Shared micromobility company Spin and ride-hailing company Lyft are partnering to bring Spin electric scooters to the Lyft app in 60 U.S. markets by the end of the year. The integration, which will enable users to not only find but also pay for scooters through Lyft’s app, will initially roll out on Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by 13 additional cities through April.
The partnership supports a more combined transportation ecosystem, one that manifests in other similar app integrations. Spin, alongside other micromobility companies like Bird and Lime, are also integrated into apps like Google Maps, CityMapper and Moovit. In addition, Lime vehicles have been available on Uber’s app in certain locations since 2019.
“This is the first time we’ve done a native integration, where you can actually execute the whole trip flow within the partner app,” Spin CEO Ben Bear told TechCrunch. “So you don’t need to go to the Spin app. You can just open Lyft, find a Spin scooter and, just as you would with a Lyft bike, scan, unlock and ride. And it’s the first time Lyft has done an integration partnership, as well.”
By hosting Spin’s vehicles on its platform, Lyft, which offers shared bikes in nine U.S. cities, is effectively increasing its micromobility footprint, which boosts its position as a go-to transportation platform. The company will get a fee per ride from Spin, but Bear wouldn’t disclose how the revenue share will work.
“It’s a partnership where they’re clearly bringing a lot of value and so are we in terms of Lyft being able to offer bikes and scooters in so many markets, because they’ve been focused on core, big cities and they just don’t have the coverage right now in the rest of the country,” said Bear.
Over the next few weeks, riders in cities like Phoenix, Cleveland, Providence and Memphis will see Spin scooters as an option when they search their destination on the Lyft app. Scooters can be unlocked through Lyft by scanning a QR code or entering the scooter ID number.
“At a time when gas prices are going crazy, micromobility is a part of the solution, but it’s not the only solution,” said Bear. “Being able to access ride-share, as well as bikes and scooters, across the country is really exciting Lyft and for us in an effort to reduce dependence on personal cars.”