Lime launches new and improved e-bike in Washington, D.C.

Credit: Lime

U.S. micro-mobility provider Lime has announced the launch of its new Gen4 e-bike, which features significant upgrades – including swappable, interchangeable batteries (which are also compatible with Lime’s Gen4 e-scooters), automatic two-speed transmission, improved acceleration and a phone holder.

Following small-scale pilots in several cities in 2021, the e-bikes officially launched for the first time in Washington, D.C. in early January 2022 and will arrive in more cities around the world in Spring 2022, including Atlanta and Charleston.

The interchangeable swappable battery, shared between Lime’s Gen4 e-bike and e-scooter, is the most significant upgrade to the new generation of Lime vehicles and aims to improve the operational efficiency and sustainability of Lime’s service, while increasing reliability for riders.

“The launch of our Gen4 e-bike is an important step toward achieving our mission of building a future where transportation is shared, affordable and carbon-free,” said Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime. “Standardising our swappable batteries across modes is a leap forward for Lime and the broader micro-mobility industry, making operations more efficient and sustainable, while improving reliability for riders. In 2021, we saw massive jumps in Lime e-bike use in cities, helping to fuel a welcome e-bike boom globally. We’re excited for city residents around the world to try the Gen4 as a great way to leave the car behind.”

With a standardised swappable battery between vehicle types, Lime operations teams are able to simply replace dead batteries on any e-bike or e-scooter, reducing van trips and saving the energy otherwise required for transporting heavy vehicles. The swappable battery also improves vehicle availability for riders and reduces the number of uncharged, unusable vehicles on sidewalks.

Additional upgrades to the e-bike include: 

• Increased motor power to help riders to easily climb hills 
• A phone holder, allowing riders to easily navigate and follow directions without having to stop and look at their phones
• A new handlebar display mirroring the one on Lime’s scooters for a standardised display across vehicle types
• An automatic two-speed transmission that eliminates the prior generation’s gears for easier acceleration and smoother ride
• A modular design, extending the usable life to five years.

Lime announced a $50 million investment in the Gen4 e-bike in early 2021, which is supporting the launch and scale of the new hardware. The company successfully expanded its e-bike service to 50 cities globally using existing e-bikes and, over time, Lime will upgrade e-bikes in these cities to the Gen4, in addition to expanding to new cities in 2022.

As the company begins to scale its interchangeable batteries and Gen4 vehicles globally, it anticipates reduced operational costs, fewer vehicle miles travelled and a greater reduction in carbon emissions from its service. The launch of the Gen4 fleet and standardised battery marks the next leap forward for the micro-mobility industry.