(KGTV) — As Bird supplies San Diego streets with dockless scooter options — to the delight and disgust of some residents — the company will being selling its electric scooters directly to consumers.
Bird unveiled its Bird One e-scooter this week, giving users the option to purchase their own Bird scooter for personal use.
The company says the model was developed with an extended battery life and better protection than those Bird scooters initially rolled onto streets.
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“In 2018, we introduced the industry’s first scooter designed and engineered specifically for the sharing market, Bird Zero. Resulting from the commercial-grade aspects of Bird Zero, it lasts over 10 months in the sharing environment on average and is now profitable due to its increased lifespan and battery capacity,” said Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird. “Bird One builds on the benefits and learnings of Bird Zero and is forecasted to last in the sharing environment for well over a year."
Bird One will retail in a limited supply for $1,299 and come in three colors: Jet black, dove white, and electric rose. It also includes $100 in rider credits.
The scooter will reach up to 30 miles per charge and have GPS for owners to track and unlock their scooter and access to the "Bird Hunter" network, the company's team trained to recover missing scooters.
The new model will also be rolled into Bird's sharing network for riders to rent, the company says.
