Driverless cars - A blessing or a menace in disguise? | April 14, 2023

Plus, CAKE launched its flagship store in Seoul, Uber and Tembici announced their collaboration, and Juiced Bikes’ all electric bikes will feature UL-compliant and certified batteries.

Issue [#183] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!

Micromobility

CAKE has now entered Asia with its new flagship store, CAKE: site Seoul! Launched in collaboration with local partner Kolon which has 35 years of experience in various markets, the store will offer two-wheeled electric transportation solutions to the city of Seoul, a city 'that understands the need to overhaul the old ways of urban transportation,' as observed by CAKE's CEO Stefan Ytterborn / The Pack

The first station for Citi Bike, a bike-sharing system, in New York City, was launched in May 2013. Bikes were once assumed to be the cause of traffic hazards, risks and the root of legal battles between people. After 10 years, the popularity of the bike-sharing system, and bikes, in general, negates all these assumptions / via @JSadikKhan 

Bird Global, Inc., an electric vehicle company, announced a collection of technology solutions to encourage safe and adaptable riding and parking. The company provides eco-friendly transportation to all and is investing in technology and product solutions to make it easier for riders 'to find a scooter, park a scooter, ride compliantly, and do so safely.' / Bird

Have you ever had a dog as a "personal assistant?" If not, you can get one through Mini's cars! Mini has revealed a new "intelligent personal assistant" called Spike. The digital character, announced by the British car brand owned by German automaker BMW, is built around the English Bulldog that has appeared in some older Mini ads. It will be a part of the company's Concept Aceman and offer drivers guidance about the car's infotainment system / The Verge

Paris' referendum against shared e-scooters has raised many questions, one of them being whether they'll enjoy the same popularity they had before Paris voted in other cities of Europe. Shared e-scooters are affordable, sustainable, rider-friendly, less space-consuming, and connect people with their family and friends, making it highly implausible to assume that their popularity will ever die down in the coming years / Intelligent Transport

Product Launches & Updates

Volkswagen decided not to invest in upgrading its famous Golf car, which has been Europe’s best selling car for decades. The German motor vehicle company’s decision not to develop a new combustion engine lineup for the car is in line with the manufacturer’s aim to bring down the cost of electric vehicles and target more EV sales worldwide in the coming years / Reuters

DŌST Bikes has announced the upcoming release of its new electric cargo bike, the Crate Cargo Cruiser. Designed for commercial use, the bike features a modular platform that can be configured for a variety of cargo needs, as well as seating for up to four passengers. The bike is expected to be available for purchase in late 2023 / BusinessWire

The Async A1 Pro is an upcoming electric bike that offers an impressive range of up to 250 miles on a single charge. The bike features a lightweight, aerodynamic design and a removable battery that can be charged in just three hours. The bike also includes smart features like GPS tracking and a touchscreen display. The Async A1 Pro is expected to be available for purchase in mid-2023 / New Atlas

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

Uber is partnering up with Brazilian bike-sharing company Tembici aiming for a greener tomorrow! Under this partnership, Uber will provide Tembici’s bike-sharing service, including electric and common bicycles, through its app in Latin America. Initially available in the Brazilian city of Recife, the service will be later offered to other Latin American cities as well / Reuters

A public transit bus, known as Muni’s 54 bus, came to a halt due to an autonomous SUV that abruptly stopped in the middle of the road in San Francisco in early March this year. Reportedly, these cars made 92 unplanned stops between May and December 2022 and caused traffic delays. With driverless cars obstructing traffic, especially on transit lanes, and causing other road incidents, public and San Francisco’s authorities are expressing their concerns against this innovative technology more frequently, calling for better measures from the autonomous vehicle companies as soon as possible / Wired

Uber is offering an e-bike buy-back program for delivery workers in New York City. This program involves delivery workers trading their old e-bikes for credit that can be invested to buy new, safer e-bikes. Moreover, the ride hailing company also supports the addition of a small fee on food deliveries across the city to support the delivery workers in buying safer bikes for themselves. Both of these moves could be a possible solution to the rising e-bike battery fires in the city, causing deaths and injuries / The Verge

China's ride-hailing giant, Didi, announced it will launch a self-driving robotaxis service in 2025. The autonomous vehicles will operate 24/7 in the capital city of Beijing. The company also revealed its entry into the trucking industry with the release of a new logistics service that connects businesses with freight carriers / TechCrunch

Uber and DoorDash pay delivery workers only a few dollars per delivery, so most workers earn extra money from the tips customers leave after the deliveries. In hopes of handsome tips, workers often accept high-value orders, particularly in the areas near restaurants. But not every tip is up to their expectations, and as one driver claims, “it’s like gambling,” making it a hit-or-miss situation for the workers / The New York Times

Investment & Deals

According to a news release, the drone delivery industry is heating up in this tightly contested market as yet another firm, Flyby Robotics, shows its muscles after collecting USD 4 million in seed funding / eVTOL Insights

With a $400 million investment, tech holding company e&, formerly Etisalat, based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, inked a contractual deal with Uber Technologies to purchase a 50.03% majority ownership in the spinout, which will be called Careem Technologies / CNBC

UNIT 1 collected $3.5 million in a Series A fundraising round in Madrid/Wilmington, Delaware (probably for tax purposes in the US) / Tech.eu

Ford has planned a $1.3 billion (1.8 billion Canadian dollar) investment in Ontario's Oakville Assembly Complex to turn it into a Canadian center for electric vehicle manufacturing / InsideEVs

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 was recently crowned World Car of the Year, so there's no better moment for the automaker to increase its emphasis on electric vehicles. Hyundai Motor Group, in particular, would invest $18.1 billion (£14.6 billion / €16.6 billion) in South Korea / CarScoops

GM leads a $50 million EnergyX arrangement to source lithium for its electric vehicles. The arrangement states that the heritage automaker will assist EnergyX in scaling its lithium-extraction technology / TechCrunch

Cities & Policy

The administration of Joe Biden is proposing regulations that will require two-thirds of new vehicles and a quarter of new heavy trucks produced in the United States to be all-electric by 2032 / The New York Times

Ride-hail drivers in Washington State, including those who work for Uber and Lyft, will now be eligible for paid family and medical leave benefits. The benefits will be funded through a payroll tax on both the driver and the company. Washington is the first state to guarantee paid leave for gig workers, with benefits beginning in 2025 / TechCrunch

The US Environmental Protection Agency is set to publish harsh new requirements to boost EVs – and effectively phase out the sale of conventional combustion engine automobiles / The Verge

New Products, Features, and Data Points

Juiced Bikes, the popular manufacturer of high-performance electric bikes, has answered the call. According to a recent announcement, all of the company's electric bikes will now feature UL-compliant and certified batteries / Electrek

According to an email sent by hosts and viewed by TechCrunch, Turo, the peer-to-peer car rental startup, wants to limit access to third-party services such as CarSync and Fleetwire beginning April 30 / TechCrunch

Walmart intends to construct a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations in thousands of its stores, including Sam's Club locations. The network will be completed by 2030, according to the corporation / The Verge

Jobs Board

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Android developer at Transit - Montreal, Canada

Partner success at Transit - Montreal, Canada (open to remote candidates)

General Manager at Transit - France

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