Santa Monicans looking to avoid shuffling through apps to unlock a nearby scooter can now rest easy and wake up to a two-wheeled device waiting for them right outside their door.
Details of Bird’s newest concierge service, Bird Delivery, were revealed in a press release Thursday, October 4. The program will deliver a Bird scooter to a customer’s house or place of business by 8 a.m. with that same scooter being solely reserved for that customer throughout the entirety of the day.
Bird Delivery isn’t live just yet, with customers urged to join a waitlist when visiting the program’s website. While the press release states that pricing, availability and the selection of cities to pilot the program will soon be announced, a Bird spokesperson speaking on the condition of anonymity said the program will roll out in cities where Bird already operates.
In addition to their new delivery service, Bird also revealed a new scooter. Named Bird Zero, the new scooters are made by Chinese manufacturer Okai as opposed to Ninebot, who makes and will continue to make Bird’s scooter fleet. The Okai-made Bird Zero looks more or less like their predecessors, albeit blockier with noticeably larger tires and thicker base.
New features of the Zero include a longer lasting battery (which lasts 60% longer than the original scooters), improved lighting, improved ride durability and stability, and an improved GPS to make finding the scooter easier. The Bird Zero scooters are currently being rolled out in U.S. markets.
The new program and Zero scooter come on the heels of Uber launching their own fleet of JUMP scooters in Santa Monica. As Uber and Lyft infringe on Bird’s scooter services, Bird is now getting into the on-demand service.
“Bird was created to provide an equitable, convenient and reliable alternative to short car trips. Since launching, we are continually inspired by riders who opt for Bird rides over traveling by car and share in the pain of riders when they express frustration about not having consistent and reliable access to Bird,” Travis VanderZanden, Bird founder and CEO said in the press release. “With Bird Delivery, we are aiming to address this pain point by guaranteeing they have access to a Bird when and where they need it and throughout the day.”
angel@smdp.com
