Google teams up with Lime scooters in 13 cities worldwide

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Google Maps said Thursday it is teaming up with Lime electric scooters to help shorten commute times in 13 cities worldwide.

Google says the new feature offers a faster way for people to scoot off to a meeting by electric scooter, pedal or electronic bike who otherwise still have 15 minutes to walk after a car or train ride.

Scooters from the rental startup Lime will be visible in the Google Maps application as a transportation option "if a Lime vehicle is available," and "you'll see how long it'll take to walk to the vehicle, an estimate of how much your ride could cost, and your total journey time and ETA," a post on Google's blog stated. "Tapping on the Lime card will take you right to the Lime app, where you can see the exact location of the vehicle and easily unlock it. If you don't have the Lime app installed, you'll be taken to the App or Play store."

Google is rolling out the new feature in 13 cities around the world.

The 13 cities are San Jose, San Diego, Oakland and Los Angeles; Baltimore; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Indianapolis; Seattle; Austin, Dallas, San Antonio; Auckland, New Zealand; and Brisbane, Australia.

Google Maps already offers a similar feature for Uber and Lyft rides.

The scooters have gotten mixed reviews as tens of thousands of the vehicles have popped up in cities across the United States with some complaining that riders endanger pedestrians.

Google Ventures, an investment arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, and Uber invested $335 million into Lime this summer.

The new Google Maps feature could increase Lime's competition with its rival, Bird, which introduced the first electric scooter designed for ride-sharing.