Google and Uber Invest $335 Million into Electric Scooters for Adults

Lime, an electric scooter company aimed at adults, has received $335 million in investments from Google and Uber, and the ride-sharing giant will the scooter’s rental into its app.

According to CNET, “Lime announced a new funding round of $335 million on Monday that was led by Alphabet’s Google Ventures,” while the company also “confirmed that Uber was involved with this funding round.”

Lime’s scooters are designed to be hired for transport around cities and have proved popular among adults in San Francisco.

According to Lime’s website, renting a Lime scooter costs $1, with a further cost of $0.15 per minute.

The scooters can then be parked and with the tap of a button on your smartphone the rental ends.

“Our investment and partnership in Lime is another step towards our vision of becoming a one-stop shop for all your transportation needs,” declared Uber in a statement. “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 to get around their city, especially to and from public transit.”

In their own statement, Lime proclaimed, “As we continue to push the boundaries of urban transportation, we’re thrilled to work with our new partners, along with our riders and cities, to bring the next chapter in this emerging narrative to life.”

Not everyone is optimistic about the scooters, however, with CNET reporting that the scooters have become “controversial,” with complaints claiming “that riders don’t follow the laws of the road and endanger pedestrians by riding on sidewalks and leaving the scooters wherever they feel like it — blocking parking spots, bike racks and wheelchair accesses.”