The company, which already has an e-scooter presence throughout the region, says they’ve obtained a permit to operate 1,500 Gen 4 e-bikes in the City of Tampa.
Think of these e-bikes as giant scooters for people that hate to stand, but also feature increased motor power with an automatic two-speed transmission (for those of you who also hate peddling), a swappable battery with a 5-year lifespan, as well a phone holder and a little basket.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the company will phase out the e-scooters and replace them with the new motorized bicycles after an attorney ruled against a bid protest from last summer.
The new e-bike service is a new chapter for Lime, which originally launched its e-scooter service in Tampa back in 2019. Since then, the e-scooters have been largely successful in the area, spare a few dozen or so that end up at the bottom of the river.
Hopefully these bikes don’t meet the same fate.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 5, 2022.