The next-generation Bird Two escooter is ready to hit the streets

A Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — now more than ever.

San Francisco scooter riders will notice a new two-wheeler in town starting Thursday. Bird-owned scooter operator, Scoot, has just released its next-gen electric scooter, the Bird Two.

In the next few weeks, up to 1,000 of the new rides will arrive in San Francisco where Scoot has a permit to operate. It’ll then spread to other cities, but so far Bird is only releasing them in SF. The new, bulkier scooters will join older Bird models on the streets before the Two completely takes over the fleet. 

The Bird Two’s in-house design was previously unveiled in August, but San Francisco is its first official landing point. It improves upon the Bird One and Zero models that came out during the company’s early days in the scooter-sharing world. 

The Two is bigger all around with larger tires, an expanded frame, and a longer-lasting battery. It’s also “smarter” with sensors to self-diagnose battery problems or other equipment issues. And it features an encrypted software system so hackers can’t ruin your ride. 

The new scooter will be available for rent in both the Scoot and Bird apps. In San Francisco, the vehicles will carry the Scoot branding.