You've probably never heard of Motivate, but perhaps you've seen these handy Ford GoBike or Citi Bike bicycle docks around your neighborhood? Soon, ride-hailing company Lyft may own these and a handful of Motivate's other docking bicycle networks -- helping it challenge Uber and a whole bunch of upstart electric scooter companies when it comes to urban transportation.

The Information reports that Lyft has agreed to purchase Motivate for as much as $250 million, though a deal reportedly hasn't been finalized yet. Beyond Ford GoBike and Citi Bike, other Motivate-operated bike brands include Capital BikeShare, CoGo, Divvy, Blue Bikes and Biketown.

Lyft declined to comment to CNET. Motivate didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lyft's rival Uber bought the dockless electric bike startup Jump last April, whose bikes can lock to any bike rack or pole. While Motivate's vehicles are primarily powered by human muscles and generally have to be docked to specific locations, the company's experimenting with pedal-assist electric vehicles and dockless bikes as well. As of March, Motivate told CNET it operated 31,841 bikes across the United States. 

Here's our FAQ about all the electric vehicles invading your city. 

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