🇺🇸 Micromobility America Is Today
Plus, news from Tesla, Yamaha,Decathlon, Cannondale, Suzuki, Peugeot, and more.
#MMAmerica Arrives…
Micromobility America—the global epicenter of small EVs—kicks off in only a few hours.
As ever, this iconic SF Bay Area event will bring together an incredible mix of industry insiders and passionate outsiders for two inspiring days of talks, networking, product launches, award shows, awesome giveaways, and of course, ride demos. (Have you seen the agenda?)
If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, there’s still time to course correct. We have a few tickets left, which you can purchase here. (Consult our travel FAQs and don’t forget to rsvp for the After Party.)
Side note: Tomorrow afternoon (Oct 20th) we are hosting our first-ever consumer show, Ride Expo, which will allow any and all comers to ride the best new vehicles from top brands, including Lectric, Cake, Apollo, Tenways, Land, Ryvid, Gem/Waev, Voltaire, Eovolt, Sarit, ENVO, VMAX, Meepo, Plus, Aike, Peak Rides, Swifty, Navee, Emerald, EBI, Tern, Wombi, and Pave, to name a few. If you are in the Bay Area, come by and check it out. Tickets are only $20.
What You Need to Know Today
Some of the biggest news of the week will be breaking later today at Micromobility America… Micah Toll of Electrek has the early scoop on what to expect: “The event is heavily attended by CEOs of most of these major e-bike, e-scooter, and e-moto companies. Being able to test so many different vehicles, especially back-to-back in order to make direct comparisons, is an invaluable experience.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that they will consider regulating micromobility devices, predominantly ebikes, but likely won’t move forward until 2025. (Quick: Someone ask CPSC about this during their workshop at Micromobility America today…)
Tesla’s new Cyberquad, a tiny ATV for kids whose style is reminiscent of the mammoth Cybertruck, is going on sale in Europe.
Bikelash grips Europe with politicians across the continent seizing on the issue of car-free cities to proclaim themselves on the side of drivers.
Utah plans to create a massive 4,700 miles of active transportation pathways, including bike paths, multi-use paths, and improved trails, by 2050.
Check this out–- the Modular Quad Base Architecture (MODQA) from Suzuki is a four-legged electric scooter (?) that can climb stairs.
French bike-maker Lapierre revealed its new electric mountain bike: the Overvolt GLP III. The high-performance, off-road two-wheeler is built around a lightweight carbon frame carrying a 725 Wh battery and a Bosch motor with a peak power of 600 watts.
For some bike shops, servicing ebikes can be more profitable than selling them. From a store owner in Washington state: “When e-bikes took off, I realized I didn’t have to concentrate on selling bikes at all, that there was much more money to be made in fixing them. When we stopped selling bikes, there was no loss of income.”
British manufacturer Swifty Scooters announced the all new Swifty GO G5000. Swifty’s big-wheeled escooter runs on the innovative Lithium FerroPhosphate (LFP) battery that is used in Teslas. On top of that, the scooter has disc brakes, dual suspension, and indicator lights. (Try Swifty’s newest ride today at—where else—Micromobility America!)
Integral Electrics’ new Maven Cargo is an ebike designed with women and shorter riders in mind, a perspective that is often overlooked in the design community. The Maven’s geometry takes into account the lower centers of gravity for shorter riders by placing cargo closer to the ground thereby offering increased stability and a less intensive riding experience.
Cannondale’s Moterra Neo LAB71 is an electric mountain bike with all the premium parts. The new model comes equipped with RockShox suspension, a Sram XX Eagle AXS transmission, and a Bosch CX race motor.
Decathlon has a new cargo bike to follow up the well received Longtail. The new Elops F900E is an electric cargo bike with a chain driven, rear hub motor that can carry up to three small children.
Estonia-based TNC Bolt is rolling out distance-based pricing, as opposed to the standard per-minute model, for scooter rentals with the goal of encouraging safer riding habits.
The British island of Jersey is reopening its ebike grant scheme, offering vouchers ranging from £300 to £600 ($364-$728).
French designer Peugeot has a new line of ebikes with a truly striking design. The new line includes three models: a commuter, a long-tail cargo, and a front-loaded cargo.
Could this three-wheeled refrigerator ebike from China one day replace the ice cream truck? The quirky scooter comes equipped with a front loaded freezer box, a motor with up to 10,000 watts, and an 8.6kW battery capacity. Our only question is…does it do the jingle?
B-Line Urban Delivery announced a new battery-swapping partnership with Portland’s Nike-backed bikeshare system.
Yamaha just unveiled two new cutting-edge electric bicycle concepts. The first, named Y-01W AWD, boasts all-wheel-drive capability with electric motors on each wheel and two batteries, promising extended travel distances. The second model, Y-00Z MTB, is an electric mountain bike featuring an electronic power steering system.
Indian motorcycle manufacturer Tork Motors is partnering with EV charging station operator Bolt.Earth to offer its users charging station accessibility across a staggering 1,100 Indian cities.
California-based Murf Electric Bikes just introduced the Higgs Cargo, a versatile e-bike combining elements from their Alpha Cargo and Higgs Step-Thru models. Designed to be accessible for riders of various sizes and purposes, it's a Class 2 e-bike equipped with a 500-W rear-hub motor, a 780-Wh battery pack for a range of 35-50 miles, and 20-inch wheels with 4-inch-wide fat tires.
Belgium-based motorcycle brand Treval Motorcycles released the DTRe Vince. The electric motorcycle puts out an average 11 horsepower and peaks at 15. It’s fitted with Bybre brakes and an LCD instrument panel.
Indian motorcycle manufacturer Tork Motors is partnering with EV charging station operator Bolt.Earth to offer its users charging station accessibility across a staggering 1,100 Indian cities.
A new University of Bristol study finds that ebike riding can help adults manage type 2 diabetes. “Enjoyment came from being able to ride a bike comfortably due to less physical exertion than a conventional bike, and the ability to ride further, faster and on hillier terrain.”
On the latest episode of the Ride On! podcast James talks to Dani Horwitz, CEO of VMAX, discusses the Swiss company’s journey to provide high-quality electric scooters with a focus on safety and reliability for the US market. Ride the VMAX scooters for yourself at Micromobility America.
Aw. A new study finds that bikers tend to care more about the collective good of society than drivers 🥲
Could the rise of robotaxis spell the end of “dooring?” Waymo’s self-driving technology could drastically reduce incidents in which a motor-vehicle door is opened into the path of another road user. (Waymo’s developers will discuss road safety in more detail today at—you guessed it—Micromobility America).
You might be interested in my proposal for new country towns in which people work part-time outside the home and in their free time build their own houses, garden, care for their own children and grandchildren, and pursue hobbies and other outside interests. They would live on small family homesteads grouped around neighborhood greens and get around town in lightweight electric cars that go 30 mph. Etc, etc, etc. See here for the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0C9HKW