Starting Today, DC law requires all riders to lock scooters – Lime’s answer “Gen4 Scooter with Lock-To Technology”

courtesy Lime

Ed. Note: Still a bit of a learning curve…

From Lime:

“Lime is launching its industry leading Gen4 electric scooter in the District this week, making Washington DC one of the first cities in North America to have a full fleet of the new model available for use. The Gen4 scooter will provide DC riders with the safest, smoothest, and most environmentally friendly shared scooter ride available. The new Gen4 scooters will also be equipped with lock-to technology in order to comply with new regulations that will require scooters to be locked to bike racks, sign posts for parking or stop signs, or left in in-street bicycle and scooter corrals.

“Working with the City to implement lock-to in the District gives us an opportunity to upgrade our entire fleet of scooters to our new industry leading Gen4 model. These new scooters will be a gamechanger for DC residents and visitors, offering an even smoother, safer, and more sustainable ride. As we switch to a lock-to system, we encourage the District to expand important safe streets infrastructure items like bike racks and parking corrals. We hope the City sees our multi-million dollar investment in upgraded hardware and lock-to technology as a sign of our deep commitment to the District, where we’ve been operating for over three years. Ideally, this will lead to a stronger partnership between the City and the micromobility industry, leading to further innovation and improved service for all DC residents in the future,” said Robert Gardner, Director of Government Relations at Lime.

Hardware

The goal of the Gen4 scooter is to provide the smoothest, safest and most sustainable Lime scooter ride in our history. Highlights of the new vehicle model include:

Swept back handlebars, a first for shared e-scooters and reminiscent of bike handles, allowing for more a comfortable grip.

Dual hand brake system to make slowing and stopping easier and more immediate when needed.

Lowered baseboard to optimize the center of gravity on the scooter and make getting on and off easier.

New kickstand with two legs to help avoid scooters from being tipped over when parked, which can help to reduce clutter on sidewalks.

Enhanced suspension and larger wheels mean a smoother ride over cracks, warped pavement and anything else the cityscape can throw at you.

Most important of all is the addition of a swappable battery, which will drive even greater efficiency in our operations and further reduce the carbon emissions of scooter riding.”