Bird and Spin Scooter Rentals Now Searchable on Google Maps

Google Maps will now show you nearby electric scooter and bike rentals from Bird and Spin on the app. 

Starting this week, you’ll be able to find either brand within Google Maps, showing you an approximate rental price, estimated trip duration, optimized route, and the estimated battery range of an e-scooter or e-bike near you. In addition, Engadget notes that once you find a scooter or bike in your area, you’ll be automatically redirected to either company’s app to pay for and claim your vehicle. 

"With this integration, Spin is making it easier for millions of Google Maps users to easily incorporate shared bikes and scooters into their daily trips," Ben Bear, CEO of Spin, said in the company’s press release. 

"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."

While Bird and Spin are new to Google Maps, Lime’s e-bike and e-scooter rentals have been searchable on the app since 2018. However, each city differs with what brand of scooter it offers, so the addition of more companies will give more people options to get around. 

Of course, you always can open each brand’s respective app to find an e-bike or e-scooter.

However, since Google Maps is the No. 1 navigation app on both the App Store and the Google Play Store, this new option is super convenient if you’re already searching for your destination and decide to rent a ride there.