When it comes to micromobility, the message in Sweden is clear: safety first.
That’s why a number of Bird partner cities in Sweden are becoming some of the first globally to require IP68-rated batteries in all shared scooters—the most protected shared e-scooter batteries against dust and water intrusion used in cities globally today.
This is not only important for safety and sustainability, but it could have significant implications for the global micromobility industry as well.
Bird Two and Bird Three scooters, such as those that have launched in cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, Borås, Halmstad, Karlskrona, Eskilstuna and, most recently, Varberg, are among the only models in the world to offer this incredibly powerful IP68 battery protection.
Given water ingress and immersion is a leading cause of thermal incidents with scooter batteries, keeping li-ion battery cells as clean, dry and damage-free as possible even when submerged in water is of critical importance. Our IP68-rated batteries have achieved the highest level of immersion protection possible to help guard against thermal runaway-related battery fires that are both dangerous and damaging to the environment.
“It’s really very simple: either scooter batteries are designed to have the best possible immersion protection, which is IP68-rated, or they aren’t,” said Brian Buccella, Senior Vice President of Global Policy at Bird. “For a multitude of reasons, stable, long-lasting scooter batteries are the best way to ensure safe operations and reduce a scooter’s overall environmental impact. In Sweden, we’re seeing cities take a leading role in recognizing this critical fact and putting it into action.”
A Growing Bird Service in Sweden
As Bird nears its tenth partner city in Sweden, we’re putting more than just our battery safety technology on display.
New parking initiatives in cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg are incentivizing proper parking by providing an automatic 2,50 kr discount to riders who end their trips in approved scooter parking corrals. We’re pairing this with end-ride photo verification to ensure correct parking is rewarded and incorrect parking is addressed.
To learn more about Bird’s wealth of vehicle technologies spanning battery safety and parking to autonomous emergency braking, footboard stability and so much more, subscribe to the Bird Cities Blog.
