Shared micromobility giant Lime is piloting two new vehicles designed to appeal to women and older people who might appreciate a lower entry frame, smaller wheels and an upgrade from pedal assist.
Lime has experimented with several new form factors over the years in an effort to attract customers and adapt to changing tastes and trends. His efforts paid off in some important ways. The company has managed to become profitable at times in an industry where most others – like Tier, Bird and Spin – have struggled to stay afloat. In 2023, Lime will achieve adjusted EBITDA of more than $90 million, which the company says is a more than 500% increase from the previous year.
In order to maintain its dominant position, Lime needs to acquire even more riders. And greater inclusivity does not harm the company’s chances of winning city contracts.
Both new Lime vehicles – the LimeBike and the LimeGlider – are based on the same platform, but with a few tweaks. The LimeBike is Lime’s next-generation e-bike, following the company’s Gen4 bike that debuted in 2022. The LimeGlider has the power and weight of a motorcycle, but feels like a moped.
Lime is piloting the next-generation ebike in Atlanta and Zurich, Switzerland this week. Meanwhile, the Glider is expected to arrive in Seattle and Zurich in August and September. Lime said it will test 200 to 300 vehicles in each city to see if the new designs attract riders as it hopes.
“At their core, these products are designed not only to appeal to our current riders, but to appeal to new riders,” Jason Parrish, Lime’s senior director of product management, told me as we stood next to the new bikes at Bushwick Inlet. Park in Brooklyn. “We’ve talked to a lot of people about what they like about our vehicles, what they’d like to see different, and one of the themes we’ve heard is that there are groups of people who just don’t feel like micromobility is for them. “
The data supports this claim. Lime says that around 70% of its riders are male and its average user age is 33.
This is not the first time that Lime has introduced new vehicles in an attempt to attract new riders. In 2021, Lime tested electric mopeds in Washington, DC and New York City. A year later, she quietly killed them and then began testing her Citra motorcycle in Long Beach. Even this vehicle was not added to the Lime fleet in the end.
So what’s different now?
Lime says its past failures, as well as data about how people drive, have informed its new strategy. She also built these new models using parts that overlap with her existing scooters and bikes, making them easy to repair.
Finally, these vehicles are more focused on giving some riders what they’ve been asking for: smaller, more accessible frames with more storage space and a lower center of gravity.
Both the Bike and the Glider have smaller wheels – 20 inches compared to 26 inches on the Gen4 bike – with a lower ground clearance, making it easier to get on and off.
They also have large front baskets—Lime says they’re the largest in the business—that are shaped to fit grocery bags. The Lime design team also added holes in the bottom to allow moisture and debris to find their way out. Parrish noted that Lime will be testing rear baskets in certain markets on both vehicles.
Other changes in the new vehicles include a new phone holder that has a less webbed rubber grip and a more stable grip and is set at an angle that is optimized to see the screen on a clear day.
“We’ve also changed the display, it’s now right under the phone, so it’s all like one continuous set of information,” Parrish said. “We’ve simplified the battery meter to just a battery meter and it tells you how fast you’re going. And depending on whether you’re in a slow travel zone or a no traffic zone, different icons will appear to tell you that message.”
Another change coming to both bikes includes a status light, similar to the ones on the Lime e-scooters, that allows riders to see from across the road if the vehicle is ready to be rented. Riders will also be able to tell the two vehicles apart, as the LimeBike is green and white, but the LimeGlider is all green.
First ride: LimeBike
My first thought about the LimeBike immediately after taking the Gen4 for a spin was that it actually felt smaller. And getting on and off the LimeBike was easier than its predecessor.
While everything like the height of the handlebars and the distance between the seat and the handlebars were the same, I noticed an improvement in the ergonomics of the grips themselves. Rather than a rounded grip, this has a flat palm to rest your hand on.
In addition to the pedal assistant, the LimeBike also has a throttle. This addition is based in part on feedback from customers who don’t want to sweat on their way to work.
“We’re actually seeing that some people might start with the throttle to get up to speed faster, but then they still like to pedal, so it gives them more choice,” Parrish said.
The throttle is on the right side and the bell on the left, which took some getting used to.
The bike is also lighter than the Gen4, which helps when you’re trying to pull it over the curb and park it after a ride. In fact, I physically couldn’t lift the front wheel of the Gen4 off the ground, which is a humbling realization. The Gen4 feels heavier because the battery is on the down tube of the frame (or neck as I call it in my mind). Whereas the LimeBike has the battery under the seat, which makes the center of gravity lower, making it more stable as well. I managed to ride hands-free for a full five seconds.
In fact, I came away from my ride with the LimeBike feeling easy to handle, sturdy, and robust, even when I purposely raced it over the best bumpy roads in Brooklyn.
First Ride: LimeGlider
The Lime Glider is built on the same platform as the LimeBike, but without pedals.
The idea behind the glider is that it’s as easy as a standing scooter, but more comfortable to sit on and enjoy. Also, it is not a high-speed vehicle, so it is driven in cycle lanes.
The seat is more of a moped than a bike, and while it looks like it could easily seat two riders, Parrish says it’s not. It really is that long because shorter people will want to sit in the front and taller riders will want to sit in the back.
I should also note that I had my heavy pack in the front basket and found that due to the vehicle’s low center of gravity, I didn’t feel like my pack was affecting the ride’s stability.
The Glider also provided a solid ride with decent absorption on bumpy roads and smooth acceleration that helped me swerve and weave through Brooklyn traffic. This is the type of vehicle I would drive long distances or if I was wearing a skirt and heels because it really is as easy as sit down and go. Or get up! I rode a few blocks standing up to rest my lower back and it felt even more stable than riding an e-scooter.