Google Maps integrates new e-bike, scooter rentals
This is a visual only - not an actual representation of the app update
As of yesterday, all Bird partner cities within the US will have access to Bird scooter and bike locations through the Google Maps app, both on iOS and Android, while the rest of the world (with more than three hundred partner cities so far) will follow suit soon enough.
Competing micromobility company Lime can already be seen on Google Maps
Google Maps will not only be able to pinpoint the location of Bird bikes and scooters, but will also show other useful information such as the approximate remaining battery range, estimated price, trip duration, and of course, the optimized route to reach your location.
Spin advertised nearly the same features the day before for its own eco-friendly transportation options, and it now appears people in the US (and internationally, soon enough) have gained easier-than-ever access to two new brands offering modes of transportation that may make their lives both simpler and greener in the future.
While Spin and Bird are welcome integrations, this addition isn't a first for Google Maps—Lime, one of the top competing electric micro-transportation companies in the world, has featured Google Maps integration since back in 2018, as Engadget (who reported on this) notes.
While Google Maps shows plenty of info on nearby e-scooters or bicycles, you can't actually rent the bikes or scooters through the Maps app. You will have to click through and be redirected to the micromobility companies' own respective app, where you will be prompted to unlock and pay for your vehicle of choice.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: