Spin
Spin scooters hit the Memphis streets this week
Expect to see more electric scooters on the streets here after a new operator launched Monday.
Spin, a San Francisco-based operator, dropped 48 dock-less scooters in the city today and plans to add 100 more on Wednesday. The company’s goal is to bring 500 scooters to town over the next four weeks.
Like Bird and Lime, which currently operate in Memphis, Spin lets riders access and rent scooters via an app. Riders are charged $1 to get started and then 15 cents for each minute.
Spin, currently in 50 cities, differs by providing an option for riders without smartphones, mobile location services, or credit cards through its Spin Access program.
The Spin app
The program also allows riders who are enrolled in a city, state, or federal support program requiring low-income requirements to rent scooters at a discounted price. The discounts vary by city.
Dan Shoman, Spin’s operations manager in Nashville, said the company is still working out the details of how the Access program would look in Memphis.
Spin uses geo-fencing technology to slow scooters down in certain areas that are pedestrian heavy.
The scooters also have built-in technology that disables their acceleration in certain off-limit zones, such as Beale Street between Second and Fourth. Riders who repeatedly ride in these zones could have their accounts suspended.
Shoman said Spin is “very safety-oriented” and prefers a hands-on approach. That’s why the company is in the process of hiring a full-time work force to service, charge, and maintain its scooter fleet here. The company will hire 10 to 15 full-time employees here over the next month, he said.
Shoman said the company is “excited to get into the Memphis market.”
“Tennessee in general is a good state for us,” he said. “We’re ready to grow our footprint and serve the community.”