California electric scooter company Spin is launching 400 of its dockless scooters in Detroit on Thursday, but under a new owner — Ford Motor Co.

The Dearborn-based automaker acquired the startup in a bid to expand its mobility offerings and reach a new customer base that needs short-distance transportation solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the company's valuation totaled $43.5 million after its latest fundraising efforts.

Besides the 400 scooters Spin is launching in Detroit, Ford will roll out scooters in 100 cities over the next 18 months, vastly expediting Spin's current pace of expansion. Detroit becomes the 13th market for Spin.

Spin will operate as an independent business unit under Ford X, a new division of Ford Smart Mobility LLC, the company said in a news release.

"We understand mobility is not just vehicles at this point," Sunny Madra, vice president of Ford X, told Automotive News. "This is our play in addressing the micromobility business."

Ben Bear, chief business officer for Spin, told Crain's that the company approached Ford several months ago about becoming a business development partner, which quickly turned into a conversation about the automaker becoming an investor and ultimately ending in an acquisition agreement.

While competitors Lime and Bird have been accused of guerrilla-marketing tactics by distributing their scooters in cities without any approvals, Spin approaches cities to work out agreements before it drops off its products — which work via a smartphone app, where users unlock the e-scooters for $1 plus 15 cents per minute of use. Bear said Spin's government-friendly approach made Ford comfortable.

"Being partnership oriented, approaching this in a smart way; that's what attracted Ford," Bear said. "This is only the first inning in micromobility and it's a long-term trend. We're in a unique position to play the long game, the right way. We can now make sure scooters are part of the fabric of mobility in cities and universities across the country."

Ford echoed Bear's comments.

"They do not launch without permission, they share usage data with cities and they work with local officials and university campuses to design educational tools around parking and riding rules," Madra said in a blog post expected to publish Thursday. "This approach aligns well with our values at Ford and with our ambition to be the world's most trusted company."