Lime?s scooters will now be integrated into the ride-hailing giant?s app. The great micromobility wars of 2018 are heating up. Lime, which has scooters and bikes on the ground in 70 cities, is getting a ?sizable investment? from ride-hailing empire Uber, which will now offer Lime scooter rental through its app.
In a blog post announcing Uber as a ?strategic partner,? Lime?s co-founers Toby Sun and Brad Bao say that Uber will begin integrating Lime?s services into its app immediately to help people make more multimodal trips. Lime will also co-brand its scooters to feature the Uber logo.
?As electric scooters grow in popularity and become a more beloved way to travel short distances, the partnership adds to Uber?s vision of becoming a transportation platform for people around the globe,? reads the statement from Lime. The move is the latest in Uber?s recent strategy to expand beyond its traditional ride-hailing offerings. In May, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Recode?s Kara Swisher that he wanted Uber to become the ?Amazon? of transportation, offering access to a slew of third-party vendors through its app.
?Our investment and partnership in Lime is another step towards our vision of becoming a one-stop shop for all your transportation needs,? says Rachel Holt, vice president and head of new modalities at Uber. ?Lime already has an expansive footprint, and we?re excited to incorporate their scooters into the Uber app so consumers have another fast, affordable option...