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Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

shop.bird.co

71–80 of 187 posts

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the bigger arguments is also in the production itself can be not very eco-friendly, eg: creating the batteries themselves.

You are exactly right. People have a tendency to discount the production of the non-emission-generating thing in the first place. The energy and emissions required to build something like this is non-trivial. It should be mandated that if you want to appeal to green-fingered consumers with your marketing, you have to state the emissions deficit from which your product operates and how many years it would take to reco…

Okay, I'll play: what is the "emissions deficit" of a small electric scooter? Even combined with mass transit, surely the power consumed is miniscule compared with driving alone in a car, and the car is many times the initial manufacturing cost in metal parts, motors, even batteries.

I commute in the summer on a Boosted Board, which uses most of the 99Wh battery to go one way (8km). My electricity in Ontario is largely nuclear and hydro, but say it's the worst case scenario and all the power comes from gas— the emissions from consuming 0.1kWh is ~35g CO2:

https://canadianenergyissues.com/ontario-power-stats/

https://www.google.com/search?q=240+tons+%2F+602+MWh+in+g+pe...

This is a far cry from what it would be driving that same distance in my Mazda 5, which would be a little under a litre of fuel (21MPG -> 11.2 L/100km), or 2.3kg of CO2, a 65x difference.

It's possible you're coming from a place of legitimate care, but honestly your comment sounds a lot like concern trolling to me. If there's anything out there which needs an "emissions deficit" sticker to help dissuade conscientious purchasers, lets start with private automobiles.

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#74

This is a weird offering for an individual purchase. Look at the unique features: 1. Non folding stem: Adds durability for a rental, but the super quick fold is a huge part of the appeal of a scooter, because it means you can easily take it with you on the train, put it in the trunk of a car, or store it under your desk. If you didn't care about compactness, you'd probably buy an e-bike. 2. Huge battery: Adds to the…

3. If you leave it parked outside a place, people will assume it's part of the shared fleet or "force ride" it without unlocking while it beeps the whole way.

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or a Boosted Board. I see people riding by on Boosted Boards and sometimes think that I want one. I never think that when I see someone on a scooter. I like to ride the scooter now and then, but I don't want to own one, nor do I want to carry one into my home or office.

If you're in Palo Alto and want to try one sometime I'd be happy to let you use mine.

I live in Miami but am going to the Bay Area for a week or two at the end of July (lived in Oakland, SF, and Redwood City from mid 2014-early 2018). I'd love to try it while I'm there. I'll send you an email :)

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#77

It says "Free Rides Package" and "Bird Service Center", but there's zero detail on what either of these means. Anyone know? It feels like those might a decent portion of why the price is so high, but can't say.

Looks like details are TBD, but it's almost certainly going to be something like either discounted rides or X free minutes of riding per month and discounted service if it breaks.

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#78
You can get a street legal new Honda Ruckus or Yamaha Zuma 50cc for ~2500. 115mpg, no motorcycle license required, 100+ mile range, and no charging. This is a tough purchase price, when you can order direct from amazon or Alibaba for at least 50% lower.

Re: Bird One Scooter – Pre-Order

#79

It says "Free Rides Package" and "Bird Service Center", but there's zero detail on what either of these means. Anyone know? It feels like those might a decent portion of why the price is so high, but can't say.

From https://shop.bird.co/:

“Bird One owners get access to additional rides on our dockless shared network in 100+ cities worldwide—so even if you’re away, you’re never without Bird.” [They mention “20 free rides” but don't say if that's per month, per year, or a one-off with the purchase.]

“Bird Service Centers offer expert vehicle care and added peace of mind.” [No word yet on location or what sort of care is included.]

The Verge has this on the service centers/anti-theft:

“If your scooter breaks down, VanderZanden said you can bring it (or mail it) to one of Bird’s service centers, located in North America and Europe. If the scooter is stolen, Bird’s “bird hunter” network of freelancers may be able to track it down and find it.”

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/8/18535698/bird-one-electric...

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