In an effort to attract more drivers, Lime is bringing a number of new features, including the ability to rent an electric scooter without having to download the app. The micromobility company on Wednesday announced a series of product features that will increase accessibility to its vehicles in order to remove barriers to the entry of new users. New features include free vehicle storage for up to 10 minutes, nearest car suggestions and the option to view the app in dark mode.
The app-less experience is already live in more than half of Lime’s 130 markets, where developers continue to monitor and analyze its use. This feature is only available on e-scooters. According to Lime’s developers, Lime’s e-scooters and e-bikes can rent out – and free vehicle storage and suggested features can used across every market and language. “We use Rider Feedback to create the app or any of the features associated with it,” Vijay Murali, senior product manager, told TechCrunch. App Store reviews, complaints about a feature or lack of customer service tickets, customer surveys, and research sessions with drivers around the world all inform direction developers about new features.
In the case of this latest update, Murali said the team has identified three of the goals their customers are trying to achieve. “The first is that many users are ready to use this new form of transportation, but they don’t want to download and commit to the app,” Murali said. “The second is the price concerns of those who ride with us often, and the third is about making it easier to find the vehicle closest to you, especially in a big city.”
Now when a customer opens the apps, they will directed to the nearest vehicle and it was offered a free saving option, which Murali said simply makes the process of jumping on a scooter easier and helps to continue the daily routine. To use the feature, customers need to scan a QR code with their camera app that attached to Apple’s app clip or Android’s instant app features.
Customers can then confirm the ride and use Apple Pay or Google Pay to start riding. Technically, users are downloading the sliver of the app – 100 megabytes versus only 10 megabytes for the full application, and only eight hours. To the average rider, it only appears as if they are opening a file or application on their phone that downloads an application, creates an account, adds a payment method, and reads a tutorial that takes about five minutes much faster than 30 seconds do.
This feature will result in less Lime app downloads and less user data, but Lime says it is more interested in hard sales now. “We also see a relatively high download conversion rate,” says Zach Kahn, another veteran product director. “There is a need to reduce friction and choose a payment method or vehicle that significantly increases conversion and now makes a meaningful percentage of our first trip.” The story declined to provide a conversion rate for those who introduced to Lime through the app-less ride.
Murali further noted that more drivers in test cities started driving when Lime removed the cost. Previously, intake was about 3% lower. “It’s about ensuring that people from different walks of life, especially in low-lying areas, have less hassle to get access to limo vehicles,” Murali said. Moving the saving fees makes them more likely to run now.”
