CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bird Canada, the leader in sustainable micromobility in Canada, today announced that its shared e-scooters and e-bikes are taking flight for the 2022 season. This includes the all new Bird Three e-scooter, which is being deployed for the first time in Canada. The Bird Three is the safest, most advanced, and most eco-friendly shared scooter on the market today. Bird Canada has also rolled out the blue carpet in Windsor and other cities for its new Bird Bikeshare program. The Bird Bike provides another safe, accessible, and sustainable mobility option for those who want to travel longer distances. While flocks of Bird e-scooters have already landed in Calgary, Windsor, Okotoks, and Red Deer, other cities – including St. Albert, Leduc, and Medicine Hat – will be kicking off the scooting season in the coming weeks, weather permitting in each city.
Following the success of the 2021 season, Bird Canada will be deploying more than 3,000 e-scooters this season, and 250+ Bird Bikes in select markets. Last year, more than 200,000 unique riders took over 1.3 million trips on Bird e-scooters Canada. They travelled a combined distance of more than 2.9 million kilometres, saving roughly 147,000 litres of gas and preventing an estimated 800 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
Bird Canada Celebrates Earth Day with Safety Events in Four Cities
As part of its commitment to safety, Bird Canada is kicking off the 2022 riding season with Earth Day safety events in Calgary, Okotoks, Red Deer, and Windsor. At these events, riders that are new to micromobility can obtain a promotional code for 50% off the first 30 minutes on Bird e-scooters. The promotion, which can be used any time on April 22nd, will give new riders the opportunity to experience the benefits of moving around their city in a more sustainable way while reducing carbon emissions.
At Bird Canada safety events – which are hosted in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and health and safety experts – riders can learn about the fundamentals of safe road use for non-car users, how to responsibly and properly ride and park Bird Canada vehicles, micromobility vehicle basics, tutorials of local rules of the road, and parking best practices. New riders will also receive a free helmet.
The events will take place on April 22nd in the following locations:
- Calgary: Delta Garden, from 11am - 2pm
- Okotoks: Old Okotoks Library, from 11am - 2pm
- Red Deer: Gaetz Ave. and Ross St., from 11am - 2pm
- Windsor: Civic Terrace, from 1pm - 4pm
Bird Three: Most Eco-Friendly e-Scooter in the Market Makes its Debut in Calgary
Built for the rigors of shared use, the Bird Three features an industry-leading footboard design, offers increased stability, and also ensures a comfortable ride across all surfaces. Plus, with its large battery capacity, the Bird Three requires less frequent charging and delivers more kilometres traveled on a fully charged battery than any other shared scooter available today. This leads to more sustainable rides and decreases carbon emissions throughout the vehicle’s entire life cycle.
“With the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America, innovative green transportation companies like Bird Canada thrive in Calgary. As Bird’s leading Canadian market, we look forward to continuing our path as a city at the forefront of e-scooter and sustainable transportation technology.” – Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development.
Bird Bikeshare Lands in Windsor and Select Other Cities
The Bird Bikeshare program has now rolled out in select cities across Canada. The Bird Bike is a smart, connected vehicle that complements a city’s existing transportation network. Each Bird Bike is equipped with a high-powered electric motor capable of powering riders up hills with as much as a 20% grade. The bike’s strong frame, step-through design, and large tires offers riders a sturdy yet maneuverable vehicle for increased safety.
Riders can start a trip on the Bird Bike by scanning the QR code located on each e-bike. The cost to ride Bird Bikes and Bird e-scooters is the same in each city. In Windsor for example, the cost to ride either vehicle is $1.15 to unlock and $0.42 per minute. As helmets are mandatory for bike riders in Windsor and most other cities, riders can request to receive a free helmet from Bird Canada. Bird Bikes can be parked in the furniture zone of the sidewalk, out of the public right of way, in line with benches, trees, and bike racks without blocking pedestrian travel. As a best practice, Bird Canada always encourages riders to park both Bird Bikes and Bird e-scooters in designated parking zones, as shown in the app.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing two new Bird electric vehicles to the Canadian market. The integration of advanced technology along with world-class safety innovations in both the Bird Three and the Bird Bike reinforce our leadership in the micromobility market,” said Stewart Lyons, CEO of Bird Canada. “Our e-scooters have very quickly become a much-loved alternative mode of transportation for so many Canadians, and we anticipate our e-bikes will become just as popular.”
Bird Canada Partnerships with Local and National Businesses
Through its collaboration with local and national businesses, Bird Canada is creating an ecosystem of incentives for Bird Canada riders, with the goal of bringing increased foot traffic to support local businesses. Partnerships are enabled through the Bird app, where riders can view a range of services and options available to them.
Bird Canada also has a national partnership with INDIGO Canada. The company ensures Bird e-scooters are available at select INDIGO parking locations. Local charging stations within INDIGO parking facilities are also used by Bird Canada’s local teams to charge Bird vehicles, which reduces reliance on gas-powered vehicles for logistics.
“We are very pleased to be continuing this partnership into 2022 with this Canadian owned and operated vehicle sharing company,” said Wilfried Thierry, Managing Director, North America at INDIGO. “We are looking forward to the growth and expansion of this relationship over the next few years and providing Canadians with flexible options in their day-to-day mobility needs while contributing to carbon footprint reduction nationally.”
About Bird Canada
Powered by Bird, Bird Canada Inc. operates an electric vehicle sharing program. Bird Canada is a Canadian-owned and operated company that offers Canadians, and visitors to Canada, a new way to avoid congestion and get around that is sustainable and uses the latest and most innovative last-mile mobility solutions for urban areas. For additional information, visit BirdCanada.ca, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Note to Media:
New Bird Canada images and logo are available online.
