[microdrum]

They went into it thinking there was a network effect. (There isn't.)

Worse for the scooter startups is that they can go far enough to cause loss, but can't go so far as to link up two essentially different geographic zones. Thus no demand side market balancing like Uber and Lyft. They're limited to small cities in the sunshine.

The people driving around and getting paid big bucks to recharge them are using...... cars.

Which is why the only play for the scooter companies is to be acquired by Uber or Lyft. Which is unfortunate because there is no original technology in these scooters. Xaiomi will sell the m365 to whoever wants to buy one. When two Chinese companies are selling the scooters, their price will halve or more, and anyone who finds himself using a scooter daily will buy one...... for $200.

I would think that Dara is on a Boeing Business Jet with Lei Jun right now toasting their exclusive deal on the next million commodity scooters at a bargain basement price.

[ashelmire]

Why can't the scooter companies design locking docks that also allow the scooters to be charged while locked in them? The locking docks is obviously already solved; modifying the scoots to lock the batteries in and charge them while locked seems pretty simple (I mean, we've had dock and charge tech for all sorts of things for many decades...).

Seems like a relatively simple problem to solve (sure, still a few months of dev time with several months of manufacturing lag, but you'll do it if it's central to your business).

[21]

The problem with docks is not technical, but that people don't want to be forced to leave them at a particular place.

Also, you would need to pay some sort of rent on those docks, connect them to electricity and all that. You could use that money instead to just buy more scooters.