LimeBike’s European expansion introduces electric scooters

Following the launch of the largest shared e-bike scheme in the US, bike-sharing firm LimeBike is introducing Lime-S, an electric scooter, which will join the largest deployment of shared electric-assist bikes, Lime-E, in Europe.

The company’s multimodal smart fleet is available in Barcelona for demonstration and testing throughout the 2018 Mobile World Congress event.

The introduction of Lime-E and Lime-S is part of a strategy to transform the company from a bike-sharing company to a smart mobility provider, offering multiple personal transportation solutions for smart cities.

The company recently raised an additional $70 million as part of its Series B financing, bringing the total amount of funding to $132 million; providing solid financial backing for further enhancements on the smart fleet.

“Our goal is to lead the future of smart mobility. Our multi-modal smart fleet provides immediate access to an affordable, convenient and healthy means of transportation. We are here to help cities, businesses and universities solve their first and last mile transportation challenges,” said Caen Contee, Founding Member and VP Marketing, Partnerships & International Expansion at LimeBike.

Since December 2017, LimeBike has been available in Frankfurt and Zurich the two pilot cities of the European expansion. Despite launching in the midst of winter, LimeBike has already accumulated more than 10,000 rides in the first two months of operation.

“We are encouraged by the warm welcome received in Europe. This is a great start for us as we enter the peak seasons for bike riding. It is also a springboard for our further investment into Europe which we are planning to announce soon,” Contee commented.

By cooperating with local communities, colleges and businesses and prioritising the high quality of bikes, LimeBike aims to become an integral mobility operator within the European city landscape.