Afeela: From a car to a brand new entertainment platform | March 03, 2023

This week, Segway rolled out new KickScooter lineup, Aventon launched its first e-cargo bike Abound, Motional starts robotaxi service at nighttime, and General Motors eliminated 500 paid positions.

Issue [#177] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!

Micromobility

E-bike sales are booming in the US, and with that, the number of people taking them to the backcountry trails is also rising, but the critics are not happy with that. For them, e-bikes are damaging the natural-surface trails and causing trouble to the wildlife in the area, and disputes will likely continue over the matter / The Washington Post

This spring, Segway-Ninebot will entertain Europe with a new KickScooter lineup! The Chinese-American micromobility company rolled out four brand new Max G2, F2, E2, and C2 KickScooter families that provide the best riding experience and cater to the safety rules set for e-scooters, all the while providing a variety of commuting choices to riders / ZAGDaily

In Australia, you cannot ride a non-pedal-assisted electric mobility vehicle in public areas, it is illegal, but the statistics say something else! According to Stephen Coulter, co-founder of Zipidi Micromobility, e-mobility vehicles are becoming popular, e-bikes being the most notable. Hopefully, the country's legislation will soon accommodate these fun and sustainable vehicle mobility options / The Australian Financial Review

Gen Zers are apparently shunning cars, and the proclamations are similar to the ones once made about Millennials. The reason might not be their concern for the environment or their disinterest in driving but the unaffordability of a car at a young age, and as soon as they can afford one, they’ll get one / Bloomberg

Product Launches & Updates

After making its mark in the e-bike market with the Aventure, and the Level, Aventon is now going for other micromobility sectors as well! The US-based e-bike manufacturer rolled out its first electric cargo bike Abound which boasts features like a slick torque sensor, four pedal-assist levels, a rear rack, an internal storage bag, and a weight capacity of 440 lbs, making it the perfect cargo mover for your family! / Ride Review

Here’s a sneak peek at the RadRunner 3 Plus, the upgraded version of Rad Power Bikes’ RadRunner e-bike! From 350 pounds of payload capacity to a 759W hub motor to an improved LCD display, this is the best utility bike the Seattle-based e-bike company has ever offered. And don’t forget the lockable consoles and the pet trailer as well! / The Verge

The new 2023 Apollo Explore, named Explore V1, is yet another classic electric scooter from Apollo! Boasting folding foot platforms, a slim folded design, and wide tires, it offers the riders a stable as well as fun riding experience that is “unlike any other scooter before!” / Electric Scooter Guide

Personifying “a new relationship between people and mobility,” Sony Honda Mobility’s concept car Afeela will be a magnificent sight to behold! Launched at CES 2023, this new joint-venture concept car is equipped with 45 sensor arrays and cameras, a panorama screen at the front, Sony’s 360 Reality Audio system, PlayStation integration, and much more that is going to reshape the future of car travel for everyone / TechCrunch

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

James Jordan’s Uber driver account has been permanently deactivated after multiple customer complaints, but he is not the only driver of color to face such an issue. According to a report, Uber and Lyft are more likely to deactivate accounts belonging to non-white drivers after customer complaints, but both companies deny any such statement / Wired

Los Angeles streets will soon witness driverless taxis for the very first time, all thanks to Waymo! After San Francisco, the American autonomous driving technology company now revealed its plans to start rider-only testing of its autonomous taxis on the streets of LA, excluding the rush hour / Engadget

Uber aims to be zero emission by 2030 in the US and Europe. To highlight these efforts, it is branching out its annual product event into two, with one being a sustainability-only event called Go/Get Zero held in London, which will demonstrate how the ride hailing company is working towards a sustainable future. But switching every vehicle in its fleet to an electric one will not be an easy feat / The Verge

Citizens of Las Vegas can now enjoy Motional’s robotaxi service at nighttime as well! The autonomous vehicle technology company has made this service available from Monday to Friday, along with launching a Remote Vehicle Assistance (RVA) system connected to its electric IONIQ 5 robotaxis. Both these steps depict the company’s aim to go fully driverless later this year! / TechCrunch

Wisk Aero and Archer Aviation are going for another round of mediation in March 2023 over a trade secret theft case, preceded by the first round held in October 2022. Both companies manufactured aircraft and got into a court battle when Wisk accused the latter of “brazen theft” of trade secrets, with Archer strongly refuting all the allegations / TechCrunch

Investment & Deals

In a new round-headed by Soma Capital and Left Lane Capital, BlueCargo has received $11 million. The business decreases late fees for shippers and drayage transportation companies while optimizing operations in port terminals / TechCrunch

Tesla's third Master Plan, which will include information about the company's new lower-cost car platform and its effort to grow to "extreme size," is soon to be unveiled by Elon Musk / The Verge

Air Company, a startup funded by JetBlue and Toyota, obtained a $65 million agreement to assist the Air Force in capturing CO2 and turning it into "sustainable" aviation fuel on-site / TechCrunch

Indian scooter maker Ola Electric has stated that it will invest $920 million (about Rs. 76.14 billion) in Tamil Nadu, a state in the south, to produce batteries and electric cars (EVs) / Mining Technology

There is a bold new player entering the American e-bike market. Following the end of its $7.4 million Series A investment round, Velotric declared this week that it would focus even more on growing its privately owned e-bike business in the United States / TechCrunch

Transmetrics, a platform for logistics planning and optimization, received a €2.5 million convertible fundraising round from the European Innovation Council Fund / Tech.eu

The largest network of EV charging stations in Switzerland, evpass, has announced an agreement to be acquired by Shell. The business was once held by Eaton, FMV (Forces Motrices Valaisannes), and the energy provider AEW until being founded in 2016 by Green Motion / Shell

Croatia's Greyp, creators of the 24/7 connected e-bike, has been purchased by Porsche, a major player in the automotive and increasingly mobility industries / Tech.eu

Cities & Policy

Formerly available only to Elon Musk's customers, the Tesla Supercharger network is now accessible to EVs from other automakers. The business is now allowing EVs from other businesses to use its chargers in the US after doing so for months in Europe / The Verge

The US EPA has $250 million available for reducing climate pollution and improving environmental justice / Smart Cities Dive

Legislators in Hawaii want the state to spend more money on creating pedestrian-friendly streets after two teenagers were hit by a car on Kapiolani Boulevard earlier this month / Civil Beat

As part of a campaign to encourage walking, biking, and transit in downtown Portland, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is offering free coffee and gift cards for carless downtown travelers / Bike Portland

New Products, Features, and Data Points

On the last day of the month, General Motors made an internal announcement that it was eliminating about 500 paid positions, marking the end of the automobile layoffs in February, according to CNBC / FastCompany

Thanks to a new app store established by its software company Cariad, dozens of apps, including Spotify, Amazon Music, TikTok, and gaming centers Vector Unit and FRVR, are coming to VW Group brands, starting with Audi / TechCrunch

A €15 million fund has been established by QDNL Participations to assist Dutch entrepreneurs developing quantum technology in their early stages / Tech.eu

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