Skip to main content

Lime launches free-floating car-share service in Seattle

Bike-share and electric scooter company Lime has launched a ‘free-floating’ car-share service in Seattle and intends to make 1,500 vehicles available in early 2019. Bloomberg says the company has deployed 50 Lime-branded vehicles and intends to increase this number to 500 by the end of the year. Users can unlock a LimePod vehicle, a customised two-door Fiat 500, via the company’s app for $1 and are charged 40 cents per minute while driving. Toby Sun, Lime’s chief executive officer, says the company is a
November 22, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Bike-share and electric scooter company Lime has launched a ‘free-floating’ car-share service in Seattle and intends to make 1,500 vehicles available in early 2019.
%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external <br />Bloomberg false https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-13/lime-wants-to-spread-1-500-shared-cars-around-seattle true false%> says the company has deployed 50 Lime-branded vehicles and intends to increase this number to 500 by the end of the year.

Users can unlock a LimePod vehicle, a customised two-door 1674 Fiat 500, via the company’s app for $1 and are charged 40 cents per minute while driving.

Toby Sun, Lime’s chief executive officer, says the company is also hoping to deploy the service in an unnamed city in California.

Lime is not the only company moving into the US ‘free-floating’ car-share space. In %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external October false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/groupe-psa-trials-car-sharing-service-in-washington-dc/ false false%>, French car manufacturer Groupe PSA confirmed its intention to deploy a fleet 600 vehicles in Washington, DC.  

This pilot coincided with Maven’s%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external announcement false http://www.itsinternational.com/sections/transmart/news/maven-expands-peer-to-peer-car-share-service/ false false%> to expand its peer-to-peer car-share service in Washington, DC – and other US cities - by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Communauto also received a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external permit false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/communauto-receives-permit-for-car-share-project-in-toronto/ false false%> to deploy a car-share service of 200 vehicles.

UTC

Related Content

  • November 15, 2019
    Waymo scraps AV operations in Austin
    Waymo is closing its operations in the US city of Austin following an increase in investment in the Detroit and Phoenix areas. A spokesperson told Austin Inno: “As a result, we’ve decided to relocate all Austin positions to Detroit and Phoenix. We are working closely with employees, offering them the opportunity to transfer, as well as with our staffing partners to ensure everyone receives transition pay and relocation assistance.” Last month Waymo sent an email to users, which appeared on Reddit, saying
  • October 16, 2018
    Communauto receives permit for car-share project in Toronto
    Communauto will receive a permit to take part in the City of Toronto’s free-floating car-share pilot programme and will make 200 vehicles available from November. John Tory, mayor of Toronto, says: “I've encouraged the introduction of these new technologies and believe that there can be many benefits, including potentially reducing traffic and congestion by removing cars from the road." The Communauto Flex service is free to join and offers users a pay-as-you-go structure. Daily trips cost $0.41 per
  • December 14, 2018
    TfL describes reports of closer ties with Uber as ‘nonsense’
    Transport for London (TfL) has described claims that it is deepening its relationship with Uber as ‘nonsense’. Media reports suggested that London’s transit authority might be going to offer customers access to public transport services via the ride-hailing firm's app. The Financial Times reported that Uber is attempting to add TfL's data about tube and bus timetables into the app. But a spokesperson from TfL told ITS International that the only thing it is putting out is open data – and does no
  • October 10, 2019
    Careem expands Iraq ride-share operation
    Dubai-based ride-hailing company Careem has expanded into the Iraqi city of Mosul, according to a report by Arabian Business. The company is hoping to provide technology-based mobility options for riders and offer flexible employment opportunities for local drivers. Careem Iraq’s general manager Mohamed Al-Hakim says: “We hope that our entry will spur other companies to follow suit.” Careem expanded its service into the Iraqi city of Basra earlier this year, following its introduction in Najaf and