Mobike

Mobike bikes in Huanggang, Hubei, China

Mobike operates in Chinese cities include but are not limited to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Ningbo, Xiamen, Foshan, Zhuhai, Changsha, Hefei, Shantou, Haikou, Deyang, Nanning, Guiyang, Xi'an, Wenzhou, and Wuhan.[12]

On 21 March 2017, Mobike started operations in Singapore, the company's first overseas market.[13][14]

Mobike Japan was launched on 22 June 2017, Fukuoka being its first recipient.[15] In Osaka, to gain traction for its e-bike business, Panasonic partnered with Chinese Mobike to explore the possibilities of an electric-bike-sharing service in Japan.[16]

On 31 August 2017, Mobike announced its official launch in Thailand with its partnership with AIS, Central Pattana and Kasertsat University. At the beginning of 2018, Mobike Thailand team launched its second city as Chiang Mai – Northern Thailand's largest city. Mobike's launch is directly in line with the city government's "Non-Motorised Transport" (NMT) initiative, which focuses on promoting ecotourism through the development of a sustainable urban transport system. Mobike ceased operations in Chiang Mai, mid 2019.[17]

On 6 September 2017, Mobike officially launched in Malaysia, with the first bikes being rolled out in Setia Alam[18] and Cyberjaya just a month later.

In November 2017 and February 2018, Mobike launched its service in Sydney and the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia respectively.[19][20][21]

In May 2018, Mobike launched its operations in Israel in cities including Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Rehovot and Kiryat Bialik.

On 11 March 2019, Mobike requested to surrender its bicycle sharing license and cease all operation in Singapore. The remaining 25,000 bikes are handed over to SG Bike on 13 September 2019 after approval from Singapore's Land Transport Authority.[22][23]

A Mobike bicycle at Alexanderplatz, Berlin

In the summer of 2017, Mobike launched its service in Manchester, UK. It was Mobike's 100th city, and the first outside of Asia. In September 2017, Mobike extended its service to London, quickly followed by launching in Newcastle. In October 2017, Mobike entered Oxford. In June 2018, Mobike launched in Cambridge. In September 2018, Mobike announced[24] that it was to suspend its operations in Manchester. The company said that it had suffered increased bike losses dues to theft and vandalism in the city. In 2019, service was also suspended in Newcastle, but continued to operate bikesharing in London, Oxford and Cambridge. Mobike has since ceased all UK operations.

In Italy, Mobike began operations initially in Florence in July 2017,[25] followed by Milan in August,[26] Turin and Bergamo in November,[27][28] Pesaro and Mantua in March 2018,[29][30] Reggio Emilia in May[31] and Bologna in June.[32]

On 9 November 2017 Mobike officially launched in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The ceremony was attended by Chantal Blaak, the 2017 world champion cycling women's road race.[33] Mobike extended its service in the Netherlands in June 2018 with the launch of Mobike in Delft.[34] In March 2019, Mobike launched in The Hague.

In Germany, Mobike launched its operations on 21 November 2017 by deploying 700 bicycles in Berlin, making it the 200th city worldwide with Mobike's bicycle sharing operations.[35][36] Mobike quickly expanded in Germany by launching in Düsseldorf in May 2018, followed by Cologne in July 2018 and Hannover in September 2018. On 1 August 2020 the German-based Mobike GmbH filed for insolvency.[37]

In France, the service was launched in Paris on 24 January 2018.[38] In December 2018, Mobike and Transdev announced an exclusive partnership aiming at proposing Mobike to other French municipalities as complementary offer to public transport networks managed by Transdev.[39]

In Spain, began its first operations in Madrid on 18 June 2018.[40] Spain was Mobike's 19th country of operation, and was in support of the city's urban mobility strategy, calling for increased use of low carbon transportation. In September 2018, Mobike entered the l'Hospitalet de Llobregat thanks to an agreement with the city council. L'Hospitalet is a neighboring city to Barcelona, is Europe's second most densely populated city. On 26 September 2018, Mobike launched in Zaragoza, becoming the company's third city in Spain.[41] In February 2019, Mobike was awarded permission to launch electronic scooters in Madrid.[42]

In Albania, this bike-sharing system was launched in Tirana on 8 June 2018,[43] but in the beginning of 2020 the service resulted unavailable.

On 20 September 2017, Mobike's first bike-sharing service in the United States started from Washington, D.C.[44][45] However, Mobike however pulled out of Washington, D.C. after less than a year of service, in July 2018.[46] Mobike launched in Charlotte, North Carolina on 22 December 2017 and in San Diego on 23 February 2018.[47][48] Operations in The Woodlands, Texas started in January 2018 and ceased in October 2018.[49][50]

In February 2018, Mobike launched its operations in Mexico City and Santiago, Chile.[51][52]

The Classic Mobike, or "Mobike", is the standard variant of Mobike bicycles. It has an all-aluminium, V-shaped chassis, puncture-proof tires, and a shaft transmission system. Instead of conventional wire spokes, it uses five sets of two thick, parallel, metal rods positioned at 72° from each other to improve durability and lower maintenance costs. The identification number of each bicycle is put on the rear part of the chassis.

Renters scan the QR-code, which is displayed at the base of the handle as well as on the smart lock.

The livery is black for the seat, handlebars and the lock, orange for the wheel and metallic silver for the body.

The bicycle weighs 25 kilograms (55 lb).[55]

Some users have complained about the Classic Mobike's weight and the lack of a bicycle basket (defended by Mobike as to "prevent spam advertising"), and difficulty in keeping balance on their first attempts, which kickstarted the development of Mobike's second iteration, the Mobike Lite.

Mobike Lite is known informally as "generation 2". It uses wire spokes and a conventional chain drive to deliver torque to the rear wheel. The identification number is on the right side on a plastic panel that protects the chain. The QR code has moved to the tip of the rear fender.

The Mobike Lite comes with a net-like metal basket and has a solar panel that powers the QR lock and GPS tracker. The wheels were coloured orange.

A Mobike Lite bicycle in Guangdong. Note the exposed transmission system.

Newer models of the "Mobike Classic" and "Mobike Lite" have adjustable seats. The Lite weighs 17 kilograms (37 lb).[55]

According to a company press release, small batches of second generation Mobikes, both Classic and Lite, are being deployed in areas of service. Reports indicate that the second generation bicycles use a more durable aluminium kickstand rather than the formerly used hard plastic ones. Also mentioned is the new hydraulic adjustable seat installed on Generation 2 bicycles through depression of a small metal tab near the base of the seat. Finally, the second generation Classic Mobikes now also have a basket.

The colour scheme of the second generation Mobike Lite is changed to orange for the inner rim, and reverts to black for the tyre.[56]

As Mobike has no offline services, the Mobike app only accepts online transactions through AliPay, WeChat Pay, or credit card. The user needs to have a positive balance in their account when starting the rental, but it is allowed to go negative during a trip.

The company previously required deposit in order to use the service in China, however the company ended the practice in July 2018. Users are free to withdraw their deposit from the service at any time as long as they do not have a negative account balance.[57]

The Mobike app initially used a "Mobike Score" system to keep track of user behaviour. The score system consisted of five levels: Outstanding (1000–701), Excellent (700–601), Good (600–501), Fair (500–301), Poor (300–0). Users' Mobike Score affected future fares and use of the system. Every new user automatically started with a "Good" score of 550 points.[58] Users were awarded points for various actions such as reporting any problems with the system or parking in preferred areas with higher demand, and lost points for actions detrimental to the system, which could lead to account suspension.