The X1: Urban electric mobility at its best | March 17, 2023

Also, Audi launched software update 3.2 Q4 e-tron vehicles, BMW i5 Electric Sedan debuts in October, Cruise robotaxis are coming to Austin, and Arrival raised $300 million in equity funding.

Issue [#179] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!

Micromobility

E-trikes are in demand among older adults in America, but are the policymakers and urban planners ready for this change? To keep the senior households in suburban neighborhoods moving, they need to speed up their efforts to provide a more bike-friendly infrastructure where they can ride without any fear of traffic or tipping over / Bloomberg

Why are e-bikes booming in many Amish communities despite the Amish areas’ avoiding dependence on the outside world? David Mullet, a member of the Old Order Amish Church and the owner of E-bikes of Holmes County, has an obvious answer to the question. “It’s a lot quicker and you travel faster too,” he claimed / Electrek

Traditional bicycles might be the most popular two-wheels among people, but e-bike sales are also catching up! According to the associations of the bicycle industry (ZIV) and the bicycle trade (VDZ), 2.2 million e-bikes were sold in 2022, almost half of the 5 million bicycles sold in 2020, and with an increase in sales, came to a boost in prices as well / MarketScreener

Electric bikes’ popularity is on the rise due to their sustainability, efficiency, and fun commuting experience, but some beginners may regret riding one after some time due to some misunderstandings. From compromising quality over price to ignoring the battery quality to buying an e-bike without a warranty, here are some misconceptions that new riders have when buying an e-bike for the very first time and should be resolved in case of future purchases / Newswires

E-bikes are among the most eco-friendly transportation options, which is why their use on local trails has also been proposed, but some environmentalists are not so keen on the idea. According to them, the electric two-wheelers on unpaved trails can substantially endanger wildlife and damage habitats / The Independent

In this episode of the #CitiesFirst Podcast, Scott Shepard has Selika Josiah Talbot, an industry leader in autonomy, electrification, and future mobility, as a guest, where she shared her views on Vision Zero in the US, long-term mobility options, instances where autonomy can be used in the coming future, and also on her recent children's book, Sammie and Sally Mobility Series / The #CitiesFirst Podcast

Product Launches & Updates

Audi’s software update 3.2 for Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron vehicles is here! With a promise to deliver functions with “high everyday utility,” this update includes Plug&Charge, future over-the-air updates, and increased DC charging capacity, and available for old vehicles as well as vehicles from the model year 2023 onwards / Electrive

Scorpio Electric’s flagship product, the X1, is here to defy the borders of urban electric mobility! The Singapore-based company’s first electric motorcycle offers a top speed of 105 kph, a maximum range of 200km on a single charge, and a lithium manganese cobalt oxide battery, representing the company’s dream to enter “a new era of electric mobility.” / Vulcan Post

Porsche has announced the addition of a full-sized all-electric SUV to its lineup, which will sit above several other upcoming EVs, as part of its goal of having 80% of all new sales be EVs by 2030 / TechCrunch

BMW i5 Electric Sedan is all ready to be debuted in October 2023! An icon of comfort and dynamism, this all-electric model in the new BMW 5 Series is furnished with BMW Operating System 8.5 with BMW Curved Display, advanced digital systems, and both plug-in hybrid and all-electric drive systems, making it perfect for a comfy and sporty driving experience / ElectricCarReports

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

Zipline has updated its drone to make the deliveries as accurate as possible! The autonomous delivery operator launched its drone-attached droid that can store delivery contents and empties them safely when it reaches the destination. With a dropping zone within two feet and a robust onboard sensor suite, the deliveries will be safer and more accurate than ever! / Yahoo! News

Bolt is now expanding its operations in Nepal. After launching in Thailand in 2020 and recent efforts to branch out in Africa, the Estonian ride hailing startup is aiming for an expansion in Nepal by attracting customers with lower service fees and ride hailing drivers with zero commission, with the startup already having around 100 million customers in 45 countries and 500 cities across Europe and Africa / Techloy

General Motors’ Cruise is all set to begin the autonomous robotaxi service on Austin roads later this spring. The driverless taxi, called Origin, is developed with a “campfire-style” seating arrangement, has a “sensor suite” for safety, and operates without pedals or steering wheels. Beginning the testing in the evenings, the company is hopeful people will welcome the experience with open arms / Kxan

The fight over California State’s Proposition 22 is still ongoing, and it seems that it will remain in place after an appeals court in California ruled that it should be allowed to stay even after a judge invalidated Prop 22 in 2021. The law allows ride hailing companies to categorize their workers as independent contractors rather than employees / The Verge

Investment & Deals

An acquisition deal between Parisian ride-sharing company BlaBlaCar and home-to-work carpool startup Klaxit has been announced. It remains to be seen if the deal will be completed, but Klaxit's inclusion in BlaBlaCar's lineup will enhance the service's dominance in both long-distance and short-distance carpooling / Tech.eu

Following a £3 million capital injection, London's Bonnet launches an already overfunded crowdfunding campaign / Tech.eu

Deliveright, the company behind the leading AI-powered logistics and delivery platform Grasshopper, reached the end of 2022 with more than 50% year-over-year revenue growth and more than 1.5 million deliveries since its inception / BusinessWire

Volkswagen bets its future on electric vehicles, announcing plans to launch 30 new EVs shortly after its $18.2 billion emissions scandal / Engadget

Arrival, a UK-based electric vehicle startup, has raised another $300 million in equity funding in the hopes of slowing the financial bleeding that has plagued it in recent months / Electrek

Cities & Policy

Boston's regional planning agency is warning that app-based delivery services such as DoorDash have become an important source of traffic for the region, with estimates that gig-economy drivers deliver take-out food twice as often as they transport passengers / StreetBlogsMASS

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced the launch of a new multibillion-dollar program to fund electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative fuel infrastructure in communities across the country, as well as along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways / IntelligentTransport

New Products, Features, and Data Points

The WSJ reported that Rivian is in talks with Amazon to end the exclusivity clause in their commercial EV van deal, citing unnamed sources / TechCrunch

Hammerhead has announced that its Karoo 2 GPS computer now supports ANT+ LEV e-bikes. Battery life and range remaining versus route distance remaining are now displayed alongside your standard ride stats / ebiketips

Due to its crowdsourced map editing feature, the Google-owned navigation app claims that its EV charging locator will be the most accurate / The Verge

The Transportation Secretary discusses Tesla's self-driving technology and Elon Musk's decision to make plugs available to other electric vehicles / Bloomberg

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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