Mobility startup Lime is wanting so as to add electrical motorbikes to its current fleet of e-bikes and e-scooters. The firm as we speak launched a pilot program in Long Beach, California for its customized bike, which it’s calling the Citra. Lime spokesperson Russell Murphy advised The Verge that the corporate plans to launch a number of hundred Citra bikes within the California metropolis this summer season, probably topping as much as 500 motorbikes if ridership is powerful sufficient.
According to Lime’s description of the Citra, it’s constructed for longer distances and combines “the seated consolation of an e-bike with the effortlessness of an e-scooter.” At least aesthetically talking, the Citra positively resembles each. Similar to different Lime autos, the Citra additionally incorporates a swappable battery that will get charged by its native operation workforce. The bike is provided with a number of helpful options equivalent to cupboard space for groceries, a horn, entrance and rear flip indicators and a telephone mount.
Lime is hoping that prospects will search different strategies of transportation just like the Citra in mild of this summer season’s record-high fuel costs. “Citra is the perfect way to save money on gas, avoid time wasted in traffic, and alleviate the headaches of hunting for parking this summer and we’re excited about its potential,” mentioned Lime president Joe Kraus in a press release.
Mobility startups have struggled to prosper as a result of opposition from native legislatures, security failures and a decline in ridership through the pandemic. Some have resorted to terminating workers or winding down operations so as to keep afloat. Back in 2020, Lime laid off a small chunk of its workforce and pulled out of Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego, San Antonio and eight different cities exterior the US. The firm has made some strides since then — it raised a $523 million funding spherical final 12 months and not too long ago unveiled a Gen4 ebike.
But Lime and different mobility startups aren’t out of the woods but. As Bloomberg famous, e-scooter ridership nonetheless hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic ranges.