Vancouver's Mobi bike share expanding with 500 e-bikes

Aug 30 2022, 6:24 pm

It is about to get much easier to pedal over longer distances and along Vancouver’s steep streets.

Electric assist bicycles, also known as e-bikes, are being added to Vancouver’s Mobi by Shaw Go public bike share system.

A total of 500 e-bikes will be added to Mobi, along with 50 new stations, 30 of which will be e-stations. This will grow Mobi’s total system size to 2,500 bikes of all types, and 250 stations within Vancouver’s central areas.

Mia Kohout, the general manager of Vancouver Bike Share, told Daily Hive Urbanized that as of today, over half of the e-bikes and half of the expansion stations are installed. They have a goal of finishing the rollout of all e-bikes by the end of September 2022.

“We are thrilled to be adding e-bikes to the Mobi system,” said Kohout. “When e-bikes have been adopted in bike share systems around the world, ridership usually significantly increases as e-bikes make getting around by bike more accessible to a wider group of people, particularly in a city like ours with lots of hills. We are excited for our members and new users to experience the ease of riding with a little extra boost.”

vancouver mobi bike share e-bike

E-bike on Vancouver’s Mobi public bike share. (David Niddrie/Mobi)

vancouver mobi bike share e-bike

E-bike on Vancouver’s Mobi public bike share. (David Niddrie/Mobi)

Mobi’s e-bikes have three e-assist levels and three gears, with the devices providing pedal assistance of up to 25 km/hr.

Using the app, riders can find the nearest e-bike, and they can return an e-bike at any station — just like the regular Mobi bikes.

Annual Mobi members will pay the lowest rate of $0.15 per minute while using an e-bike, and still have unlimited 30- or 60-minute trips on regular bikes. For casual one-time, non-member use, riders can unlock an e-bike for $1.50 and pay $0.35 per minute to ride — up from $1 to unlock and $0.25 per minute for a regular bike.

Mobi states their e-bikes will be regularly maintained and inspected, and all charging will occur at e-docks and e-charging stations.

BC Hydro and gummy vitamin maker Herbaland have been named as partners of this latest expansion of Mobi.

vancouver mobi bike share e-bike

E-bike on Vancouver’s Mobi public bike share. (David Niddrie/Mobi)

vancouver mobi bike share e-bike

E-bike on Vancouver’s Mobi public bike share. (David Niddrie/Mobi)

Mobi is pushing forward with its full expansion after a successful soft launch, which confirmed the strong local demand for e-bikes.

This also comes in the backdrop of growing competition and a shift in the public bike share market, with an ever-growing number of suppliers providing a mix of bike options that include e-bikes. This also includes public bike share services with 100% e-bike fleets.

In Summer 2021, micro-mobility giant Lime launched a public bike share system on the North Shore with 100% e-bikes.

Evo Car Share, owned and operated by BCAA, has also been diversifying into the e-bike public share business, most recently the launch of a pilot project in Whistler. And other e-bike services like Zygg have also been attempting to make inroads into the local market.

Mobi first launched in Vancouver just over six years ago, and it has to date recorded over 4.1 million trips totalling a distance of 11.8 million km.

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