Buses, trains, and automobiles aren’t the only options now when you’re commuting or traveling somewhere new. E-bikes and e-scooters for rent are some of the new things that people are trying out in cities where they are available. Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford, has announced that they are now integrated into Google Maps. This means people looking for an e-bike or e-scooter nearby can find one on Google Maps although the transaction itself will still happen on the Spin app.
When looking for an e-bike or e-scooter nearby, open your Google Maps and you’ll see the nearest available from Spin. It will also tell you how long it will take you to walk to the vehicle, what’s the estimated battery range and the expected arrival time. But in order to pay for the vehicle, unlock it, and ride away from the “station”, you will have to open the Spin app and do all the transactions there. Basically, Google Maps is just your spotter for the nearest Spin vehicle.
Previously, Spin has also been integrated into other journey planning platforms like CityMapper, Moovit, Transit and Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB). The integration with Google Maps is pretty big since there are millions of Google Maps users and now more and more are wanting to incorporate bikes and scooters into their daily commute or into their personal or business trips. Ben Bear, CEO of Spin, says that their plan is to make it as easy as possible for people to plan their multi-modal journeys.
Micromobility is becoming a pretty viable and popular mainstream transportation solution especially for those living in urban areas and campuses. Not everyone can afford to get their own e-bikes and e-scooters or to use them for the entire journey so companies like Spin and Lime are becoming more important in areas where they are available. Lime has been on Google Maps since 2019 so it’s a big win for Spin to be there as well.
Spin on Google Maps is available in 84 towns, cities and campuses in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain. Rental rates vary per place of course but they’re mostly pretty affordable.
