Uber is building its own electric scooter, says report
The ride-hailing service sees electric bikes and scooters as a solution for short, inner-city trips.
Uber is reportedly going to offer its own electric scooters.
A line of Uber scooters could soon be zipping around cities.
Uber has quietly begun building its own electric scooters, according to a report Thursday from Bloomberg Businessweek. Jump Bikes, which Uber acquired in April, is overseeing the project, reported Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview published this week that the ride-hailing giant is shifting its focus from cars to electric bikes and scooters for short, inner-city trips.
Uber acquired the bike-sharing startup Jump earlier this year, which already has electric bikes in cities such as Washington DC, New York and Denver. Uber also won a recommendation to operate electric scooters in Santa Monica, California, and is one of 12 companies vying for five permits to operate them in San Francisco.
Uber is working on the scooters in a warehouse at San Francisco's Pier 70, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The company also reportedly uses the space to develop its self-driving cars and flying taxis.
Uber and Jump didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.