💥 Qualcomm’s Car Tech Deal Is Big News for Micromobility
Plus, France invests €2B in biking, Colorado has another ebike rebate, and NYC gets greenlight for congestion pricing.
🎟 Hurry! Tickets to Micromobility Europe are currently ½ price, but this deal is ending very soon.
Join us in Amsterdam on June 8-9. Decision-makers from top micromobility brands—including Pon Holdings, Walmart, Niu, Segway, Google, Urban Arrow, Inokim, Cowboy, McKinsey, Cake, Vassla, Navee, Swapfiets, and hundreds more—will take center stage for a lively mix of roundtable discussions, product launches, and networking events.
Today’s newsletter is supported by… Monimoto
Monimoto, a trusted brand for anti-theft GPS in powersports, has introduced a new product: DYI, an upgraded anti-theft tracker device for bikes and e-bikes. It offers the same seamless arm/disarm experience through a proximity keyfob and access to their top-notch customer service. End customers can find special launch offers here, while retailers can contact Bruno directly.
What You Need to Know Today
Qualcomm is acquiring Autotalks, an Israeli chipmaker whose V2X sensors help cars, micromobility devices, and other modes of transport communicate with each other to avoid collisions, for a reported $350-400M. The deal will help beef up Snapdragon, Qualcomm’s mobility tech portfolio, and signals that Qualcomm sees road safety as a lucrative opportunity.
Last week we highlighted some interesting trends in the European bike market, with ebikes showing steady sales growth, but traditional bicycles on the decline. Now, reports from France are showing massive growth in cargo bike sales for both traditional and electric setups.
High sales in France come in the midst of a groundbreaking new government initiative that will invest €2B to promote cycling. The majority of the funds will be dedicated to building out bike paths, with the goal of covering 100,000 km by 2030. The rest of the funds will be dedicated to subsidizing bike purchases and bolstering manufacturers.
This week Oliver Ouboter, cofounder of Microlino, stops by The Micromobility Podcast to talk about the Space Age bubble cars and the other highly efficient, highly beautiful EVs his company has been designing since the early 2000s.
Bike manufacturer Belgian Cycling Factory, the parent company of Ridley and Eddy Merckx bikes, has invested €15M to expand its ebike production capacity.
Tier Mobility, a European shared micromobility operator, is reportedly exploring a potential merger or sale with a rival.
Several major American cities—Miami, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle—have joined a pilot to test cargo bikes for urban deliveries.
This week on Ride On! Grégoire Lieurade joins us to talk about the birth of France’s newest ebike brand, Voltaire. We also cover new product drops from Ride1Up, Raleigh, Garmin, GEM, and much more.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority received President Biden’s approval for a traffic congestion pricing plan. Set to begin next year, the plan aims to limit traffic in the city by charging toll prices at peak hours of the day.
To address a piling trash issue, New York is exploring trash containerization, a system that would replace up to 150,000 street parking spots with trash receptacles. Car enthusiasts will certainly push back on the program, but New York’s Rat Czar would likely appreciate the new infrastructure.
London-based Delivery Mates recently acquired Xeroe, a zero-emissions delivery company. Delivery Mates made the acquisition to support plans to expand within the UK market and improve its sustainability efforts.
Following a concerted effort to promote transport alternatives, the number of households in Paris with cars has never been lower.
Shanghai-based HelloBike, an ebike sharing company, has filed for a US IPO for an undisclosed amount. The company is currently valued at $5B.
BBC News recently debuted a solar-powered broadcast studio on wheels, dubbed “The Bike Bureau.”
The Colorado Energy Office is now finalizing a $12M statewide ebike rebate set to kick off in spring 2024.
Swobbee, a Berlin-based battery swapping company for urban mobility, has raised €2M to scale up in Europe and new markets.
India-based Hero MotoCorp just launched Vida, its electric moped subsidiary, which will debut throughout Hero’s extensive network of dealerships in over 100 cities across the country.
… Vida is set to compete with Ola Electric, which just reported a whopping 30,000 electric moped sales this past month and claims to control 40% market share.
Zypp Electric represents another piece of the ever-growing electric mobility pie in India, announcing plans to deploy over 10,000 electric delivery mopeds in Bengaluru within the next two months.
Speaking of last-mile logistics, Australia-based Zoomo just announced an 8% job cut after last year’s 16% cut.
If you or anyone you know is looking for their next career opportunity, you can browse the best jobs in micromobility—and post your own—on our Jobs to Be Done board.
Today’s newsletter is also supported by… Comodule
Subscription ebikes and scooters are winning the hearts of commuters across the world, as they give enough freedom and flexibility but remove the friction of taking care of a vehicle
Join Comodule for a free webinar on May 11th to learn how subscription businesses operate and how big is the potential in this sector. Speakers include the CEOs of 3 subscription fleets: Motto, Zygg, and Äike, and in addition an industry expert from Comodule. Register here.