Bird announced today that it will sell its electric scooters to entrepreneurs and small business owners, who can then rent them out as part of a new service called Bird Platform.
The company will provide the independent operators with scooters, which they are given free rein to brand as they please, as well as access to the company’s marketplace of chargers and mechanics, in exchange for 20 percent of the cost of each ride. Bird says fleet managers, which may be independent entrepreneurs or local mom and pop bike rental shops, for example, can also collect and charge the scooters themselves.
There’s no minimum or maximum number of scooters independent operators can purchase, though they have to keep in mind local regulations that, in certain cities, limit the number of scooters permitted on the streets. Bird says the company will initially begin rolling out Bird Platform in December, targeting markets where scooters are already actively used and where regulations are a bit more relaxed. Bird Platform will be irrelevant in San Francisco, for example, where the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has put a cap on the number of e-scooters available and has refused to grant Bird a permit to operate at all.
The company hopes Bird Platform will be a helpful tool as it continues to work its way into new markets around the world.
Bird chief executive officer Travis VanderZanden said they’ve been quietly working on this product for a while and have 300 interested parties waiting to get started with the service.
“In the last year of operating, we kept getting these inbound requests from entrepreneurs that really wanted to take Bird to their cities,” VanderZanden told TechCrunch. “I think there’s been a lot of people passionate about the electric scooter movement and taking cars off the road. There are a lot of entrepreneurs who want to bring Bird to their city.”
Goat, a scooter startup located in Austin, similarly began renting its scooters to micro mobility enthusiasts in the Texas capital. Goat CEO Michael Schramm explained the launch in a company announcement at the time, according to Mashable: “The way we look at it is, why would someone want to be a charger and make $5 a scooter, when they can manage their own fleet and keep all the earnings doing the same task they’re already doing?”
Bird, valued at $2 billion, has raised $415 million in venture capital funding from CRV, Greycroft, Sequoia, Accel and others. Since launching about a year ago, it’s clocked in more than 10 million rides and expanded to some 100 cities.
Bird partners with cities across the globe to develop programs that maximize the positive impact of micromobility.
- Firstly, fewer cars on the road: Nowadays, cars pose one of the largest risks to public safety. Scooters are a convenient alternative to driving that can help reduce pollution and make cities safer for all.
- Encouraging safe riding and even offering rewards for good behavior are the goals of the Bird app. For instance, it can award riders who park in approved spots with prizes.
- Customizing our app for your city We strive to provide an app experience that includes localized education, designated no-ride zones, and more in order to assist each city in achieving its particular goals.
“The strong and cooperative partnership between Bird and Kent County Council enabled the delivery of e-scooters to the City of Canterbury, with the mutual goal of lowering reliance on cars to enhance air quality.” Bird puts a lot of effort into developing solutions to deliver a successful e-scooter rental model that puts the environment and the customer at the center of their delivery, building on their years of industry experience. ”.
Ben Bolton Senior Transport Planner, Kent County Council
Our bespoke cars are made to be the strongest, safest micromobility choices available on the market right now. Our shared fleet, created by Bird’s top engineers in the industry, is based on extensive testing and insights gathered from tens of millions of rides on the Bird platform. Read more about our sustainability efforts here.
Vehicles made to last
Our highest-performing scooters can now last five years with refurbishment.
1,500 pounds of carbon avoided
Every bird on the road saves approximately 1,500 pounds of carbon emissions annually.
Listening to the community.
The Bird app’s Community Mode makes it simple for anyone to file complaints with our team directly, allowing us to all work together to maintain the safety of our streets and quickly resolve any issues that may come up. All you have to do is tap the yield icon in the Bird app to enter Community Mode.
In order to make micromobility an inexpensive and accessible option for everyone, Bird is pleased to provide a number of reduced-fare options. Notably, we created Bird Community Pricing, the most inclusive discount program in the industry, which gives qualified riders—including low-income residents—up to 50% off. Additionally, riders can use cash to pay and SMS to unlock cars.
The business anticipates that Bird Platform will be a useful resource as it continues to break into international markets.
Bird announced today that it will sell its electric scooters to entrepreneurs and small business owners, who can then rent them out as part of a new service called Bird Platform.
According to Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden, the company has been working on this project covertly for some time and has 300 potential customers waiting to sign up for the service.
Similar to this, Austin-based Goat, a scooter startup, started renting out its scooters to micromobility enthusiasts in the state capital. “The way we look at it is, why would someone want to be a charger and make $5 a scooter, when they can manage their own fleet and keep all the earnings doing the same task they’re already doing?” Goat CEO Michael Schramm said in a company announcement at the time, as reported by Mashable.
There’s no cap on the quantity of scooters independent operators can buy, but they must be aware of local laws that restrict the amount of scooters that can be driven on the streets in some cities. According to Bird, the company will start launching Bird Platform in December, focusing on areas with a high scooter usage rate and laxer regulations. For instance, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has limited the quantity of e-scooters that can be used and has denied Bird a permit to operate at all, so Bird Platform will not be relevant there.
FAQ
How much does it cost to own a Bird scooter?
How much does Bird pay for a scooter?
How much does the Bird scooter cost in San Antonio?
How much is the Bird scooter in Indianapolis?