Electric Transportation Company Bird To Launch First E-Bikes In San Diego

San Diego CA

11 September, 2021

1:30 PM

Description

By Debbie L. Sklar, Times of San Diego September 10, 2021 San Diego will become the first city in the country to receive a fleet of Bird's shared e-bikes, it was announced Friday, supplementing the company's more than 1,000 electric scooters already in the city. The launch, happening this month, comes as part of the company's micro- electric mobility partnership with San Diego State University. "We're excited to partner with Bird to help provide SDSU students, staff and faculty with a fun, carbon-free micromobility option to use on and around campus," said Debbie Richeson, director of the college's parking and transportation services. "The SDSU community will have access to exclusive pricing and a selection of Bird's high-quality scooters and bikes, making transportation efficient, affordable and sustainable." The new, shared e-assist bikes come with several safety and sustainability features, the company claims, including dual hand brakes, advanced onboard diagnostics, aluminum alloy framing and a maximum range of 56 miles on a single battery charge. SDSU students will have access to reduced prices for unlocks on campus as well as a host of incentives for riding responsibly including Helmet Selfie and automatic ride credits for proper parking. The bikes will also have an "e-assist motor," according to a statement from Bird, intended to help riders coast up hills with as much as a 20% grade. They will have geofence technology to slow or stop the motor in designated areas. Since Bird e-scooters were first launched in 2018, San Diego riders have used them to travel more than 11 million miles. Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.