SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Uber launched a fleet of JUMP e-bikes Monday in San Diego, making it the 12th city in the U.S. and fifth in California to have the service.
Uber plans to disperse 300 bikes around a 28-square-mile service area from Pacific Beach to Crim Avenue downtown. The company hopes to expand to 95 square miles by the end of the year.
The bikes are dockless, electric and can accelerate up to 20 mph. They feature "lock-to" technology and a GPS system to coax riders to lock them in places outside of pedestrian walkways. Shared bikes and scooters have received push-back from San Diego residents in part due to concerns over riders locking them in areas where they block foot traffic.
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JUMP launched as a bikeshare company in 2017 and expanded to multiple metro areas around the U.S. Uber acquired JUMP in May as part of the ride-hailing company's effort to increase its footprint in the public transit market. Uber launched in Los Angeles last Wednesday after receiving an operating permit from the city.
"We see a world where people in San Diego can easily live without a car by taking advantage of a wide variety of transportation options, from ebikes to rideshare and beyond, requested right from the Uber app," said Mike Egziabher, general manager of JUMP's Southern California branch. "Today's launch gets us closer to that vision by giving people in San Diego an affordable, environmentally friendly way to get from point A to point B."
Uber will offer five free 30-minute bike rides per day to each San Diego customer through Dec. 9 to celebrate the launch. The bikes can be located and unlocked with the Uber app and the JUMP app. At launch, a ride on one of the bikes in San Diego will cost $1 to unlock and 10 cents per each subsequent minute.
