Lyft and Ericsson have announced a new partnership to expand e-bike services and connectivity in the United States. The ride-hailing giant will use Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform to manage the connectivity of its network of e-bikes and e-scooters, regardless of their location, with global connectivity and management provided by Deutsche Telekom.
Lyft plans to use the partnership to achieve its goal of providing a “micromobility service with scalability and reliability.” By mid-2023, the company hopes to have connected 20,000 e-bikes to its ecosystem. The partnership will improve Lyft’s ability to manage large fleets of vehicles, but more importantly, it will improve the rider experience.
“In partnership with Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom, we have been able to implement industry-leading connectivity and global IoT management, improving our ability to manage large fleets of vehicles but also — more importantly — improving the rider experience,” said David Foster, Lyft’s Executive Vice President.
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As the popularity of micromobility solutions continues to grow, so does the demand for network capabilities for fleet connection and management. Ericsson’s latest Micromobility report predicts that the market will grow at a rate of 16% between 2019 and 2027, reaching $12 billion. The report highlights cellular IoT connection for e-bikes as a solution to the challenges of asset monitoring, safety, and security.
“Our continued collaboration with Deutsche Telekom will support Lyft’s rider experience with constant, affordable connectivity while growing the reach of Lyft’s connected micromobility ecosystem,” said Kyle Okamoto, Ericsson’s General Manager of IoT.
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Lyft’s micromobility solutions are currently available in several major US cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, with the largest deployment of e-bikes to date in Mexico City. With this partnership, Lyft hopes to continue to expand its reach and improve its rider experience.
