Car2go increases prices
Carsharing company car2go has introduced a new pricing model that will result in an increased price per minute. The company announced that it will be implementing a variable pricing system, which usually translates into higher prices for any service.
The general price per minute will be 35 cents, lowered from the current $0.45. However, this price will be available for some “times, locations, and days”, when there is low demand. When the demand is high, the price will hike to $0.49 a minute. Pricing blocks will also increase – while currently a two-hour package costs around $29, it could increase up to $39. Day package price has actually decreased from $79 to $70, however, it no longer includes milage which come at 0.19 per mile. The new pricing system also addresses zoning issues – there is a $5 charge if you leave the central zone and a $5 refund if you bring a vehicle from outside of the city to the center.
Car2go recently merged with BMW’s Drive Now to form a new joint carsharing company Share Now. One of the main goals of this merger was to overcome ridesharing competition in the US. However, larger scale and reduced competition have not led to lower prices for consumers.
Uber tumbles after earnings report
Uber has announced its second-quarter financial results. Net loss for the ride-sharing company increased to $5.24 billion, mostly due to stock-based compensations. Revenue also experienced the slowest growth, 14% – $3.1 billion.
Investors were not happy with the results and the company shares lost about 8% of their value. Company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, the losses were a one-time event, excluding stock-based compensations, Uber’s losses were at $1.3 billion and Khosrowshahi says, it will come down in 2020-2021.
Uber’s core business, ride-sharing is doing quite well with $12.19 billion in bookings in the second quarter of 2019, however, its other investments, like Uber Eats have been less successful.
Bird presents a new scooter
Only three months after launching Bird One model, Bird is ready to present its new kick scooter, aptly named Bird Two. The company says it will be more durable, powerful and long-lasting. The main upgrade comes in the form of the battery, it will have 50% more capacity than the previous model. The new scooter will also include an anti-vandalism system, alerting the company when a scooter breaks down. Other upgrades include anti-tipping stand and puncture-proof tires. However, the company is just teasing the new features and has not fully disclosed the specifications yet.
Bird Two is not the only new scooter in town, Audi also presented a new electric scooter. Audi e-tron combines e-scooter functions with “mechanisms of skateboard”. It is around 11kg, foldable and costs around 2000 Euros, quite pricy for a scooter. The main feature is a possibility for one-handed use, allowing for signaling to other traffic.