Let’s face it: One of the biggest problems in NYC is the congestion that comes with car traffic. Through the course of time, we’re finding a lot better options for transportation, and breaking through the clouds are a number of offerings for more “green” transit. One of the largest providers of rentable eScooters, Lime, is making a great attempt to educate the public on their offerings and on public safety.
At a building on W. 37th St. in Manhattan called the “Lime Lounge”, Lime invited the public to an open house of sorts, to introduce their newest proprietary eScooter, the “Lime-S Gen 3”. With 10” tires, a new braking system, and a mountain-bike-inspired front suspension system, Lime has introduced a new scooter that seems to be able to
increase the chance of a safe ride with the great new features they’ve made available. Considering that NYC’s streets aren’t always in the greatest condition, Lime and their new eScooter have made a compelling example of rider safety with this offering.
Where Lime Succeeds
I had an opportunity to have a call with Gil Kazimirov, the General Manager for Lime in the tri-state area. I’ve been really interested to talk to Lime after discovering their event in Manhattan, and I wanted to find out a little bit more how one of the biggest
smart mobility providers in the world was going to tackle NYC, and also about their new eScooter.
ESN: What inspired the design of a new electric scooter?
Gil: When you think about
a city like New York, you need to provide unique solutions. You have a lot of
potholes and crazy drivers among other things. You have to bring a product that
focuses on safety and reliability.
[The Lime-S Gen 3] has dual suspension in the front. It’s the first of its kind for us. Combined with the 10” wheels, it weathers potholes and bike lanes that aren’t as well-paved. The battery is at the bottom of the
scooter now, which changes the center of gravity in the scooter and it feels
more comfortable to ride. A 2.8” LCD screen shows your
current speed and the remaining battery life. It also shows whether you’re
allowed to park or ride in a particular area near you. The new battery provides a 20%
increase in battery range. It’s a rugged-looking and
street-ready scooter.
ESN: What does Lime do to promote rider safety?
Gil: A lot of our effort is to deliver a safe riding. At every point, we offer safety education. Some scooters themselves have signage. We have the Respect The Ride campaign, giving out 250 thousand helmets to riders who pledge to ride safely. We’ve currently sent out 25k helmets as part of that campaign. We’ve committed $3 million
dollars for our safety campaign, and to organize an industry-first conference on safety. We also have a Brand Safety Ambassador Program which involves people going out in our market to talk to people about safety. We’ve had 4500 interactions in New York City, so far. We talk them through our app, and what safe riding in NYC means. We even give out light-up bracelets for night riding!
ESN: At your event, what was your interaction like with the city leaders that were present? It sounds like you’re both working towards a common goal, but obviously from two different perspectives.
Gil: The City leaders were extremely positive and open about eScooters, and had great questions. They also had difficult questions, which were welcomed. One of the ways to transform transit in New York is giving people a forum to ask questions. We had officials from the various boroughs, and I was really happy to see how curious people were. When they’re able to ride the scooter and talk to the team, it humanizes the
experience. These are people who are super-passionate and it was a good opportunity for them to see why we’re excited about it [the potential of bringing Lime’s eScooters to NYC]. It’s [Lime’s –S Gen 3] not a toy. It’s a serious tool.
ESN: Lime is a big promoter of green commuting by using electric vehicles. What are some of the goals of the company for the future?
Gil: We’re committed as part of our values, and we’ve done a lot towards that goal. We’ve bought carbon offsets for all of the fleet [that services the vehicles]. The [eScooters] themselves are electric, but the fleet that services them are not. We want to make sure our carbon footprint is neutral.
Some Final Notes
I should note also that Gil sent me a cool article from the company’s page which discusses Lime’s partnership with Planète OUI, an energy provider in France, to ensure that “….all Lime-charged scooters and warehouses will be powered by local wind, solar, and small hydro projects.”
The next few months include a bit of uncertainty for NYC concerning this new form of transit, but Lime seems to be active and on top of educating the public about how their vision for New York. Gil told me over the phone that he spends a lot of time interfacing with riders and non-riders both, trying to find ways to make life better for both parties. It’s inevitable when working with newer technologies that there will be bumps in the road, but Lime seems to be scooting through them with a positive attitude for the city and for the safety of all those involved.
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