Ready to ride e-scooters again? Here's why they're bigger and more expensive.

E-scooters are bulking up.

As the next generation of rentable e-scooters rolls out, operators are building vehicles designed in-house instead of slapping logos on pre-fabricated Xiaomi scooters. These new designs are informed by years of vandalism, aggressive riding, tough street life, and elusive profits.

That's why...