand fleets of taxis.
Where can you legally ride e-scooters?
It depends on your local laws. In California, you can’t ride an e-scooter on sidewalks - only in the street or a bike lane.
They’re currently illegal in the UK (althoughthis might change) but are legal in the US and many European countries.
You must be over the age of 18 to ride, have a valid driver’s license, and they can only take one person at a time.
Some US states, like California, require scooter riders to wear a helmet. you’re able to actually order a helmet from Bird for just $1.
Who makes e-scooters?
Several companies make them, but the most popular ones come from three startups: Bird, Lime, and Spin. One leading e-scooter company, Bird, raised $150 million at a valuation north of $1 billion.
It was run by Travis VanderZanden, a former executive of Uber and Lyft. But the idea originates from China, where dockless, park-anywhere bikes (such as Jump Bike and LimeBike) are a huge trend.
Recently we’ve seen the addition of Usain Bolt to the selection, launching his ownrange of scooterswhich are now available in some US cities and in Paris.
How do e-scooters work?
How much does it cost to rent an e-scooter?
How fast do e-scooters go?
How far (range) can e-scooters go?
Can you park e-scooters anywhere?
No, and it’s causing serious issues in some cities. It’s led to the situation being dubbed Scootergeddon, Scooterpocalypse, and Scooter Wars.
San Francisco authorities have begun confiscating illegally parked e-scooters, issuing citations, and sending out cease-and-desist orders as of April 2018.It also kicked e-scooters off the streets on 4 June, but the city doesn’t want to ban them. It wants to control them.
Part of the problem also stems from e-scooter companies not following the rules or working with US cities to get permits.In Nashville, Tennessee, the city recently delivered an ultimatum to Bird: Remove all scooters from public rights-of-way in Nashville or the government will seize and impound all scooters that it finds unattended on a city street, sidewalk, park, greenway, or other public areas.
Following a number of high-profile accidents, legislation around scooters is likely to tighten.
