Lime launches new e-bike featuring swappable batteries

Lime has launched its latest e-bike, featuring an array of upgrades. The Gen4, in the company’s signature green and white, most notably has an interchangeable battery, in an effort to improve the sustainability and availability of the company’s shared vehicles.

The launch is initially confined to Washington D.C., but the e-bike will roll out via small-scale pilots in other cities this spring, including Atlanta and Charleston in the U.S.

In early 2021, Lime announced a $50 million investment in the Gen4 model. The battery can be used between Lime’s Gen4 e-bikes and Gen4 e-scooters (rolled out in 2021), which will hopefully result in reduced van trips for Lime’s operations team replacing the batteries. The feature is also designed to improve reliability for the service and prevent large numbers of uncharged, unusable vehicles lying around on sidewalks.

“The launch of our Gen4 e-bike is an important step toward achieving our mission of building a future where transportation is shared, affordable and carbon-free,” said Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime. “Standardising our swappable batteries across modes is a leap forward for Lime and the broader micromobility industry, making operations more efficient and sustainable, while improving reliability for riders.”

Other significant updates to the bike include increased motor power, an improved phone holder, new handlebar display (already seen on Lime’s e-scooters), an automatic two-speed transmission for a smoother ride, and a modular design which the company says extends the bike’s usable life to five years — durability is a major issue for the micromobility industry.

The demand for e-bikes, shared or otherwise, appears to be continuing at a steady pace, as Americans apparently bought electric bikes at greater rates than they did electric cars during the pandemic. Here’s all the electric bikes and scooters that rolled into CES 2022 for a glimpse of what’s ahead.