Micromobility Newsletter for April 18, 2023

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

A few quick things before we begin:

🌍 Earth Week Sale: Have you signed up for Micromobility Europe yet? If not, now is a good time. For the next 7 days, tickets to our Amsterdam conference in June are more than 50% off. Check out the first batch of speakers in our program here.

🤩 Free Ebike!? Your chance to win a brand-new ebike is here. Over at Ride Review, we’re giving away a highly versatile Lectric XP Lite to one lucky winner for free. Enter here for a shot to win.

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by… Caltrans

The California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) at Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is developing a strategy to support bikeshare. They want to ensure that bikeshare continues to grow as a sustainable, affordable, and convenient part of the mobility ecosystem, and they believe working with the private market will help make that happen. To learn more and contribute, check out the market sounding document at here and reach out to hello@calitp.org for more information.

What You Need to Know Today

In response to a series of incidents in which low-cost ebikes used by delivery workers caught fire in New York City, Uber is funding an innovative buy-back program to get unsafe batteries off the streets. Through partnerships with the ebike company Zoomo and the nonprofit Equitable Commute Project, couriers will be able to trade in old ebikes for credit towards a new one. With many cities considering restrictions on ebikes, Uber’s initiative is a creative way to ensure deliveries keep flowing.

Uber’s move comes at the same time as New York City is considering pair of new ebike safety bills. The first would require businesses using ebikes for commercial purposes to provide workers with fireproof or fire-resistant containers to charge and store removable batteries. The second would aim to establish a program to provide reduced- or no-cost lithium-ion batteries. (So… like a subsidy?)

In the aftermath of Paris’s decision to ban shared scooters, many are wondering, where is micromobility regulation going next? In our next webinar, we will explore the most current regulatory frameworks for shared scooters, bikes, mopeds, and more, including the need to balance public safety with innovation. Join us here.

Swapfiets, a micromobility subscription service from the Netherlands, is introducing a fast-charging, heavy-duty ebike that is designed specifically for delivery workers.

Related: Whizz, a New York startup that provides full-service ebikes for delivery couriers through a subscription model, has raised $3.4M in seed funds.

Ride On! is back. This week we cover San Francisco’s road safety crisis, Super73’s growing vehicle lineup, NACTO’s updated rules for micromobility lanes, and a bevy of new vehicles from Stilride, Aventon, SONDORS, Dost, and more. Plus, tune in to find out how to win a brand-new Lectric XP Lite…

Hong Kong is in the process of loosening restrictions on electric scooters, bikes, and other micromobility devices, but some say the city is still moving too slowly.

Like many countries, Spain saw a record year for ebikes in 2022, with sales reaching 236k units. That figure represents a gain of 5.6% compared to the year before.

Likewise, in the U.S., electric bikes are defying the bike downturn and outselling electric cars. Last year ebike sales exceeded 1M units, making up 19% of the total bike market sales dollars. (And it’s important to note, these numbers typically exclude online sales.)

The 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway project from Maine to Florida is far from finished, but it’s already benefiting cities along its route.

Zero Motorcycles is teaming up with the Ayala Corporation, a large Filipino conglomerate, to manufacturer and sell its electric motorcycles in the Philippines.

Magenta Mobility, an Indian EV firm that deploys electric three-wheeled trucks for last-mile logistics, has closed a Series A1 with $22M in funding from Morgan Stanley and BP Ventures.

Zeus Scooters has acquired Zipp Mobility, a fellow Irish shared micromobility startup, in order to expand its reach in Ireland and the UK.

Also from Ireland: Bikesharing operator Moby has raised over $5M in Series A funds to fuel international growth.

UNIT 1, a Madrid-based startup that makes smart bike accessories, including connected helmets and light-up backpacks, has raised $3.5M in Series A funds.

Facing heavy competition from Ola Electric and TVS Motors in India’s electric moped market, Ather Energy is doubling down on affordability as its key differentiator.

Donkey Republic may not be Europe’s largest bikeshare operator, but the arrows are pointing in the right direction. The Copenhagen-based company generated about $10M in revenue in 2022, up 81% from the year prior.

London-based startup Skarper has secured nearly $5M in funding for its patented technology that turns regular bikes into ebikes in seconds.

A new survey finds that people with disabilities frequently use shared scooters to avoid the fatigue and difficulty of walking or cycling.

Many European countries have incentive programs to encourage people to bike to work - but which ones are the best?

Swedish electric motorcycle maker Cake continues its expansion in Asia with the opening of its flagship retail store in Seoul.

Amsterdam, already one of the least car-dependent cities in the world, is redoubling its climate commitment by closing sections of several streets to automobile traffic. (Maybe we should do a field trip of Amsterdam’s latest road improvements during Micromobility Europe this June…)

A new study confirms that, compared to smaller cars, SUVs cause 55% worse injuries to cyclists they hit.

On the latest episode of The Micromobility Podcast, we share the inside story of Apollo Scooters, a D2C player from Canada that quietly ships 30k scooters a year by betting consumers want fewer, higher-quality choices. “You can probably capture with 80% of the market with just three products.”

Browse the best jobs in micromobility—and post your own—on our Jobs to Be Done board.

Like what you’re seeing here? Ride along with us every week.

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