San Francisco Bay-Area scooter startup Lime has signaled a foray into the car-sharing market, with Seattle as its testing grounds.
The startup applied for a car sharing permit through the Seattle Department of Transportation a few weeks ago, Geekwire reported.
Lime did not comment to the publication specifically on its Seattle plans but did say “the company is officially making a move into car sharing.”
The ride-sharing company already offers electric scooters and regular and electric bicycles, gaining 6 million riders across 70 cities in its first year. In July, Lime announced a $335 billion investment from Alphabet and Uber.
The company’s plans to add four-wheels to its fleet come amid scooter woes around the country, namely shifting regulations and battles for permits, as well as a flurry of safety concerns that the fast-moving devices present.
The move also adds Lime to a growing list of companies branching into the car-sharing market and testing the limits of demand, setting it up to race with big names such as Toyota along with more entrenched competitors such as Car2Go and ReachNow.
Similarly, more companies are hopping on the peer-to-peer car sharing bandwagon, with General Motors earlier this year announcing that it plans to enter the market.
