Micromobility Newsletter for November 22, 2022

This post was originally published in the weekly Micromobility Newsletter. For more insights, analysis, and news about the future of urban mobility, subscribe here.

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🌍 Micromobility World is coming on January 19th. Join micromobility’s top global builders, thinkers, and leaders for a massive virtual gathering—including unparalleled networking, incredible talks, and the first-ever Rider’s Choice Awards ceremony. Tickets are free for a very short time, so register now.

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‍Today’s Micromobility Newsletter is brought you to by Zoba…

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When operators deploy vehicles in locations where they are not needed, everybody loses. Yet it happens every day. In our latest blog, Zoba analyzed 300 million rides to understand what “ride cannibalization” is, what causes it, how it’s eating operator profits, and what they can do to reduce it. Read blog.

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What You Need To Know This Week

• USDOT Secretary Buttigieg says a federal ebike subsidy is off the table for now, but hopes increased funding for cycling infrastructure will lead to quicker adoption.
• Electric car and moped startup Revel raises $50M in debt financing led by BlackRock Alternatives to fund the expansion of Superhub chargers.
• Is there anything cargo ebikes can’t do? “When Boris Johnson said ‘You can’t deliver a fridge by bike,’ we delivered him a fridge by cargo bike to Downing Street.”
• If you need more convincing about the benefits of ebikes, a new study shows that they are 21% more fun and 13% more efficient than pedal bikes (and you won’t be sweaty upon your arrival).
• Black Friday deals are already trickling in. Check out the early micromobility deals in our comprehensive shopping guide — and submit your own deals here.

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Now more than ever, micromobility startups need to be strategic about how they approach scale. For our next webinar, we’ll talk to sharing economy experts about how you can sustainably grow your fleet, strategically expand to new markets, and deliver seamless end-experiences that come at a reduced cost. Join us for a live panel and Q&A on November 30th. Register here.

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• California has awarded a $20M grant to electric motorcycle maker Ryvid as part of an initiative to create high-paying jobs and spur EV innovation.
• With opposition mounting, the fate of shared electric scooters in Paris now rests in Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s hands.
• Austin is getting in the holiday spirit with a plan to double the rebate for people who buy electric scooters, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles.
• The real EV revolution is happening on 2 wheels. In the fast-growing megacities of Asia, and particularly China, small EVs are everywhere.

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• Rad Power Bikes founder Mike Radenbaugh will step down as CEO to focus his efforts on ebike innovation and advocacy. Phil Molyneux, former head of Sony and Dyson, will take over as CEO.
• Portugal’s infrastructure minister calls out the auto industry, noting that electric cars will do nothing to solve road congestion and traffic deaths.
• Micromobility veteran Vince Cifani of Joyride shares a hot tip on an untapped market: “Private schemes for campuses and hotels is a massively untapped market...at a hotel with a fleet of 25 scooters serving a population of 200 people for 12 operational months, you could make roughly $162,000 a year in revenue."
• Nüwiel wanted to make it easier for people in Germany to buy goods locally, so they designed an electric cargo cart that attaches to any bike and can be also towed by hand.

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• Silicon Valley residents are stockpiling micro-EVs. “With the marketplace filling with new and highly specialized electric wheels, each serving a specific function, trip length or mood, it’s becoming increasingly common for households to purchase two, three, four or even more electric wheels, from an entry-level e-bike to a souped-up golf cart.”
• Mirroring sales trends across Europe, the number of ebikes purchased in Finland leapt 30% between 2020 and 2021.
• What it’s like to make deliveries using an electric quadricycle in NYC.
• You think your local bike lanes are bad? See how they stack up against some of these atrocious displays of cycling infrastructure.

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• The Netherlands is deploying active mobility experts all over the world to teach local city planners about how to encourage cycling and walking.
• Cake and Volta are joining forces to deliver electric motorbikes in electric trucks in France.
• Charging an electric Hummer to 100% can cost you over $100.
• Browse the best jobs in micromobility—and post your own—on our Jobs to Be Done board.

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Pod People

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This week on the podcast, we go inside the biggest cargo ebike consumer subscription business in the world with Ben and Dan Carr from Lug and Carrie. Listen here.