Per Spin’s announcement, Google Maps users will be able to see its nearest available electronic bike and scooter when they plan a journey or look up directions to a location. The vehicles reportedly appear in both the bicycle and the public transportation tab. You’ll find information like the estimated battery range and expected arrival time. Maps will also show how long it will take to walk to the vehicle. Once you’re ready to take a vehicle to ride, you’ll be redirected to the Spin app for payment. You’ll then be able to unlock it. If you don’t have the app installed on your phone, you will be prompted to install it first. This facility is currently available in 84 towns, cities, and campuses in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain. You can find the full list here. Hopefully, Spin will expand to more locations soon. “Our goal is to make it as low friction as possible for consumers to plan multi-modal journeys,” said Ben Bear, CEO of Spin. “It needs to be just as easy, and even more convenient to get around with bikes, buses, trains, and scooters as it is with a personal car. This collaboration with Google is our biggest platform integration yet with many more in the pipeline.”
Bird is offering similar features as well
Bird is also offering similar features with its Google Maps integration, helping increase “access to eco-friendly urban transportation”. Maps will provide you with information like the estimated battery range of the vehicle, approximate travel time to your destination, cost, optimized route, and environmental impact. Much like Spin’s implementation, Google Maps will redirect you to the Bird app to complete the payment and unlock the vehicle. Of course, if you don’t have the app installed, it will prompt you to do so first. This integration works with both Android and iOS versions of Google Maps. As for availability, Bird E-bikes and e-scooters will initially show up in Google Maps to users in all US cities where its services are already available. The company plans to expand to more countries and locations in the future. Its network is now 300-cities strong but it’s unclear where this Google Maps integration will launch next.
