Scooter-sharing company Lime recently relayed a troubling messaging to its users: a portion of its fleet was at risk of bursting into flames.
The startup recalled about 2,000 vehicles, less than one per cent of its scooters, following its October 30 warning message. The situation brought to mind scenes from three years ago of those skateboard-style conveyances known as hoverboards catching fire and promptly falling out of use. Would spontaneous combustion sink the scooter next?
Lime placed the blame on a manufacturing defect at one of its suppliers, Beijing-based Ninebot Inc. But the company isn't just any scooter assembler. Ninebot has quietly become the single-biggest source of scooters deployed in U.S. cities. The little-known manufacturer is an essential provider for just about everyone trying to ride the rise of "micro-mobility," a movement that aims to transform urban transportation through the proliferation of cheap alternatives to cars and mass transit.