X Games Bans Electric Bikes to Appease Gas Riders | March 21st, 2025

Plus, Urban Sharing upgrades its micromobility platform, and Wonder scales its food “super app” with big-name execs and new acquisitions.

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Micromobility

Urban Sharing, led by CRO Tom Nutley, launched Urban Crew 2.0–2.2 within six months to centralize shared micromobility operations. The platform integrates SLA compliance, area-based analytics, asset-level history, field-team messaging, customizable dashboards, playlist views, over-compliance tracking, and a redesigned optimization algorithm debuting in March after internal testing | ZAGDaily

The X Games, facing pressure from gas-powered motocross riders, quietly banned superior electric motorcycles like the Stark Varg from 2025 competition to preserve format parity. Justified as leveling the field, the move drew criticism from RideApart and journalist Jonathan Klein, who mocked it as capitulation to legacy athlete insecurity | Electrek

Upway opened its LA UpCenter in Redondo Beach, extending U.S. operations coast-to-coast. California, its top market with 150% sales growth, offers key partners like Aventon and Super73, supports e-Bike vouchers, and hosts the 2028 Olympics. The center enables faster refurbishing, 40–60% discounts, local jobs, and trade-ins via 500+ retailers | Upway

Product Launches & Updates

KG Mobility (not Hyundai or Kia) launched Korea’s first electric pickup, the Musso EV, on March 5. Over 3,200 units were ordered in two weeks; the Special Edition sold out in 90 minutes. With SUV-like comfort, V2L, 250-mile range, fast-charging, towing, and Android Auto, it rivals Ford, Rivian, and Tesla | Electrek

BYD’s Seagull, a compact EV dubbed “Mini Lamborghini” and sold as the Dolphin Mini abroad, launches in Europe as the Dolphin Surf with added safety tech. Starting under £20,000, it rivals Citroën’s e-C3 and Dacia Spring. Designed by Wolfgang Egger, it features DiLink, “Gods Eye,” and CLTC-rated 305–405 km range | Electrek

General Motors is launching right-hand-drive Cadillac EVs—LYRIQ, LYRIQ-V, OPTIQ, VISTIQ—in Japan by 2026, leveraging its advanced EV battery system and CHAdeMO compatibility. Following EV debuts in Europe and Oceania, and strongholds in Asia and the Middle East, Cadillac adds an agent-based sales model and 37 national service points to support expansion | Electric Cars Report

Velotric just launched the Breeze 1, a $1,799 e-bike that combines cruiser comfort with commuter performance. It features a 750W motor (up to 28 mph), 643Wh battery (up to 75 miles), UL certification, Apple FindMy, torque or cadence sensors, hydraulic brakes, and fits riders 4’11–6’4″ | Electrek

Ridehailing, Carsharing & Delivery

Tesla secured a TCP ride-hail permit from California’s CPUC, allowing it to shuttle employees in Tesla vehicles on a pre-arranged basis, with public service requiring prior notice. Distinct from Uber and Lyft’s TNC model, Tesla isn’t in CPUC’s autonomous program nor permitted by the DMV for driverless testing. Elon Musk claims internal Bay Area tests with safety drivers and plans Texas trials. Critics remain skeptical of Tesla’s camera-only autonomy approach, lacking radar or lidar | The Verge

Waymo, after a 2023 denial, secured a temporary SFO permit—effective March 14, announced by Mayor Daniel Lurie—to manually map airport roads. Vehicles, tracked under a data interface agreement, can’t yet operate autonomously or deliver goods. Director Mike Nakornkhet, Peter Finn, and spokesperson Doug Yakel shaped this phased rollout framework | TechCrunch

Wonder, led by Marc Lore and COO Tony Hoggett (ex-Tesco, Amazon), is scaling 38 restaurants (55 more coming), 25 concepts, and vertically integrated logistics via acquisitions of Grubhub (Howard Migdal), Blue Apron, and Relay. With execs from Walmart (Whitney), Wayfair (Courtney), and Relay (Jay), Wonder targets “super app” mealtime dominance | The curbivore

Investment & Deals

Batterytech startup PULSETRAIN, founded by Leopold König, Thomas Plaschko, and Niclas Lehnert, raised €6.1M from Vsquared Ventures, Planet A, and Climate Club to industrialize its AI-powered “In-Battery” system. By fusing BMS, inverter, and charger, it extends EV battery life by 80%, cuts weight, boosts efficiency, and targets two-wheelers, fleets, and grid integration | Tech.eu

Evera, a French EV subscription startup co-founded by Dorian Jorry and Quentin Fabre, raised €2M from Groupe Magellim, Newfund NAEH Innopy, MCapital, AstoryaVC, and Eric Ibled. Offering Copilot software and full-service leasing for businesses, Evera targets fleet electrification as 45% remain EV-free. Board member: ex-Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbar | Tech.eu

Leta, a Nairobi-based logistics software startup founded by Nick Joshi, has raised $5M from Speedinvest, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, and Equator. Its AI-powered platform now handles over 10,000 daily deliveries for clients like KFC, Diageo, EABL, and Gilani. A $3M pre-seed in 2022 funded growth across five African countries. | TechCrunch

Laka, the e-bike insurer with a pay-after-claims model, acquired Allianz Direct’s Luko e-scooter business—20,000 French customers, Wakam contract, and all—marking its third deal in 18 months after Cylantro and CoverCloud. Now covering e-scooters, hoverboards, gyropodes, monocycles, and ultralight variants, Laka eyes Europe-wide micromobility dominance alongside partners like Decathlon | ZAGDaily

Cities & Policy

At Lime’s Tottenham depot—Europe’s largest—VP Andrew Savage and Ops Manager Imaan Williams oversee e-bike repairs powered by data, solar panels, and swappable batteries | ZAGDaily

The Trump administration, via Secretary Sean Duffy, gave New York 30 days to end congestion pricing, threatening MTA funding. Governor Hochul, CEO Janno Lieber, and spokesperson Avi Small refused, citing ongoing litigation | Bloomberg

Oil and gas executives—despite spending $75 million to elect Trump—met him Wednesday at the White House, urging deregulation and faster energy permits amid frustration over tariffs raising steel pipe costs and weakening demand | The New York Times

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