As reported by ChinaMoneyNetwork.com, “Chinese bike rental firm Mobike extended its footprint in Europe with trial launches in the Italian cities of Florence and Milan. The move follows the Shanghai-based company’s previous international expansions into Singapore, the United Kingdom and Japan.

“With the landing of Mobike in Florence today, it marks another solid step for our city toward building a sustainable mobility system for our citizens,” said Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence. “Florence is a city suitable for bike riding. With Mobike, inner city bike riding will become easier and more convenient.”

Mobike, currently valued at US$2 billion, is placing several hundred bikes in Florence in a trial program to gather user feedback. Users will be able to rent bikes at the price of €0.3 per half hour. Official launches in Florence and Milan will begin in August, with plans to deploy around 4,000 bikes in each city, the company said.” [Continue reading]