🍎 NYC Hands Down Big Decisions on Ebike Safety
Plus, fresh fundraising from Ridepanda, Luup, Joyride, and more.
Don’t forget to take a moment to ensure you’ve submitted your vote for the Rider’s Choice Awards. The initial round of voting concludes this Wednesday (November 15th). After this, the lowest 30% of nominees in each category, based on popular votes, will be excluded.
With close to 2,000 nominees spanning around 100 categories, it’s crucial to cast your vote promptly to ensure your preferred choices remain contenders in the competition.
Some of the current vote leaders include: Bolt, Giravolta, Papaya, Comodule, Ampler, Gigi Montrose, Shred Light, and more.
What You Need to Know Today
New York City set some important precedents on electric bike and scooter safety this week, which could potentially have national (or even global) repercussions…
First, Amazon has stopped selling non-UL certified batteries to New Yorkers after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the city. Meanwhile, Walmart and eBay continue to ship non-UL certified vehicles.
Next, a Manhattan committee decisively struck down a bill that would have required licensing and registration for all electric bikes and scooters, saying it was both “harmful” and “unnecessarily punitive.” The real issue, the committee said, is illegal mopeds.
Lastly, a new proposal to the New York City Housing Authority would allow the storage and charging of safety-certified micromobility vehicles, but limit the number to one device per household.
Meanwhile in the U.K., a proposed bill would mandate third-party approval of all electric bikes, electric scooters, and batteries before they are released to the commercial market.
… unfortunately the latest King’s Speech in Britain made no mention electric scooter legislation, an omission that has left many in the industry disappointed.
Spain offers a stark reminder of what’s at stake when policymakers choose not to engage with the industry on safety: Madrid has banned electric scooters on all public transportation over concerns related to battery fires.
Ridepanda has raised $7.5M in debt and equity, led by Blackhorn Ventures and Yamaha Motor Ventures, to help enterprise customers like Amazon offer ebikes and scooters to their employees.
Lithuanian mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platform Trafi, an app that allows users to plan and book trips from multiple public transit and shared mobility operators, has achieved profitability after a decade.
One company, Rad Power Bikes, is dominating Denver’s groundbreaking ebike rebate program, claiming 27% of the city’s vouchers this year and 47% in 2022.
Speaking of rebates, the city of Bloomington, IN, just created a new program offering residents $1,000 off the purchase of an ebike.
The city of Berlin has hired Vianova, a mobility data platform, to provide insights using data from the city’s fleet of micromobility vehicles. The company’s analytics will inform policy and infrastructure decisions.
Electric bike rental service ETT Industries has been acquired by London-based electric moped food delivery operator Otto. ETT vehicles’ larger battery capacity will allow Otto couriers to work longer hours without having to frequently switch and recharge batteries.
Luup, a Tokyo-based startup that accounts for 90% of shared scooter trips in Japan, has raised nearly $24M for expansion. “The startup is now on a spending spree to help it widen its lead by doubling the number of its charging ports to 10,000 by 2025, from a current 4,900. Luup’s closest competitor, Bird’s Japan unit, BRJ, has around 300.”
Joyride announced a new partnership with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN). The company received an investment of $900,000 from OVIN, which it will use to develop and install internet connectivity in GEM low-speed electric vehicles.
Last-mile electric fleet solutions provider Zoomo is welcoming VOK, a vehicle grade cargo bike maker, and Fernhay, a micromobility vehicle solutions company, into its platform.
In the U.S. drivers are killing 20 pedestrians a day.