“Downey’s Dream Cars”: A journey of transforming classic cars into EVs | June 23rd, 2023
Also, Bolt rolled out its latest e-scooter Bolt 6, Cruise introduced an Android app for ride-hailing services in San Francisco, and ToMove revealed a a folding electric bicycle built using recyclable.
Issue [#192] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!
Come join NYC Transportation Committee for a special one-day conference to discover the future of the motor coach industry at "Buses & the City: The Future of the Motor Coach Industry"! On June 27, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., followed by a reception, attendees will have an opportunity to hear from transportation experts and keynote speakers such as Hon. Ydanis Rodriguez, Hon. Selvena Brooks-Powers, and Hon. Rohit T. "Rit" Aggarwala about sustainable shared mobility services in NYC.
Don't miss this chance to explore the current state and potential futures of the motor coach industry while networking with your peers—register now!
Micromobility
Amsterdam celebrated microEVs by hosting Micromobility Europe 2023 on June 8 and 9. From innovative e-bike conversion kits, waterproof drivetrains, and e-scooters with wide decks to advanced battery swapping models, leaning three-wheeled e-scooters with suspension, and futuristic microcars, you name it, and they had it. But that's not all! The two-day spectacular event was wrapped up with a huge rave ride with hundreds of event attendees and locals, along with DJ Dom Whiting on a three-wheeled e-cargo bike, blasting out music throughout the ride! / Electrek
Fluctuo's most recent European Shared Mobility Index report reveals that in Q1 2023, the number of trips taken on dockless bikes throughout Europe increased by 33%. Furthermore, there has been an addition of 35,000 dockless e-bikes compared to the previous year, and the overall size of fleets is experiencing less fluctuation. The usage of bikes with docking stations also saw a rise of 12% in comparison to Q1 2022 / ZAGDaily
E-bikes are taking off in the US, and for good reasons too. They are easily accessible, convenient for older people and people with disabilities, faster than traditional bicycles, fun to ride, and sustainable for the environment. Yet, the biggest hurdle for these two-wheelers to become the ultimate sustainable mobility solution for people is the need for appropriate bike-friendly infrastructure in cities / NatGeo
Product Launches & Updates
Bolt, an Estonian micromobility company, has recently introduced its latest e-scooter model, the Bolt 6. This new model is expected to have an average lifespan of eight years, which is a significant improvement over the previous Gen 5 model, which had a lifespan of five years. Additionally, Bolt has increased its use of recycled materials in the production process, with 70% of the aluminum used being recycled / ZAGDaily
A new electric micro-car has been introduced by a British startup called Ark. The Ark Zero vehicle is priced at just $7,600 and is classified as a quadricycle in Europe. It has seating for two adults and one dog and boasts a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) with a 2.2 kW (3 horsepower) electric motor. The range per charge is claimed to be 50.3 miles (81 km), and the vehicle includes features such as keyless startup, electric windows, hill hold assist, a sunroof, and an electric heater / Electrek
Italian startup ToMove has introduced Tom, a folding electric bicycle built using recyclable materials. The Tom is designed for city commuting and can be folded up and carried on public transportation. It has a 750 Wh battery that provides around 31 miles of range and a top speed of 27 mph with its 500W motor. The Tom also includes features such as keyless startup and an electric heater / Inverse
Check out the Denago Commute Step-Thru! Priced at $1,799, this large bike has a top speed of 28 mph on pedal assist and an estimated range of 45 miles. With many built-in features and an upright seating position, it's been popular among older customers / Electrek
Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery
Video advertisements will soon start to appear on all Uber services in the US. In a press release on June 15, Uber announced that it will begin to display video ads on its various service apps, including Uber Eats, Drizly, and the Uber ride-hailing app, to users in the US "over the coming weeks." Intended to be displayed while users wait for their ride, the ads are a chance for Uber to initiate potential collaborations with advertisers by leveraging the knowledge it has on its users' preferences / The Verge
A new partnership between Zoomo and EAV aims to replace delivery vans in cities with four-wheeled cargo e-bikes. The EAV cargo bike combines electric bike operation with 2 cubic meters of rear storage space and can carry up to 150 kg of cargo. This smaller vehicle fits into a bike lane and has the potential to revolutionize last-mile delivery. The partnership will see Zoomo expand its product portfolio by becoming EAV's Official Fleet Partner and offer financing for EAV's range of vehicles / Electrek
In this episode of the Taking Inventory podcast, Kenan Saleh, GM of Lyft Media, discusses his experience growing his startup from its humble beginnings with just one customer. He shares his insights on the promising future of commerce media and the challenges of establishing a new revenue stream within a complex organization / Taking Inventory
Cruise, a company specializing in self-driving cars, has recently launched an Android app for ride-hailing services in San Francisco. This app enables potential customers to hail one of Cruise's robotaxis, even if they do not own an iPhone. The new Android app incorporates all the updates that have been made to the iOS app since its launch. This development addresses the needs of 20 percent of Cruise's wait listers who use Android devices and have been requesting an app for their platform on social media / Engadget
Investment & Deals
Shanghai-based Nio makes the announcement that CYVN Holdings, an Abu Dhabi-owned investment vehicle with a focus on smart mobility, will invest a total of $738.5 million in the Chinese EV manufacturer / TechCrunch
Rose Rocket has a customer base of between 1,000 and 1,500 users, suggesting that it has at least some traction. Sky anticipates that the business will generate $100 million in recurring revenue annually / TechCrunch
As the market for clean-energy vehicles continues to soar, Hyundai Motor Co. predicted it will sell 2 million electric cars annually by 2030, up from 1.87 million a year earlier / Bloomberg
Rivian has acquired Iternio, the Swedish company behind ABetterRouteplanner (ABRP), a popular route-planning app for EV drivers. The acquisition will allow Rivian to integrate ABRP's capabilities into its upcoming trip planning release and Iternio's EV planning API into its app and infotainment system. ABRP will remain a stand-alone app / TechCrunch
Hyundai Motor Company recently announced its business strategies and financial plans for the future. The company aims to transition to the electrification era through its new Hyundai Motor Way strategy. Hyundai will secure an investment of KRW 109.4 trillion (about 77.5 billion euros) over the next decade and focus on future businesses such as autonomous driving, hydrogen fuel cells, robotics, and advanced air mobility (AAM) / Electric Cars Report
The US Department of Energy's Loan Program Office (LPO) has granted a conditional loan of $9.2 billion to BlueOval SK (BOSK), a joint venture between Ford and South Korean battery producer SK On. The loan will be used to construct three battery manufacturing plants and is the largest loan ever granted by the LPO, almost four times larger than the previous loan of $2.5 billion given to Ultium Cell, a joint venture between General Motors and LG / Engadget
NIO, a Chinese electric car company, has announced that it has received a capital injection of $738.5 million from CYVN Holdings, a fund owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. This investment gives CYVN Holdings a 7% stake in NIO. The deal is expected to close in early July and will give CYVN Holdings the right to nominate a director to NIO's board / Electric Cars Report
Cities & Policy
Florida Politics notes that sellers have contributed more than $2 million to DeSantis over the past two years, as well as $230,000 to the campaigns led by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and $50,000 to State Senator Ben Albritton / Jalopnik
Pittsburgh Regional Transit has been granted a $149.9 million construction grant by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) line connecting Downtown Pittsburgh to Oakland. The project is funded by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and aims to provide fast and convenient transit along this congested corridor / Intelligent Transport
New York City has been granted $25 million to establish public storage and charging locations for e-bikes at public housing developments. This funding was granted two days after a fire caused by e-bike batteries resulted in the deaths of four people on the Lower East Side. According to the FDNY, there have been at least 108 e-bike fires this year, resulting in 13 fatalities / Pix 11
On July 1st, Iowa will implement an additional "electric fuel excise tax," which means that electric vehicles (EVs) in the state will now pay two different types of "fuel" taxes while gas cars only pay one. Both of these taxes are higher than what a gas car pays. The new EV fuel excise tax will charge 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity used to charge an EV battery. The other tax is a $130/year registration fee for EVs, which was meant to replace gas taxes for EVs. This means that not only do EVs have to pay two taxes while gas cars only pay one, but each of these taxes is also higher than the tax for a comparable gas car / Electrek
New Products, Features, and Data Points
Robert Downey Jr. has a new television show called "Downey's Dream Cars," in which he attempts to combine his interests in classic car collecting and addressing climate change. The show follows Downey as he collaborates with experts to convert his collection of classic cars to run on more environmentally friendly technology. In the first episode, they install a Tesla motor and batteries into a 1972 Chevy K10 pickup truck. The goal of the show is to demonstrate the power and capabilities of electric cars and to persuade those who are still hesitant about switching to electric vehicles / TechCrunch
Tesla's North American Charging Standard outlet will be included in Rivian's R1T and R1S starting in 2025 / The Verge
Geely, the holding company of Polestar (and Volvo), acquired a majority (79.9%) interest in the Chinese electronics manufacturer Meizu last year as part of its efforts to increase the variety of digital platforms it offers / Electrek
Last week, completely autonomous semi-truck runs without a human driver or human interference were successfully performed on Chinese public highways by the autonomous trucking business TuSimple / TechCrunch
ChatGPT is a voice assistant that Mercedes-Benz is beta testing in its automobiles. Drivers will be able to engage the chatbot in a range of dialogues, according to the business / The Verge
Dance, a company that offers subscriptions for e-bikes and e-mopeds, is introducing a new feature called Routing. This feature will use real-time data to directly provide customers with tailored biking routes and weather updates in the Dance app. This will eliminate the need for riders to switch between different apps while navigating through busy city streets / ZAGDaily
Jobs Board
Here's a selection of job openings from our partners. Want to see your listing here? Click here for pricing/details.
Director of Partnerships & Development at Open Mobility Foundation – Remote, US
SMART Collaborative Program Manager (Contract) at Open Mobility Foundation – Remote, US
Tech Development Specialist (Contract) at Open Mobility Foundation – Remote, US
If you liked this post from Movements, why not share it? Forward it to a friend and we’ll send you some sweet karma!