The future of electric transportation is on two wheels | November 18, 2022
Plus, the sustainability problems of electric bicycles and scooters, and are e-bikes to blame for the battery fires in NYC?
Issue [#162] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!
Micromobility
EVs are taking the world by storm, and they are doing it on two wheels. Motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters are all that matter when it comes to getting more EVs on the road / Protocol
"Putting proprietary, unremovable technology deep inside in a bike frame is as unsustainable as it is uncircular" On e-bikes sustainability problems / BikeEurope
France's scooter sales increased by 42% from 2020 to 2021, indicating that scooters are becoming a mainstay of mobility in the European country / Le Monde
A study comparing pedal bikes to electric assist bikes in a bike share program found that e-bike riders used 13% less energy and enjoyed their rides 21% more / Electrek
In a joint letter with the European Parliament's Urban Intergroup and the Clean Cities Campaign organized by Transport & Environment, Micro Mobility for Europe urges better collaboration between local authorities and private operators when it comes to regulating micromobility / Lime
Bird says financial reports for 2020 and 2021 cannot be relied upon after overstating revenue for two years / The Verge
New York City is in the grip of fear and confusion after a spike in battery fires. But are ebikes the real culprit? / Curbed
Product Launches & Updates
The newly introduced 2023 Ducati Diavel V4 won the title of “Most Beautiful Motorcycle” at EICMA 2022, making it Ducati’s eleventh win this year. With its stunning design and powerful riding, this new muscle cruiser stole the show / Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology
Ready to meet the new FLX Menace? This electric bicycle, inspired by the timeless Schwinn Stingray bicycle, gives nostalgic vibes of the 1960s with a touch of modernity / Electrek
Nüwiel’s electric cargo trailers are ready to take sustainability and functionality to another level. Be it whole food deliveries, postal services, or goods deliveries from stores, these e-trailers can carry up to 200 kilos anywhere in the city with much less emission / Fast Company
Vattenfall and CAKE have set their sights on making a true fossil-free electric bike by 2025 / European Sting
Lucid Motors, an American electric vehicle manufacturer, shared the first glimpse of its upcoming all-electric Gravity SUV, in a live stream event. Considered a “supercar in disguise”, it’ll be much more luxurious, spacious, efficient, and functional, the company claims / Electrek
Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery
Waymo, an Alphabet company, will soon be launching robotaxis which will be much more capable of detecting and operating in drastic weather conditions. Equipped with weather-detecting and visibility sensors, they will serve as ‘mobile weather stations’, providing real-time weather information / The Verge
Revel, a Brooklyn-based company, proclaimed to set up more public EV fast charging Superhubs in 2023. Financed by BlackRock Alternatives with $50 million, these high-volume Superhubs will provide Level 3 charging to all EV types across the US / Electrek
Life in the gig economy might not be as flexible as you think it is. The features can be “a bit of a double-edged sword”, according to an Instacart and DoorDash shopper / FastCompany
Investment & Deals
Stellantis, the corporation that owns Jeep and Chrysler, has acquired aiMotive, an autonomous driving software firm, to increase the cars' capacity for autonomous driving and communication / Future Car
SF-based Kyte, a company that provides cars on demand, has raised $60 million in Series B growth equity funding led by InterAlpen Partners. Funds from the investment will be used to triple the company's fleet and expand its global reach while creating new alternatives to car ownership / Finsmes
First electric bus company in Kenya, BasiGo, has raised $6.6 million in a funding round led byMobility54, Trucks VC, and Novastar Ventures. The new round brings BasiGo's total funding in 2022 to $10.9 Million and will enable the company to begin commercial operations through its unique Pay-As-You-Drive financing model / Techbuild
General Motors' electric vehicle (EV) logistics subsidiary, BrightDrop, expects to hit $1 billion in sales by 2023, making it one of the quickest firms in history to do so / The Verge
Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future Intelligent Electric has signed a contract to fund up to $350 million in preparation for the launch of its FF 91 premium vehicle / Automotive News Europe
E-mobility company JUCR, located in Berlin, has announced a €32.2 million fundraising closure, including €6.2 million in seed money. After a €1.5 million pre-seed in February, this is JUCR's second investment call, increasing its total to over €33 million / Tech.eu
Bird, a firm that provides micro-mobility solutions in the United States, is looking for further capital to expand its operations in Europe and the United States. In a regulatory filing, the operator acknowledged that external circumstances, such as the present state of the market, might affect whether or not it can secure additional equity or debt funding / ZAGDaily
The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the US Government's Development Financial Institution, has confirmed a loan of $9 million (INR 73 crore) to Yulu, a shared electric Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider (DFI) / Mobility Outlook
Cities & Policy
London's already bustling population of bike messengers, fashion-forward Rapha riders, and Lycra-clad urban bikers now includes a new demographic. Swapfiets, a firm founded in the Netherlands in 2014, rents out Dutch-style bikes to thousands of people in London every year. In just four months this summer, it signed up 3,000 users in the United Kingdom / Bloomberg
The Nashville City Council passed a bill eliminating minimum parking requirements in the city's most urban areas. The new legislation sets the previous minimum requirements as new parking maximums / The Tennessean
The D.C. region needs safer streets, which means slower cars / BizJournals
Solar panels must be installed in car parks with at least 80 parking spaces under new legislation passed by the French Senate. Parking operators with more than 400 spaces have three years to comply with the measures, while those with 80 to 400 spaces have five years. / Grist
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