Electric scooter companies like Bird and Lime have become extremely popular in the cities where they operate. The startups, which have raised hundreds of millions in venture funding, let city dwellers zip across town for less than a cab and more efficiently than walking, creating a welcome mode of urban transit for many.
But when it comes to charging the scooters, Bird and Lime rely on those same customers to gather up scooters and charge them at their home.
Called Bird Chargers and Lime Juicers, these workers are independent contractors---like Uber and Lyft drivers---who earn money by charging scooters and dropping them back off in dedicated public spaces. But relying on independent contractors can be unpredictable, and the process can at times be dangerous. It has been described as "one level up from collecting cans," and in some cities it has created a "cutthroat turf war" as people try to find and recharge as many scooters as they can.
But a Chicago scooter company believes it has found a way to reduce the scooter charging chaos with a replaceable battery.
VeoRide, a bikeshare company that primarily serves college campuses, launched an electric scooter product this month that it says has the industry's first swappable battery. VeoRide's technicians can replace the battery pack on site, allowing the company to have total control over the charging process and not rely on third parties to keep scooters running.
VeoRide, whose bikes are in dozens of cities across the U.S.---including at the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University---said its scooters will soon be available in Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and other states.
Chicago has been slower to adopt e-scooter technology. Both Bird and Lime have tested their devices in Chicago but have not been allowed to officially operate in the city. In September, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the launch of a task force, led by former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, which will examine the use of electric scooters, autonomous vehicles, ride-sharing and other new forms of transportation in Chicago.
