WKU News

On Monday (Sept. 12) Wheels, the leading last-mile, shared electric mobility platform, announced an exclusive partnership with Western Kentucky University through E&I Cooperative Services which provided an efficient way to add micromobility to their campus. E&I is the largest, member-owned non-profit sourcing cooperative serving the needs of higher-education institutions nationwide. This program will also expand into the city limits of Bowling Green, creating an option that truly connects the area.

Wheels will bring up to 300 devices to the area for shared use this September. This cost-effective transportation option will help connect the main campus with Bowling Green’s downtown area including Fountain Square.

“We’re thrilled to be joining the WKU and Bowling Green communities,” said Marco Mccottry, CEO of Wheels. “It is vital for this evolution in transportation to service everyone and this includes making sure students are able to participate in their wider communities without needing to rely on cars. We’re thrilled to add WKU to our growing list of campuses where Wheels is available.”

Students of WKU will be able to rent the vehicles at a discount with a semester pass. The pass waives the unlock fee and allows for $125 worth of riding credits for only $100. Alternatively, riders can pay as they go for $1 per unlock plus 29 cents per minute. Wheels will identify parking hubs throughout the campus and within the City where devices will be parked and rebalanced throughout the day by Wheels’ local W-2 staff.

“We are excited to partner with Wheels and the City of Bowling Green to provide this alternative transportation option for our campus community,” WKU Spokesperson Jace Lux said. “The implementation of the Wheels program will allow us to reduce traffic and congestion on campus, ease parking challenges, and create a link between campus and downtown Bowling Green in an environmentally-friendly manner that reduces vehicle emissions. I am confident that the WKU community will warmly embrace this program.”

Through the competitively awarded E&I Wheels contract, E&I members can bring Wheels to campus without the time and cost associated with the traditional request for proposal (RFP) process. For more information about the Wheels E&I contract, visit www.eandi.org/contracts/wheels-labs/.

WKU’s main campus is located in Bowling Green, a city with a population of more than 60,000 located between Louisville and Nashville, Tennessee. WKU also has regional campuses located in Glasgow, Elizabethtown, Owensboro, and Somerset. WKU offers 94 academic majors leading to the baccalaureate degree and 75 academic minors. Additionally, the university offers 48 master’s degree programs, two specialist degree programs, and four doctoral degree programs.

About Wheels: Wheels is a last-mile, shared electric mobility platform whose seated form factor changes the landscape in dockless mobility. In addition to being seated, Wheels devices have a low center of gravity and 14-inch wheels to help navigate uneven pavement surfaces. Wheels recently launched a first-of-its-kind integrated helmet system that gives riders physical access to a shareable helmet with every ride they take. Because of its unique design, Wheels devices have a broad appeal, with half of its riders being women and one-third being over 35. Wheels is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and is currently expanding operations across the U.S. and Europe. Learn more at www.takewheels.com.

About E&I Cooperative Services: E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) is the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving education. E&I delivers unsurpassed value and an exceptional experience to its members through a broad portfolio of competitively solicited contracts with industry-leading suppliers as well as innovative sourcing solutions. The Cooperative empowers its members to make informed, analytics-driven decisions to capture more spend and optimize their education dollars. For more information, please visit www.eandi.org.

Contact: Nathan Huber, Head of Universities, nhuber@wheels.co or (214) 794-5744