Skip to Content
Smart cities

Uber acquired a dockless-bike firm but has a hard ride ahead

The world’s biggest ride-hailer is confident that you’ll want to bike part of your journey to beat congestion. Some cities might not be quite so keen to let Uber be the firm to fill their streets with bicycles, though.

The news: Uber has acquired Jump Bikes, which rents out bright-red electric bicycles that can be picked up and left anywhere, to customers in Washington and San Francisco for $2 per 30 minutes. Uber hasn’t released details of the acquisition.

Why it happened: Uber says it’s “committed to bringing together multiple modes of transportation” so that its customers “can choose the fastest or most affordable way” to get around. Biking can definitely be faster than taking a car during rush hour. It’s also a good, eco-friendly PR move.

But: There’s a risk the service eats some of Uber’s shorter car journeys. It’s a crowded market, with competing firms and civic schemes already present in many towns. And some cities have been plagued with abandoned dockless bikes, which means officials may be wary of letting Uber flood the street with them—particularly given the firm’s track record at flouting rules.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.

Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.

Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets

When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.