Ford Buys Electric-Scooter Startup, Looking to Diversify Beyond Autos

Ford Motor Co. F -1.46% is getting into the fast-growing electric-scooter business by acquiring San Francisco-based startup Spin, as more car makers push into services aimed at urban dwellers who may not want to own a car.

Ford said it purchased the two-year-old electric scooter firm, which operates in about a dozen U.S. cities, including Denver, Charlotte, N.C., and Long Beach, Calif.