Updated 10:09 p.m.
Charlotte is getting a third electric scooter company. San Francisco-based Spin says it will put 100 scooters on city streets beginning Wednesday.
Spin joins two other competitors — Lime and Bird — which have offered scooters in Charlotte since May. Like the other two, Spin charges $1 to unlock the scooters plus 15 cents a minute. Payments are done through a smartphone app.
Spin was acquired in November by Ford Motor Company.
The company also had dockless rental bicycles in Charlotte, but a spokeswoman said they've pulled those out. "After seeing the heightened demand for scooters, the company is focusing exclusively on electric scooters," she said in an email.
While some residents and city officials have expressed concern about e-scooter safety, they've been popular. Users took more than 120,000 rides on Lime and Bird scooters in October — far more than the 8,100 trips on dockless bicycles.
Spin initially plans to place its scooters around uptown and the South End.
City officials said in October that they're waiting for the General Assembly to adopt new rules before they decide on local regulations regarding use and safety.
