E-scooter company Scott Rides Inc., acquired by Bird Rides Inc. in June, today entered the custom electric moped market with its new Scoot Moped.

Pitched as an alternative to ride-hailing services, the mopeds will initially launch in Los Angeles as part of a pilot program. Scoot plans to roll out the scooters to other territories the company operates in later in the year.

There are restrictions on the mopeds. Riders must be at least 18 years of age and wear a helmet when riding the moped, which comes with the rental. The mopeds have been designed to be used either on roads or in bike lanes where the latter is legal.

“Everyone in a city wants to get from point A to B as quickly as possible,” Michael Keating, founder and president of Scoot, said in a statement. “Scoot Moped is the perfect alternative to driving in the city.”

The moped is claimed to deliver a smooth seated ride with power braking; enhanced visibility through side mirrors and an LCD display for vehicle information; and “the power to climb” via a motor designed to tackle “urban hills.”

Scoot does currently provide moped rentals in some of the markets in which it operates but only using off-the-shelf mopeds, not custom-designed models.

As TechCrunch pointed out, the design of the Scoot Moped looks familiar since it’s based on Bird’s existing Cruiser announced in June. Scoot said the design and engineering were based on the Bird Cruiser, though with some differences.

Electric mopeds are seen as the next big thing in the burgeoning e-scooter and bike-sharing market, sitting neatly between existing services and ride-hailing companies.

Scoot Moped will be available via both iOS and Android for users of both the Scoot and Bird Apps.

Photo: Scoot