New scooter claiming to be ‘eco-conscious’ now available for Charlotte streets
A new scooter touted as being more environmentally friendly is now available to ride on through the streets of Charlotte, Bird Rides Inc. says.
Bird, in partnership with the City of Charlotte, has upgraded their previous Bird Two scooters to a more “eco-conscious” and protective model, according to a company spokesperson.
The Santa Monica, Calif.-headquartered company has worked with more than 200 cities — including Charlotte —for the past four years to create their new Bird Three scooter.
“The City of Charlotte is always on board when one of our scooter vendors implements new and upgraded equipment in our city,” Scierra Bratton, a Charlotte Department of Transportation spokesperson, told the Observer.
Bird is one of three scooter vendors permitted in Charlotte. Lime and Spin are the others, Bratton said.
Last week, Bird said it is switching half of its fleet to the new model and will eventually phase out the rest of their previous fleets, Bratton said.
The Bird Three was developed by the company’s in-house team and features:
▪ Dual independent brakes for shorter stopping distances.
▪ Autonomous emergency braking to prevent brake failure.
▪ Speed zone, parking and sidewalk compliance for improved sidewalk, speed limit, no-ride, no-parking and reduced speed zone detection.
▪ Antimicrobial grips for enhanced rider protection.
“Bird Three continues this trend with industry-leading performance, range, and safety features, allowing riders to replace even more of their car trips with micromobility,” a company spokesperson said.
The Bird Three also has a bigger and more sustainable battery, the company said, limiting emissions and miles traveled to retrieve, replace and recharge scooters.
It costs $1 to begin a ride on a Bird scooter, but then it’s $0.15 per minute.
Bird’s Community Pricing Program offers a 50% discount to low-income riders, Pell grant recipients, select local nonprofit and community organizations, veterans, and senior citizens.
