LimePod car-sharing program ending in Seattle

Lime, a vehicle-sharing company known for its bicycles, scooters and compact cars, is shutting down it's LimePod program in Seattle, a spokesman for the company said Thursday.

Under the LimePod program, drivers pay a $15 fee and unlock a car by scanning a code into their phones for $1. Drivers pay 40 cents per minute to drive the car, with insurance included.

The pilot program with the city is set to end on Dec. 31.  The company said it's making plans to wind down the service by reducing the number of cars in its fleet.

Lime will stop taking new sign-ups for the program on Oct. 14, but anyone who is already enrolled will still have access to LimePods until the end of the year.

According to Lime, more than 18,000 riders in Seattle took more than 200,000 trips in LimePods, some for their daily commutes.

A statement from Lime follows:

"We deeply appreciate our partnership with the Seattle community and the opportunity to collaborate on our LimePod Pilot Program. The experience is a testament to the city's forward-looking position on the future of transportation and the necessity of sustainable options for citizens. We are similarly committed to that goal and the information gained during our pilot will support the work necessary should we decide to expand and improve this service with an all-electric fleet in the future."

More news from KIRO 7

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP