Lime launches new seated shared scooter

Credit: Lime

Lime has announced the global launch of its new vehicle offering, the Gen4 Seated scooter.

The Gen4 Seated is Lime’s latest innovation in its family of shared, affordable, emissions-free vehicles. It combines the seated comfort of a bicycle with the ease of an e-scooter, resulting in a smooth, convenient and environmentally-friendly ride.

The Gen4 Seated is currently available in Chicago and Milwaukee and will be introduced in more than a dozen cities across North America at varying levels of scale.

“We’re excited to introduce the Gen4 Seated scooter globally to welcome more riders onto the Lime platform. The new design provides added comfort and, when combined with our new storage compartment, will accommodate more use cases, encouraging more people to consider Lime to meet their needs. The Gen4 Seated aims to empower our riders to navigate their day-to-day with ease, welcoming a wider audience to micro-mobility via a more accessible and comfortable ride,” said Joe Kraus, President at Lime.

In addition to the padded seat, riders will immediately notice the new dedicated storage space underneath. Previous vehicle trials and Lime’s internal research found storage space to be a crucial factor in riders choosing micro-mobility as a transportation option, with people more likely to ride longer distances and ride more frequently, as evidenced by an increase in use per day compared to Lime’s Gen4 e-scooter. The rear compartment on the new Gen4 Seated scooter allows for more use cases, enabling riders to transport groceries or other items.

Credit: Lime

The new model’s design uses Lime’s traditional Gen4 e-scooter as a base, building upon the features that have made it such a successful shared e-scooter. The seated model emphasises safety, approachability and convenience, already proving to attract a wider range of riders to shared electric vehicles.

Lime piloted the Gen4 Seated in Nashville and Chicago earlier in 2023. Results from the pilot found that the vehicle appealed to older riders, female riders and riders with limited mobility more than Lime’s traditional e-bike and e-scooter offerings. For example, the Gen4 Seated attracted 33% more first-time female riders than Lime’s Gen4 e-scooters.

“Through our initial launches, we’ve seen how the Gen4 Seated introduces new riders who may have previously been sceptical about e-scooters or e-bikes. It reinforces the idea that while the need for affordable and sustainable transportation is universal, sometimes riders just want options that accommodate different needs and preferences. Transitioning more people from cars onto shared electric vehicles ultimately helps cities to become healthier, safer and more liveable, and we’re glad the Gen4 Seated will contribute to that goal,” said Josh Meltzer, Head of Government Affairs for Lime.

The Gen4 Seated will be available for riders to rent on the street, similar to Lime’s e-scooters and e-bikes. This is the first time that Lime is launching a seated scooter to be available in the public right of way, with previous offerings only available via reservation through its Lime Assist programme, and specifically for users with mobility challenges.

Like all Lime vehicles, the Gen4 Seated is designed to prioritise safety. It was designed in-house to make riders more comfortable and confident. The vehicle comes with many of the safety innovations that define Lime’s industry-leading Gen4 e-scooter, like enhanced suspension, large front wheels for a smoother ride, as well as a low baseboard to optimise the centre of gravity on the scooter and make getting on and off easier.

By appealing to a wider user base, the Gen4 Seated scooter aims to encourage more people to become regular users of shared light electric vehicles and live a more car-free lifestyle. Like all Lime vehicles globally, the Gen4 Seated scooter is backed by 100% renewable energy. This supports Lime’s mission to build a future where transportation is shared, affordable and carbon-free.

As with every new vehicle in the Lime family, the Seated Scooter is powered by swappable batteries and includes a modular design to quickly replace parts when needed. The design helps prolong its lifespan, while reducing carbon and vehicle miles travelled from Lime’s operations. It also ensures that more vehicles are available to ride for a more reliable service.