Uber warns its big push into scooters and e-bikes is creating unusual new headaches and risks for the company

Richard Drew/AP

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

• Electric scooters and bicycles present a range of potential problems for Uber, the company said in the prospectus for its initial public offering (IPO), which was released on Thursday.
• Risks include rider incompetence, failure to use protective gear, careless steering, poor maintenance, and faulty manufacturing from third parties.
• The company also faces legal and political hurdles that limit where and how it can deploy scooters and bikes.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Electric scooters and bicycles present a range of potential problems for Uber, the company said in the prospectus for its initial public offering (IPO), which was released on Thursday.

Uber's "personal mobility" vehicles present different challenges than those posed by its ride-hailing, delivery, and logistics services, the company said. Risks include rider incompetence, failure to use protective gear, careless steering, poor maintenance, and faulty manufacturing from third parties. Uber says injuries to bike or scooter riders could be worse than those to ride-hailing passengers.

Read more: Uber has filed to go public in what could be the biggest IPO in years

"Incorporating dockless e-bikes and e-scooters into our platform will result in increased costs and liability," Uber said.

The company also faces legal and political hurdles that limit where and how it can deploy scooters and bikes. Cities such as Austin and San Francisco restrict the number of dockless bikes and scooters a company can offer, and some cities ban them entirely. The company said that in some cities, like Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it has not been able to obtain the necessary permits for electric scooters and bikes.

"Our inability to expand our dockless e-bikes and e-scooters could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results," Uber said.

• Read more:
• 'I won't be perfect, but I will listen to you.' Uber CEO outlines the company's 'enormous' opportunity while acknowledging its turbulent past in letter to investors
• Lyft and Uber will let some drivers get stock at the IPO price
• How Uber's internal safety team handles everything from car crashes to assaults
• 7 people you never realized were early investors in Uber