No need to wait for electric scooters to arrive in your city. Now you can buy one.
E-scooter startup Bird announced today that it will begin selling the Bird One model directly to consumers later this month. The high-end scooter will retail for $1,299 and be available in white, black and pink. Bird also promises that this model is the “industry’s most durable e-scooter” to date, which it will begin using for its app-powered share fleets too.
Subscribe to Observer’s Business Newsletter
“Bird One builds on the benefits and learnings of Bird Zero and is forecasted to last in the sharing environment for well over a year,” CEO Travis VanderZanden said. “Given the excitement and demand for our next generation e-scooter, we are also making a limited supply of Bird Ones available to own. Now, whether you want to share, rent, or own, Bird provides an option for everyone.”
The Santa Monica-based startup has seen its scooter-share fleets scale up to 100 cities around the world in the last year or so. With direct to consumer sales of its coveted scooters, the company stands to supplement its rideshare fleets. The steep price tag includes several luxury perks, such as digital anti-theft security, extended battery and Bird ride credits. Owning the scooter will also help enthusiasts ride it around their city anytime, without the need to find an abandoned dockless unit on a sidewalk.
The move follows the two-year-old startup’s move earlier this year to allow entrepreneurs to lease and operate Bird scooter stations through Bird Platform, leading to substantial expansion. The pilot program is helping Bird scale its presence across international cities without the cost and effort it takes to launch Bird-run scooter fleets. It’s also a way to get aspiring business owners to participate in the ever-growing scooter trend with the help of a recognized brand.
The Bird Platform and Bird One sales are the latest in a series of attempts by the company to grow and compete in the e-scooter market. Bird currently faces competition from Lime and electric skateboard maker Boosted, which is also due to launch a scooter this month.
These scooter sharing companies are currently still in the midst of expanding to major markets. However, their costly growth is being hindered by strict laws in cities like New York City due to local policy.
