In March 2021, Lime introduced its new Gen4 e-bike, which features replaceable batteries. The latter can be used on Lime e-scooters of the latest generation. Today, TechCrunch reported that the company has finally started delivering new electric bikes to the streets of Washington, DC.
In fact, Lime has invested more than $50 million in this project, and it involves replacing the company's current models in major cities around the world. Washington, DC was the first to receive 250 new e-bikes. Here, the company plans to replace its entire fleet of 2500 electric bikes by April. After that, other large cities in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand will receive their share. The replacement should be completed by next year.
Lime has launched its e-bikes in 50 markets worldwide, including London, Seattle, Paris, Denver and soon Charleston, South Carolina. The new model, called the Gen4 e-bike, was supposed to appear on the market in the summer of 2021. But due to supply chain issues, the company had to postpone the launch date.
Key features of Lime Gen4
As for the bike itself, as mentioned above, the biggest feature is the replaceable battery. It perfectly matches the appearance of the latest Lime Gen4 scooter.
"This is a potential leap forward for the industry," said Russell Murphy, senior director of corporate communications. TechCrunch. If you have one battery for different types of vehicles, you can manage a more streamlined multimodal fleet.
According to Lime's expectations, the battery upgrade will improve the device's economy. We mean that thanks to the replaceable battery design, users will not have to take the e-bikes to charge. As for the operator, micromobility will work more because there will be more cars on the street.
"It will also mean that one team can do all the charging tasks instead of one team for bikes and one for scooters," he said.
In addition, the Lime Gen4 e-bike will also be equipped with an improved motor. The latter should help racers climb hills more easily. It will also feature a phone holder, a new steering wheel display and an automatic two-speed gearbox.
Bottom line, Lime has serious plans to get a bigger piece of the pie by entering more cities around the world. And that is why he is actively working on new technologies. By the end of last year, micromobility had raised $523 million in convertible debt and term loan financing. This is the company's last round of funding before it goes public in 2022.
