Electric cargo bikes are becoming the new normal | March 24, 2023
Electric cargo bikes are becoming the new normal | March 24, 2023
Also, Ford’s Explorer EV enters the European market, Acer debuts its new Ebii electric bicycle, and Tesla has released the 11th beta version of its FSD software.
Issue [#180] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!
Micromobility
Cargo e-bikes have the potential to change the car-centric mentality of people and replace car trips due to their sustainability and affordability, and with so many e-bike manufacturing brands infiltrating the EV market, it’s about time we try considering buying one for ourselves and lugging loads of heavy cargo with these electrified cargo bikes / The Verge
Norway took the establishment of bike-friendly infrastructure one step further! Bergen, Norway, is getting ready to open a 1.8-mile purpose-built cycling tunnel for only bicycle riders and pedestrians. Declared the longest in the world, this tunnel will reduce a usual 40-minute journey to a 25-minute one and is as safe and comfortable as it can be! / Jalopnik
Coronavirus pushed America to redefine its infrastructure, urging the cities to establish new bike lanes, regulate driving on main streets, and more. But the emergency declarations are at an end now, and a divided opinion is emerging over whether these changes should be made permanent or removed entirely / The Washington Post
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has reported over 557,000 riders in Dubai using the shared e-scooters in 2022, which is double the amount recorded in 2021, due to new e-scooter lanes and permitted riding areas and with the expansion of bike-friendly infrastructure in the city, these numbers will continue to grow / Intelligent Transport
Product Launches & Updates
Ford’s Explorer EV is all set to enter the European market! With a starting price of €45,000 and manufactured using Volkswagen Group’s all-electric “MEB” platform, the Explorer EV will offer several new features and serve as a trendsetter for upcoming Ford electric vehicles / TechCrunch
Genesis Motor has entered the US EV market with Genesis Electrified GV70! Being the first U.S.-assembled model by the South Korean vehicle manufacturer, the EV will first be available in 15 US states, boasting features like a 77.4-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, an EPA combined range of 236 miles, an all-wheel drive powertrain, and more / InsideEVs
Pure Advance is not your conventional electric scooter and is here to redefine the foundations of the e-scooter sector! Manufactured by UK-based micromobility specialist Pure Electric, this e-scooter offers revolutionary features like a forward-facing riding position, and two fold-up floorboards for the rider’s feet, with a simple and elegant design that counters the standards of today’s e-scooters / MSN
Acer has made its mark in the world of computing, and now, it’s trying its hand at electric mobility solutions with its new Ebii electric bicycle. This e-bike is the epitome of innovation in both design and technology, boasting features like a built-in AI system offering an automatic transmission, a proximity locking and unlocking system, and more / InsideEVs
Here’s a sneak peek into the new HOVSCO HovWagon and HovScout, the company’s two all-new fat tire e-bikes! HovWagon is a small utility bike with 20″ fat tires, a 720Wh LG battery with a range of up to 60 miles, and a maximum cargo capacity of 450lb, while the HovScout is a full-suspension e-bike inclining more towards giving an off-road experience to its riders / Electrek
Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery
Uber's advertising division has rolled out a new out-of-home opportunity (OOH) for both drivers and small businesses! This new feature is a self-serve ad platform, cartop advertising, that will help drivers boost their earnings by 15%, and small local businesses will get to connect with their customers while they move, making cartop ads an affordable way of business marketing / MediaPost
Ranked as the world’s largest autonomous ride-hailing service provider, Baidu is now offering fully driverless robotaxi service in three megacities in China: Beijing, Wuhan, and Chongqing. Being the first-ever fully autonomous taxi service provided in the capital of any country, the AI company now aims to connect the Yizhuang Economic Development Zone and Beijing’s nearby airport to serve commercial purposes as well / After Market News
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a constitutional challenge to Assembly Bill 5, proposed by Uber. This challenge enabled the ridehailing companies to continue treating their workers as independent contractors instead of employees, but this court ruling is likely just a start to future constitutional challenges to numerous state business laws that protect workers and consumers / The Mercury News
Waymo, an Alphabet-owned company, published a paper where it put forward a case for the safety of autonomous vehicles with evidence that, according to the company, is backing up the safety case and Waymo wants regulators and other automotive vehicle companies to join in on this effort and help prove that AVs are safe for public use / The Verge
Investment & Deals
Candela, the innovative Swedish hydrofoil company, has just landed a sweet $20 million in funding led by EQT Ventures to power up their electric watercraft production. With a focus on making boats faster, quieter, and more eco-friendly, Candela's electric hydrofoils are poised to revolutionize the industry. This cash infusion will break new ground while boosting production numbers and expanding the team / Tech.eu
Lanterne, a leading startup in the development of fleet optimization software for micro-mobility providers, has successfully secured £485,000 in seed funding. This innovative technology utilizes data science and geospatial analytics to accurately predict demand and optimize routes and task completion for more efficient rides. According to CEO Alex Barnes, the funds will be allocated towards enhancing their engineering and data science capabilities with the goal of achieving their scaling targets for 2022-2023 / ZAGDaily
Kakao Mobility, a leading ride-hailing company from South Korea, has recently acquired the super app startup Splyt. This UK-based startup offers a unique platform that allows ride-hailing companies to expand their services to customers in other countries. The deal brings together impressive technology and talent from both companies. The acquisition also means around 30 Splyt staff will join Kakao Mobility. Also, key management from Splyt will move to South Korea to ensure a smooth integration with the Kakao Mobility team. It's an exciting development that could lead to better ride-hailing services for customers worldwide / TechCrunch
Revving up its wheels of success, Zedify has secured £5 million in funding to expand its e-cargo bike delivery services across the UK. The company is set to unlock new avenues of opportunity in Birmingham and Manchester as it gears up to more than double in size and accommodate over 120 new jobs nationwide - 20 of which are expected to be in the Midlands. With fresh energy in its tank, Zedify is set to shift its headquarters to Birmingham, ready to pedal its way to the top of the delivery game / ZAGDaily
The transportation startup Via has recently acquired the London-based urban mapping app Citymapper. The terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but it was confirmed to involve both cash and stock. Citymapper will be integrated into Via’s platform while also remaining a standalone service. Citymapper employees will join Via, with the exception of CEO/founder Azmat Yusuf who will serve as a transition advisor / TechCrunch
Candela, a Swedish company, has recently raised an additional $20 million to fund the launch of their new 30-passenger hydrofoil shuttle called the P-12. This vessel aims to revolutionize motorized water transport by using fossil-free technology. The P-12 is powered by electricity and uses computer-controlled underwater wings to lift itself above the water’s surface. It can travel up to 60 nautical miles at a speed of 27 knots while using 80% less energy than traditional boats / TechCrunch
Cities & Policy
Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, has announced new legislation to prevent fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in electric bikes and scooters. Under the bill, all micromobility devices must meet safety standards set by UL Solutions, while the resale of batteries will be prohibited, and the reconditioning of used batteries will be restricted. The "Charge Safe, Ride Safe'' plan will promote safe battery usage and increase education and outreach to electric micromobility users / Cities Today
The E-BIKE Act has been reintroduced to the US House of Representatives. Tax credits of up to $1,500 could be available to Americans who purchase electric bikes if the legislation passes. The federal tax credit covers up to 30% of the cost of a new electric bike, up to $1,500 / Electrek
Lawmakers in Massachusetts are proposing bills that would require app-based delivery services like DoorDash to report detailed data about their operations, similar to what Uber and Lyft already do for passenger trips. This comes as Boston’s regional planning agency warns that these services have become a major source of traffic / StreetsBlogMass
New Products, Features, and Data Points
Tesla has released the 11th beta version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to beta testers. The update brings improved object recognition and smoother driving behavior. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, claims that the new update is "dramatically better" than previous versions and will lead to more confident driving with less human oversight / InsideEVs
Jobs Board
Here’s a selection of job openings from our partners. Want to see your listing here? Click here for pricing/details.
Android developer at Transit - Montreal, Canada
Partner success at Transit - Montreal, Canada (open to remote candidates)
General Manager at Transit - France
If you liked this post from Movements, why not share it? Forward it to a friend and we’ll send you some sweet karma!