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WORLD CHANGING IDEAS

Bird doubles down on its e-bike expansion with a new bike you can buy

The scooter company recently added shared e-bikes to its lineup. Now it’s selling a new model directly to consumers, to capitalize on the e-bike boom.

Bird doubles down on its e-bike expansion with a new bike you can buy

[Photo: Bird]

BY Talib Visram1 minute read

You probably know Bird for its shared e-scooters, which became ubiquitous in many cities during the e-scooter boom. In June 2021, the company entered into the shared electric bike market. Now it has a new, slimmed-down and sleeker version that you can just for yourself.

The Bird Bike retails for $2,299. It’s available now in the U.S. (the UK and EU are on the way). The bikes are fitted with rear hub motors from Chinese e-mobility components company, Bafang; thumb throttles for making incline riding easier; an LCD panel displaying metrics like speed and distance; and a battery that allows for 50 miles of electric range.

[Photo: Bird]
The target buyer, says Rebecca Hahn, Bird’s chief corporate social responsibility officer, is both car drivers looking to switch to more carbon-friendly commuting options, as well as people who don’t live in one of the 300 cities where Bird operates a shared service. Bird also hastwo types of e-scooters for purchase: the Bird One, and the later-released Bird Air, which has a cheaper price point and a slightly slower top speed (not to mention the kids’ scooter for sale, Birdie). Consumer products represent around 10% of Bird’s business, Hahn says—and the pandemic has accelerated that demand in many cities, due to expanded bike lanes, streets closed to cars, and a preference for socially distanced transport methods. “In some ways, [the pandemic] drove adoption and awareness of micro electric vehicles, both for sharing and for ownership,” she says.

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[Photo: Bird]
Bird’s desire to diversify, via both consumer products and expansion into e-bikes, is likely a reflection of both market trends and its own financial trajectory. The e-bike market grew 157% year on year, and is predicted to reach$68 million by 2026, higher than the sharing market projection of$13.8 billion. And, the latestsecond quarter results filingfrom Bird, which announced its intention to go public in May, shows a rebound in revenue from recent quarters, but still sustained net losses.

Overall, the e-bike, like all the company’s products, says Hahn, “supports our vision of cities and towns with fewer congestion-inducing, gas-powered car trips,” Hahn says. “The more options we offer consumers, the more flexibility people have to rely on more sustainable modes of transportation.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in London, Talib Visram is a Staff Writer at Fast Company in New York, where his digital and print reporting focuses on the social impact of business. A Master’s-trained multimedia journalist, he’s hosted a variety of audio and video programs, and moderated live events More


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