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Lime Shuts Down LimePod Project in Seattle

Lime is shutting down its only LimePod project in the U.S. at the end of the year, which also marks the initial deadline for the trial run. As of October 14, LimePod will not be taking new sign-ups.
Lime's free-floating car-share service LimePod will end in December 2019 19 photos
Photo: virtuul.com
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LimePod was deployed last year, as a means to cater to those looking to ride-share. In a statement to GeekWire, Lime would not say whether the idea of a free-floating fleet of shareable rides was a financially profitable one, but they insisted shutting down the project was not due to an increasing number of reported incidents in which LimePods were used to commit crime.

The Seattle trial run should have ended on December 31, and Lime has decided not to extend it. Next month, Lime will start recovering its Fiats from the streets of Seattle, having removed them all by the end of the year. They don’t know yet what they will do with the cars, a spokesperson says for the media outlet.

In the same statement, Lime says that LimePod was an experiment into the economics of car-sharing. The company’s goal was to replace the entire fleet with electric vehicles, and failing to secure a partner to deploy an electric fleet supposedly led to the demise of the entire project.

Market analyst opine that the decision is most likely a financial one, since deploying and maintaining a free-floating fleet of electric bikes and scooters is much cheaper than in the case of a fleet of electric cars. Add to that other factors like gas and insurance, and the overall costs go even higher.

“The experience is a testament to the city’s forward-looking position on the future of transportation and the necessity of sustainable options for citizens,” the spokesperson tells GeekWire. “We are similarly committed to that goal and the information gained during our pilot will support the work necessary should we decide to expand and improve this service with an all-electric fleet in the future.”

“While the program was a great learning experience, at our core, we are an electric mobility company first,”
the statement continues. “We are committed – like Seattle is – to sustainability, lower carbon emissions, and to make cities more livable, all of which require reduced car travel.”
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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