Razors Edge ★ Posted November 8, 2018 Share #1 Posted November 8, 2018 ...as Ford is stepping up their game! ------------------------------------------ Turns out those rumors about Ford buying e-scooter startup Spin were true. The auto-maker has confirmed the purchase as it looks beyond car ownership to emerging modes of transport. Though it didn't disclose the financials behind the deal, sources previously told Axios that the agreement was around the $40 million mark. Spin -- which started as a dockless bike-sharing company before applying the same model to e-scooters -- currently operates in 13 cities and campuses across the US, said Ford (it's still locked out of San Francisco, however). The startup charges $1 to rent a scooter and 15 cents per minute thereafter to use it. Ford said it was drawn to Spin's affordability and sustainability as a means of tackling challenges to its own business, among them urban congestion and a lack of short-distance transportation options. The company has been talking up a general mobility strategy that isn't solely centered on "making cars" for years. It also previously flirted with bike-sharing, as has rival GM -- while ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft have jumped on the scooter-sharing bandwagon, too. Alongside the purchase, Ford also announced that Spin will launch its services in Detroit today as part of an aggressive expansion into 100 cities over the next 18 months. In a blog post, the startup said it will continue to operate as a standalone business within Ford's Smart Mobility division. It's also immediately "scaling up" its team of engineers, designers, urban planners, policy makers, lawyers, and operators. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted November 8, 2018 Share #2 Posted November 8, 2018 https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=don juan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted November 8, 2018 Share #3 Posted November 8, 2018 This is reminiscent of the time the big 3 auto manufacturers conspired together to steal the plans for and assassinate the inventors of the carburetor that used water for fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted November 8, 2018 Share #4 Posted November 8, 2018 Just now, donkpow said: This is reminiscent of the time the big 3 auto manufacturers conspired together to steal the plans for and assassinate the inventors of the carburetor that used water for fuel. C'mon now, that is impossible. They supressed the 100 MPG carb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted November 9, 2018 Share #5 Posted November 9, 2018 1 hour ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said: C'mon now, that is impossible. They supressed the 100 MPG carb. That's what they want you to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapr ★ Posted November 9, 2018 Share #6 Posted November 9, 2018 The scooters are just about done for the season here in PDX. Turns out that they don't work so good in the rain. See you in June Bird/Skip & Lime e scooters (there is currently one on the roof of a building downtown that reddit is watching. Over a week now) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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