Riding shared electric scooters like those from companies such as Bird and Lime has become a popular way to get around cities quickly and cheaply. But how much does it actually cost per minute to ride a Bird scooter? The answer depends on the pricing and fee structure in your city.
Bird’s Pricing Structure
Bird, one of the major shared electric scooter companies, has a standard pricing structure across cities that includes the following:
- Base fare: $1 per ride
- Per minute fee: $0.15 – $0.39 per minute
On top of the per minute fee, Bird also charges tax on rides. The exact tax percentage varies by city but is typically around 10% of the total ride cost.
There may also be other fees depending on the city, such as a parking fee to end a ride or fees for certain areas. But the key factors that affect the per minute cost are the base fare and per minute rate.
Cost Per Minute Examples
Here are some examples of costs per minute with Bird’s pricing structure in different cities:
| City | Base Fare | Per Min Fee | Per Min Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $1.00 | $0.39 | $0.49 |
| Chicago | $1.00 | $0.15 | $0.25 |
| Los Angeles | $1.00 | $0.29 | $0.39 |
*Per minute cost includes base fare amortized over 15 minutes plus per minute fee. Tax not included.
As you can see, the cost per minute can range from around $0.25 to $0.50 depending on the city. Where the base fare is amortized over an assumed 15 minute ride.
Factors That Affect Cost Per Minute
There are a few key factors that affect how much Bird scooter rides cost per minute:
- Base fare – The $1 base fare is fixed, so the longer the ride, the more it’s amortized over time and lowers the per minute cost.
- Per minute fee – This fee can vary widely by city. Higher fees mean higher cost per minute.
- Assumed ride length – Longer rides amortize the base fare over more minutes, lowering the per minute cost.
- Tax – Taxes on top of Bird’s fees can add 10% or more to the total per minute cost.
Cities with higher per minute fees and lower assumed ride lengths end up with higher per minute costs. But in general, longer rides cost less per minute than shorter rides.
Saving on Cost Per Minute
If you want to save on the per minute cost of Bird scooters, here are some tips:
- Take longer rides – The base fare will be spread over more minutes, lowering the per minute cost.
- Avoid short rides under 5 minutes – These can be very expensive per minute with the full base fare.
- Ride in cities with lower per minute fees – Check Bird’s rates if you have a choice of cities.
- Use promo codes – Look for promo codes that waive the base fee or give free ride time.
Using these tips, you may be able to get the per minute cost down to around $0.15-0.25 in some cases. The break even point where rides start to get cheaper per minute is around 10-15 minutes typically.
Cost Comparison to Other Modes
How does the per minute cost of riding a Bird scooter compare to other transportation modes? Here’s a quick comparison:
| Mode | Per Minute Cost |
|---|---|
| Bird Scooter | $0.15 – $0.50 |
| Bus | $0.50 – $1.00 |
| Subway | $0.60 – $1.00 |
| Uber/Lyft | $0.20 – $0.60 |
| E-bike | $0.10 – $0.25 |
Bird scooters tend to be cheaper per minute than buses, subways, and Uber/Lyft rides. Only shared e-bikes are usually cheaper per minute.
However, bikes and public transit tend to have better fixed cost deals like unlimited monthly passes. So for frequent riders, those options can work out cheaper overall in many cities.
Factors That Impact Costs
Some additional factors beyond the base pricing that can influence the total cost of Bird scooter rides include:
- Trip distance – Longer trips cost more total, but shorten the per minute cost.
- Traffic – Getting stuck in traffic leads to higher per minute costs during the ride.
- Weather – Bad weather can lengthen scooter ride times, raising costs.
- Terrain – Hilly areas can slow scooters down, lengthening ride times.
- Discounts – Promo codes and special offers can lower base fares and per minute costs.
Taking these additional factors into account when estimating your ride cost can help you budget better for Bird scooter transportation.
Estimating Your Ride Cost
To estimate what a Bird scooter ride will cost you in a given city, follow these steps:
- Check Bird’s app for local base fare, per minute fee, and tax percentage.
- Estimate your expected ride length in minutes.
- Calculate base fare divided by ride length to get amortized base fare per minute.
- Add the per minute fee on top of the amortized base fare.
- Multiply by estimated ride length to get total pre-tax cost.
- Add applicable taxes to get estimated total ride cost.
You can also use a ride cost calculator to do the math automatically if you input your city and expected ride details.
With this cost estimate, you can better budget for Bird scooter transportation and compare costs against other options like buses, bikes, Uber/Lyft, and more.
Cost Per Mile Comparison
In addition to cost per minute, another useful metric is cost per mile. Here’s a comparison of Bird scooter cost per mile versus other transportation options:
| Mode | Cost Per Mile |
|---|---|
| Bird Scooter | $0.10 – $0.25 |
| Bus | $0.25 – $1.00 |
| Subway | $0.30 – $0.60 |
| Uber/Lyft | $1.00 – $2.00 |
| E-bike | $0.05 – $0.15 |
Per mile, Bird scooters are cheaper than most public transit and rideshare options. The exception is e-bikes, which can have extremely low costs per mile.
Calculating both per minute and per mile costs is useful when comparing transportation modes.
Factors Affecting Per Mile Costs
Some factors that affect Bird scooter per mile costs include:
- Scooter speed – Faster scooters cover more miles for the same per minute fee.
- Ride efficiency – Minimizing stops and slowdowns reduces per mile costs.
- Road conditions – Well maintained roads allow faster rides than poor, bumpy roads.
- Rider weight – Heavier riders may experience slower speeds and higher per mile costs.
- Geography – Hilly areas often have higher costs per mile.
Optimizing these factors where possible can help reduce your per mile ride costs.
Conclusion
In summary, the cost per minute for Bird scooter rides typically ranges from $0.15 to $0.50 depending on city-specific fees and ride length. Longer rides amortize the base fare over more minutes, reducing the per minute cost. Bird scooters also tend to be cheaper than alternatives like Uber, public transit, and more when measured on a per minute or per mile basis. However, discounts and passes may make those alternatives cheaper for frequent riders. Knowing the key factors that influence costs per minute and per mile can help you estimate your ride expenses and budget appropriately.
