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Plus, a micro-EV that mines crypto, Didi’s big IPO, and America’s e-bike fever.
Hello and welcome to the Micromobility Newsletter, a weekly missive about mobility, mostly mobility in cities by lightweight electric vehicles. The reason you’re reading this email is that you signed up on our website or came to one of our events.
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Save the Date
Before we start, a brief reminder that the Micromobility America conference is coming back to San Francisco on Sept. 23 for a full-day of programming, reflecting the unprecedented tech and policy innovations that are reshaping our multimodal future.
If you love this space and want to find your tribe, come join us.
Grab your tickets now before General Admission pricing kicks in. Space is limited.
The Longview
Micromobility is further along on EV adoption than any other class of vehicle on the road by far, according to a new report by BloombergNEF. Some 44% of global two- and three-wheeler sales today are electric, compared to just 4% of passenger cars. Not only that, but EVs already account for about a quarter of the world’s micromobility fleet, with Asian markets like China and, to a lesser extent, Taiwan, Vietnam, and India, leading the way. While the BloombergNEF analysts estimate EVs will make up 70% of all cars by 2040, they’ll have to climb a steep path to get there. At present, only 1% of the global passenger car fleet is electric.
Importantly, those BloombergNEF numbers actually exclude one of the fastest-growing micromobility segments, electric bikes. In the U.S. alone, e-bike sales went from $8.3m in February 2019 to $18m a year later to $39m this February.
Were it not for significant regulatory credits—combined with its bitcoin profits—Tesla would currently be operating at a loss.
Fueling iCar rumors, Apple has hired Ulrich Kranz, a former BMW exec and the recently departed CEO and cofounder of Canoo.
A good look at why big trucks pose such unique safety hazards to other road users: “Research has found that modern pickups—which can have tall hoods, large blind spots, and stiff body-on-frame designs, and which can often exceed 4,000 pounds—are particularly deadly in crashes with pedestrians and smaller, lighter vehicles.”
The NYT examines why the price of Ubers, Airbnbs, and other sharing economy services is going up.
How much space do cities devote to cars? On average, a street in one of the 20 largest counties in the U.S. is a sprawling 55 feet wide.
Chinese TNC Didi is getting ready to file for an IPO on the NYSE. The startup is looking to raise $10b at a $100b valuation after turning a $837m profit in Q1.
From fintech to bike-share, Didi’s business is much bigger than just ride-hail.
Swedish company Northvolt has raised $2.75b to accelerate European battery production.
The U.S. is looking to reduce its dependence on Chinese lithium by partnering with allies for its EV needs.
Meet the “universal visitation law” of mobility, a new data-backed postulate that maintains that people frequently visit locations that are geographically closer to them (in other words, most trips are short trips).
Helbiz will introduce its own e-scooters designed by Pininfarina and engineered in Italy by MT Distribution. This partnership brings together three international companies leading the future of electric mobility: Pininfarina, a symbol of the elegance of Made in Italy products worldwide, MT Distribution, a company known for its excellent production quality in the Italian Motor Valley, and Helbiz, a pioneer of sustainability and innovation in micromobility.
The Microview
The number of bikes being shipped to the U.S. is on the rise but still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. American retailers imported 1.2m bikes in April, up from 857k in April 2020 but down from April 2019’s count of 1.3m.
Swedish micromobility seller Vassla has raised $11m. The funding round, which was led by Skabholmen Invest, will be used to launch a new vehicle-as-a-service vertical for leasing two-wheelers to individuals, delivery drivers, and businesses.
Meanwhile, electric scooter startup Unagi is expanding its subscription offer to Chicago and Washington, DC.
Daymak’s latest three-wheel EV will mine cryptocurrency using onboard solar panels.
A new study shows that building protected bike lanes encourages cycling, while the impact of unprotected bike lanes is “not statistically significant.”
Wuling, maker of tiny, golf cart–style cars, continues to crush Tesla as the top-selling EV brand in China.
E-bike subscription service Dance announced a slate of high-profile angel investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chance the Rapper, Maisie Williams, and more.
In New Zealand, micromobility devices have outsold electric cars by 7.5 to 1 so far this year.
Voi is modifying some of its e-scooters to emit a humming sound to alert visually impaired pedestrians of their presence.
Trucks VC is launching a new fund for later-stage transportation startups. Here’s a glimpse at their micromobility thesis: “[General Partner Reilly] Brennan says a lot of the VCs with ‘good hair’ have been calling the end of micromobility, so now’s the perfect time to spot emerging companies building a new wave of ideas in B2B, hardware and operating systems.”
A useful guide for shared micromobility entrepreneurs on how to optimize product and operations to reach profitability.
Pod People
Over on the podcast, Oliver Bruce interviews Richard Thorpe, a McLaren veteran and the leader of British folding e-bike startup Gocycle, about why convenience and portability matter to our mulitmodal future.
Jobs to Be Done
Welcome to our jobs board, where every week we post open positions in hopes of connecting our readers with professional opportunities in the burgeoning world of new mobility. Find out who’s hiring below and sign up for the newsletter to view fresh listings every week.
Hit reply if you have a job that you’re interested in listing.
Comodule: B2B Sales Manager (remote potential)
Dance: Technical Recruiter (Sourcer) - Hardware (Berlin)
Lime: Supply Project Manager (remote) + Sr. Fleet Partner Manager (Warsaw)
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