With vandalism, and general wear and tear, continuing to take a heavy toll on electric scooters used for app-based rental services, many operators are continuing to improve the design of the two-wheelers in a bid to keep them on the road — or, indeed, sidewalk — for longer.
Bird, a major player in the scootersharing space, has just unveiled the Bird Two, its most durable and advanced design yet.
Set to begin replacing its existing fleet of escooters across the U.S. in the fall, the Bird Two incorporates self-reporting damage sensors that alert Bird mechanics to any issues that occur as the rideable transports people around town.
Tires that won’t puncture are also part of the new design, as is an anti-tipping kickstand, which will hopefully help Bird to end complaints from pedestrians about its scooters being strewn across sidewalks.
The Bird Two is also being touted for what it doesn’t have: Exposed screws. In other words, the seamless design means it should be a lot harder for vandals to dismantle the escooter. Now all Bird needs is some kind of anti-throw-in-the-river system and it’ll be well and truly sorted.
Introducing Bird Two. The model T, reborn. Landing soon in a city near you. https://t.co/84Pv4pZ9F0 pic.twitter.com/0jP5InpcUj
— Bird (@BirdRide) August 1, 2019
The Santa Monica, California-based company has declined at this stage to offer details on the Bird Two’s top speed, though if it’s anything like the Bird One, which it unveiled just a few months ago, then it should be around 19 mph.
What we do know is that the scooter’s battery has 50% more capacity than its predecessor, which suggests it could have a very impressive range of some 60 miles.
The Bird Two won’t be available for general sale to customers who’d like one for themselves, meaning it’ll be used exclusively for sharing as part of Bird’s scooter service. This is in contrast to the Bird One, which can be bought for $1,300.
The early indications are that the Bird Two is the company’s most durable machine to date, though the true test, of course, will be when it hits the streets.
We’ve reached out to the company for more details on the Bird Two and will update this article if he hear back.
