Electric mobility company Bird is rolling
out its electric Scoot Moped in Austin, Texas today. Despite early sightings of
the seated personal electric vehicles in Los Angeles last year, Bird is calling
this the first official launch of the Scoot Moped.
The Scoot Moped is an alternately branded
version of the original Bird Cruiser electric moped. Back then it was nothing
but a rendering, yet showed promise as a new form factor for shared electric
mobility companies like Bird. The seated scooter won praise from many in the
public who saw its potential as a more stable and comfortable platform than
typical standing electric scooters.
Early prototypes of the Bird Cruiser were
spotted near the end of 2019, and eventually, a Scoot-branded version of the
Cruiser was seen as well after Bird purchased rival company Scoot. Now the
Scoot version has officially been renamed the Scoot Moped and begins operations
today in Austin, Texas.
The Scoot Moped now has a rear cargo box
replacing the back portion of the originally longer bench seat. Two different
sizes of helmets are secured in the cargo box for the rider to choose from. The
updated Scoot Moped comes with large volume tires and dual rear suspension to
create a more comfortable ride. The bike has two vertically mounted mirrors
(replacing the lower drop-mounted mirrors on the original Bird Cruiser
prototypes). The Scoot Moped also comes with hydraulic disc brakes for
increased stopping power and is rated for a top speed of 32 km/h.
This style of electric bike or scooter has
become quite popular this year, with a number of retail companies offering
similar options to consumers. Some of the most popular include e-bikes like the
$1,699 $Juiced Scorpion and the US$ 1,299 Rad Power Bikes RadRunner, both of which
offer step-through frames designed for easy mounting.
