Prepare yourself for a new and quicker way to get around town. Earlier today, Uber officially launched its electric scooter service in Santa Monica as part of a test run. For this fresh initiative, the rideshare company decided to partner with JUMP, which has already seen success thanks to their signature red e-bikes.
According to Uber, there will be a first batch of about 250 scooters available in the Californian city. This relatively small limit is strictly due to a municipal law that caps the number of scooters allowed in the sunny city. Should the program prove successful, however, expect the effort to expand across the United States and abroad.
To grab an Uber JUMP, one must download the app and swipe over to “bike and scooter” mode. Once active, users will be able to reserve a battery-charged scooter nearby, scan a QR code to unlock the vehicle, and ride to a parking zone close to their desired destination. As of now, rides will cost $1 to unlock and an affordable 15 cents per minute of use.
Santa Monica isn’t the first spot to roll out rentable scooters. Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and even Europe and the Middle East have all seen e-bikes rolling down pavement this year. The trendy travel option is likely to continue growing north of the border, but Uber has yet to announce plans for Toronto or Montreal just yet. The company has, however, shown interest in launching the program in Vancouver.
