Bloomberg Businessweek just published this article summarizing the impact that Bird and its electric scooters are having on Los Angeles. Here are a couple of highlights:

- Bird launched a year ago and is, today, valued at around $2 billion.

- The company has around 15,000 scooters on the road in Los Angeles. We already know that this is making some/many people grouchy.

- The cost to rent a scooter is $1 plus $0.15 a minute.

- LA has an incentive program in place that allows Bird to expand its fleet within low-income areas. Still, their scooters tend to be concentrated in wealthier areas of the city.

- Beverly Hills is trying to figure out how to handle/regulate these scooters and currently has a 6 month ban in place.

- Supposedly, you can ride a Bird through West Hollywood but you’re not allowed to park it anywhere.

The company is based in Santa Monica, so it’s not surprising that they have such a stronghold in the LA market. Still, there appears to be a lot of latent demand for this kind of mobility.

According the US Department of Energy, almost 60% of vehicle trips in the US last year were less than 6 miles. And around 40% were less than 2 miles. 

So these “last mile scooters” do appear to have a lot of utility. Do any of you regularly use an electric scooter to get around?

Bloomberg Businessweek just published this article summarizing the impact that Bird and its electric scooters are having on Los Angeles. Here are a couple of highlights:

- Bird launched a year ago and is, today, valued at around $2 billion.

- The company has around 15,000 scooters on the road in Los Angeles. We already know that this is making some/many people grouchy.

- The cost to rent a scooter is $1 plus $0.15 a minute.

- LA has an incentive program in place that allows Bird to expand its fleet within low-income areas. Still, their scooters tend to be concentrated in wealthier areas of the city.

- Beverly Hills is trying to figure out how to handle/regulate these scooters and currently has a 6 month ban in place.

- Supposedly, you can ride a Bird through West Hollywood but you’re not allowed to park it anywhere.

The company is based in Santa Monica, so it’s not surprising that they have such a stronghold in the LA market. Still, there appears to be a lot of latent demand for this kind of mobility.

According the US Department of Energy, almost 60% of vehicle trips in the US last year were less than 6 miles. And around 40% were less than 2 miles. 

So these “last mile scooters” do appear to have a lot of utility. Do any of you regularly use an electric scooter to get around?