Sustainability and Micromobility | September 30, 2022

This week, Porsche has been the breakout star on Frankfurt Stock Exchange, e-scooters popularity rises with or without good weather and how safe do you think ebikes’ batteries are?

Issue [#156] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!

Micromobility

Electric bikes have been getting a lot of hype as of late. However, there has been an ongoing debate about whether or not electric bikes are safe. Some people caution against buying electric bikes in fear that their lithium battery could burst into flames at any minute. And while these fears have been overhyped by the media, they do bring up an important point: Are electric bike batteries actually safe? / Move Electric

Google Maps can now tell if you have a TIER Mobility device nearby to use. You can see how far it is, whether the battery is charged, and how much it will cost you / Intelligent Transport

The micromobility revolution has arrived, and the world looks set to embrace the electric two-wheelers. It's an ethical choice for people to turn to micromobility — it's seen as more convenient, environmentally friendly, and a better use of resources than privately owning a car. However, one thing, in particular, that could stop micromobility from taking over is whether or not brands can prove their own sustainability. Before we cheer too loudly, it's worth considering what position micromobility companies are themselves taking towards environmental issues such as pollution and emission / MicromobilityBiz

Australia's capital cities continue to roll out micromobility options, including scooter sharing. As it turns out, the weather matters – and e-scooters are gaining popularity in dry weather and rain compared to other types of shared mobility / The Conversation

As a result of new French laws and structure reforms, trips by car in Paris have dropped about 45% since 1990, the use of public transit has risen by 30%, and the share of cyclists has increased tenfold, according to a paper published by the journal Les Cahiers Scientifiques du Transport. Another study published by the Parisian Urban Planning Workshop (Apur) discovered that car numbers in the French capital have fallen steadily since 2012. According to the data, nine in ten French people have a car, whereas only three in ten Parisians do / Reasons to be Cheerful

A partnership between Mycle, a British e-bike brand, and Ecologi, an organization that encourages climate action, will ensure that trees are planted for every order placed on the Mycle shop / Move Electric

Have you ever seen an e-bike made of cardboard? We didn't know it was possible to make one, let alone ride it but former toy maker and engineer James Burton proved us wrong / via James Burton

Product Launches & Updates

Electric semi trucks from Tesla have been spotted being shipped around the US on the back of other trucks in anticipation of their debut in 2023 / Electrek

On Tuesday, Eviation's all-electric Alice plane made its maiden flight after years of on-the-ground development. Steve Crane, a test pilot for Boeing, guided the nine-passenger airplane through takeoff from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, a facility frequently used for testing new aviation technologies in Eastern Washington's high desert. During her eight-minute maiden flight, Alice reached a maximum altitude of 3,500 feet before safely landing back at the airport / GeekWire

It turns out that Huck Cycles Overland is quite popular among city riders. This 145-pound (65 kg) Huck Overland was initially designed as a lighter, smaller, and more maneuverable electric two-wheeler for hunters and campers. With a nominal 3 kW motor and a peak 6 kW motor, it has a range of 40 miles (64 km) from its 3 kWh battery and, according to CEO Brett McCoy, its Mad Max look has attracted the interest of city riders / Electrek

Beyond Scooters has unveiled its new Cargo One vehicle, designed to provide delivery services. Designed with a long wheelbase, steering stabilizer, and front and rear suspensions, this EV ensures food deliveries can be transported smoothly / FutureTransport

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

American West Restaurant Group and ElectraMeccanica launch their first fleet pilot program using the SOLO Cargo / via ElectraMeccanica

A 17-year-old has been arrested and charged with Uber hacking in Oxfordshire. Several counts of breaching bail conditions and computer misuse have been filed against the teen, according to London police / The Verge

In Grand Rapids, Minnesota, May Mobility is offering a wheelchair-accessible fleet of autonomous vehicles developed in conjunction with Via, a company that provides transit technology / TechCrunch

EV incentives in Norway are being eliminated –or at least reduced– in order to encourage people to take buses and trains instead of driving their own cars / The Drive

Many cities now offer various transportation options, including rideshares and taxis. However, users do not have the time to search through multiple apps when they seek an affordable way to get from A to B. That's where the new rideshare comparison Obi app comes in. Obi connects clients with the best possible rides based on their needs –whether they are looking for the best price or the fastest journey. The app compiles local rideshare prices from across the major rideshare companies, including Uber and Lyft / BadCredit

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car project, has more than a million autonomous vehicle miles under its belt. But in order to make the leap to a world in which self-driving vehicles roam the streets, Waymo must convince the public that a computer can drive better than they can. And that means robots and humans will have to start testing their mettle against each other. Enter stage right: virtual humans / The Verge

Serve Robotics will test its new door-to-door autonomous robot delivery service in Vancouver for two weeks in partnership with Pizza Hut Canada. / BC Technology

Investment & Deals

Moxion Power has raised $100 million in a Series B round to replace noxious diesel generators with silent batteries / via Moxion Powers Co.

EV-charger installation startup, Kopperfield has closed a $5 million seed round co-led by General Catalyst and Lachy Groom / TechCrunch

The school transportation solutions leader HopSkipDrive has raised $37M in a Series D financing round. Funding will be used to continue the company's ambitious plans to transform and modernize the school transportation sector / PRNewswire

NIO Inc. has agreed to a strategic funding deal with Greenwing Resources Ltd. to accelerate the exploration program at the San Jorge Lithium Project in Argentina and to act as the company's potential joint venture and offtake partner. In exchange for $12 million, Nio has acquired a 12.16% stake in Greenwing Resources, and the eight-year-old Chinese electric vehicle maker is also getting the right to one candidate for Greenwing's board and a call option to purchase up to 40% of Andes Litio SA. / Greenwing Resources

EV startup Faraday Future has secured $100 million in funding to launch its flagship vehicle, the FF 91, a month after warning it was running out of money. / TechCrunch

PandaGo, an electric vehicle rental platform, has raised €4.7 million in a funding round led by Kibo Ventures. The Madrid-based company will use the funds for market expansion into France and Italy, customer service improvements, and sales and marketing to help businesses easily electrify their fleets / Tech.eu

Stanley Robotics has announced a multi-year agreement with Velodyne Lidar, Inc. for the supply of lidar sensors for automated valet parking solutions / BusinessWire

With one of Europe's largest IPOs, Porsche, the 91-year-old German automaker, became the breakout star of the market on Thursday. In its debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Porsche shares rose 2 percent to 84 euros each, valuing the company at €77 billion, or $75 billion. Stocks closed Thursday with a flat price of €82.62 a share / The New York Times

VW's PowerCo battery division has formed a $3 billion joint venture with Belgian technology company Umicore to produce cathode material for 2.2 million electric vehicles by the end of the decade / TechCrunch

In a SPAC deal worth $1.8 billion, Harley-Davidson Inc spun off its electric motorcycle division LiveWire, creating the first publicly traded electric motorcycle company in the USA / Reuters

The London-based software company, Papaya has announced that it has raised $3.5 million from institutional and angel investors to help electrify last-mile logistics in Europe / TechCrunch

Cities & Policy

The governor of California signs a proposal banning cities from requiring new developments near public transportation to include parking spaces / Cal Matters

With more than 4,000 electric vehicles in its fleet, New York City has already reached its 2025 goal of 4,000. About 4,050 gas-powered vehicles had been replaced by zero-emission electric vehicles as of September 2022 in NYC / Electrek 

Cycling infrastructure and driver education projects are underway in Carlsbad, California, to make the city streets safer for cyclists / InsideEVs

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has approved plans for electric vehicle charging stations for all 50 states, Washington and Puerto Rico. As part of the November 2021 $1 trillion infrastructure bill, 5 billion dollars will be allocated to help states install EV chargers along interstate highways over 5 years. According to USDOT, states now have access to over $1.5 billion for EV chargers / Engadget

By 2040, California plans to ban sales of new diesel semi trucks, speeding up the transition to zero-emission vehicles / Green Car Reports

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