Lime relaunched its e-scooters on St. Paul streets Thursday morning for the sixth year running.
The San Francisco-based company, which first scooted into St. Paul with e-scooters in 2018, debuted what it dubbed its “industry-leading” Gen4 model a year ago. The swept-back handlebars and dual hand-brake system are supposed to imitate bike handles for a more comfortable grip, and they rolled out alongside a two-legged kickstand, lowered baseboard, enhanced suspension and larger wheels.
The Gen4 model also includes a swappable battery.
The scooter fleet upgrade followed Equity Zone Pricing in 2021 that offers 30% off rides originating in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods, specifically Frogtown, Payne-Phalen, the North End, Dayton’s Bluff and the West Side. It also offers “Lime Access,” a discount program for low-income users who can show eligibility for city, state or federal benefits.
Lime operates in more than 250 cities, nearly 30 countries and five continents, and St. Paul is one of its longest-running markets. Last year, it became the first micro-mobility company to post a profit.
Lime briefly rolled LimeBike bike-sharing into the capital city in 2018, but biked out almost as fast. Neither LimeBike nor NiceRide bike sharing returned the following year. A Lime spokesman on Thursday said the company was focusing this summer exclusively on e-scooters in St. Paul.
