VROEGH Design’s neo-retro creation: The e-bike that can rival luxury cars | Aug 25th, 2023

Also, Arcimoto is teaming up with Department of Defense contractor Matbock, Tel Aviv is getting a Metro, and Polestar achieved a major milestone with its 150,000th Polestar 2 electric sedan.

Issue [#201] - Every week, we deliver analysis and curation of emerging mobility news - post a job listing here!

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Micromobility

Tembici’s Brazil General Manager Gabriel Reginato talked to Zag about how they have a powerful data analytics team in the market, why they need advanced servicing hubs, and what makes women use Tembici bikes six times more than regular bikes. Gabriel also pointed out that due to the lack of economic resources in Latin America, the company’s operational success in Brazil depends on improving efficiency in logistics and maintenance. According to him, the secret behind having the strongest data analytics teams on the market lies in their mindset regarding KPIs | ZAGDaily

A tiny electric vehicle maker is venturing into a new territory: the military industrial complex. Arcimoto announced on Monday, August 21, that it has teamed up with Matbock, a Department of Defense contractor that produces “hybrid-electric tactical vehicles.” This is a new direction for Arcimoto, which is mainly known for its open-air “fun utility vehicles.” Arcimoto revealed that it will provide “electrical systems architecture and energy storage systems” to Matbock | TechCrunch

As e-bike sales are flourishing, fat tire e-bikes are also getting more popular than ever, specifically in the Netherlands, which is considered the bicycling capital of the world. And they also attract a lot of thieves. The ANWB, the biggest cycling association in the Netherlands, says, “In Amsterdam, the chance of your fat bike being stolen is 90 percent.” That’s why the ANWB has decided to stop insuring fat tire bikes because they are too risky to cover | Electrek

A new collection of bright blue ‘River e-bikes’ has been unveiled by Forest, formerly known as HumanForest, a company based in London. The e-bikes are part of a ‘pop-up’ initiative to support The Rivers Trust and can be rented throughout London until the end of 2023. The campaign aims to draw attention to the situation of the UK’s waterways and raise money to help improve them | ZAGDaily

Charlotte Naughton and her son planned a road trip this summer around the UK and Ireland in their electric car that holds less than 100 miles worth of charge, and despite her fear of running out of charge and not finding any working chargers along the way, the trip went extremely well. And it was fun too! They were able to map all the chargers across the UK and Ireland and found no connection failure or malfunctioning app. Now, she suggests everyone trust their electric car and give it a chance to make driving not just sustainable but fun as well! | The Guardian 

Product Launches & Updates

A new neo-retro urban bicycle design has been revealed by VROEGH Design, a Dutch R&D agency with expertise in mobility design and engineering. The bike was designed to attract even the most luxurious car owners and persuade them to use e-bikes for short journeys. This bicycle by VROEGH has a simple, elegant, and original look, unlike other bike brands that often opt for bright, striking designs. Yet it’s not just the look that will catch the riders’ eyes

Can-Am is planning to release the Can-Am Origin and Can-Am Pulse electric motorbikes by the end of 2024. The bikes have been tested in all conditions to ensure a fun riding experience. The Can-Am Origin is made for off-road adventure and adds thrill to both trails and urban settings, while the Can-Am Pulse makes any daily trip a thrilling ride – it is light and nimble, ideal for city roads | The Pack

Polestar (PSNY), a rising EV maker from Sweden, just shared a major production achievement. The company’s 150,000th Polestar 2 electric sedan came out of the production line on Wednesday as it grows the brand worldwide. Polestar was founded in 2017 as an independent Swedish EV maker, and Polestar 1 was its first passenger vehicle. The Polestar 2, unveiled in February 2019, was the company’s first fully electric vehicle and pointed towards a new greener future for the EV maker | Electrek

Ford has introduced a new limited-edition matte black F-150 Lightning. The F-150 Lightning Platinum Black is a monochromatic electric truck with the tech and power capability of the high-end Platinum trim level, wrapped in a unique matte black wrap. Only 2,000 units will be built, with deliveries starting in early 2024 at a starting price of $97,995. The 300-mile extended-range battery is standard on the limited-edition model, which also features unique design accents | Electrek

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

San Francisco’s robotaxis might be a new era of urban commuting, but it’s certainly not without bumps. While CPUC allowed the robotaxis to provide 24/7 service and charge the riders, they blocked the traffic the very next day in the city’s North Beach neighborhood after the Outside Lands Music Festival. Apparently, due to a large number of people attending the festival, wireless service was disrupted, and the cars lost contact with the central office. Yet, this instance shows that these robotaxis are still not ready for extensive deployment in the city | Vox

Tel Aviv has one of the greatest traffic congestion among all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, and to relieve some of that congestion, a light-rail system has been opened in the city. From the city’s southern suburbs and out to its eastern suburbs, the 24-kilometer-long line will carry an estimated 234,000 passengers a day, with 34 stops along the way | Bloomberg

Uber has raised the minimum age for new drivers in California to 25 due to rising commercial auto insurance costs. The rule applies only to ride-hailing, not food delivery. Existing drivers under 25 can continue to drive | ABCNews

Uber and Lyft have replaced their surge pricing model with upfront fares. Lyft CEO David Risher said that they are trying to get rid of surge pricing because riders hate it. Surge pricing was seen as everything wrong with capitalism by some, while others viewed it as a basic economic principle | Slate

Investment & Deals

According to insiders, Zeekr, the premium EV brand of Chinese automaker Geely, is set to engage with global investors in late August to gauge interest in a $1 billion U.S. initial public offering (IPO) | Reuters

Swedish battery producer Northvolt raised $1.2 billion from BlackRock and Canadian pension plans to build factories in North America and Europe, reports Reuters | TechCrunch

Teamsters voted 86.3% in favor of a historic UPS contract, benefiting over 340,000 workers with raised wages, more full-time jobs, and workplace protections | Teamster   

NaaS Technology purchases Charge Amps, a Swedish EV charging solutions provider, for $66.4 million, furthering its global dominance strategy in the EV charging industry | Tech.eu

MobilityFund launches new fund, Calif. office | Benzinga 

Cities & Policy

Ford recalled 48,924 Mach-E vehicles in June 2022 due to potential overheating of high-voltage battery contactors during fast charging, posing an accident risk | TechCrunch

Colorado Energy Office launches state-wide e-bike rebate program with $6.6 million fund to assist 7,000 Coloradans | ZAGDaily

In Switzerland's Zermatt, a prohibition on private cars and gasoline vehicles is in effect. However, local businesses have the opportunity to acquire specially manufactured compact vehicles | Tom Scott via Youtube 

In a reversal of stance, the Biden administration now asserts that car companies should no longer disregard the widely supported car repair law | 404 Media 

New Products, Features & Data Points

A widow in mourning files a lawsuit against Tesla following a fatal crash and explosion involving a Model 3 | TechCrunch

The latest installment of "Land of the Giants: The Tesla Shock Wave" showcases robots in vehicles, experiencing both coffee breaks and moments of perplexity when encountering roundabouts | The Verge

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