A scooter service is coming to Chicago, but instead of the short-term, rent-to-ride model that’s become common in the e-scooter industry, this new service wants to let people rent a single scooter for months at a time.
Unagi Scooters, based in Oakland, Calif., launched in Chicago this week, as well as in nearby suburbs like Aurora, Joliet, Elgin, Evanston, Arlington Heights and Cicero. The company uses a “Netflix-style” approach to their scooter rentals, offering consumers a flat monthly fee of $49 or $468 per year with unlimited access to a single Unagi scooter. The scooter is delivered to subscribers’ homes within 72 hours of ordering via FedEx.
If consumers don't want to rent an Unagi scooter, they can purchase one for about $1,000 on the company's website.The scooters fold in half, go up to 20 mph and weigh about 26 pounds.
Unlike geographical limitations often put on other scooter systems, like Bird or Lime, riders can use Unagi anytime and anywhere they want, treating them as their own. That also means users keeps tabs on their scooters and charge the devices at home. Because the scooters are in possession of individuals, Unagi does not have to abide by city scooter regulations.
Besides Chicagoland, Unagi also launched its service in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia this week. The company already operates in Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and other American cities. To date, Unagi has raised nearly $14 million in venture capital funding, according to Crunchbase.
The service comes at a time when the fate of shared scooter companies like Bird and Lime is uncertain. In May, the Chicago Department of Transportation said it is working with City Council to discuss a path forward for e-scooters in Chicago after two completed pilot programs, but exact terms of a permeant scooter presence have not been determined yet.
Additionally, Ridy, a new local electric scooter company in Chicago, is growing by partnering with property managers who offer the scooters as an amenity to tenants.
