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đź›» Rivian eBike?
Plus, climate-controlled bike lanes, Lyft's new dockable scooter, and London’s congestion woes.
Before we start we’d like to introduce… Ride On! A new weekly video series in which we highlight the 10 most interesting and important news stories from the world of small electric vehicles. It’s a fun, concise way to catch up on the industry’s most timely trends. Tune into Episode 1 below.
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What You Need to Know Today
Sources at Rivian say CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed in a meeting last week that the EV pickup truck maker is developing an electric bike. No word yet on whether the bike will be a pedelec, moped, or motorcycle, so we asked Midjourney to mock up a few possible designs…
In addition to the many compelling business reasons why Rivian might want to make a smaller EV, there is also a strong ecological case for downsizing our batteries: “Unless people change how they get around, the demand for battery materials threatens its own environmental disaster.”
Another reason for manufacturers like Rivian to go small: Calls are increasing among transportation policy experts to tax vehicles by weight, including electric vehicles.
… and policy leaders are listening. In the U.S., a former EPA chief makes a bold claim: “The future of electric transportation can be led by on two wheels.”
Our newest episode of The Micromobility Podcast is a top-requested one. How Super73 fused SoCal minibike culture with hard-charging electric mobility—and built an instantly iconic eBike company along the way.
20 minutes. That’s how long it took Denverites to snatch up the latest round of all 860 rebates electric last week. Clearly the program is popular, but if past is prologue, only about half of the rebates will be used. Last year 46% of Denver’s eBike vouchers went unredeemed. It’s not clear why so many recipients don’t take advantage of the program. Many bike shops participate and nearly all eBikes are eligible… could it be the incentive ($400 in most cases last year) is not large enough?
The California Air Resources Board says it plans to give out electric bike rebates, even if California cities aren’t ready to step up on cyclist safety. “We really need to get the dollars out there.” Amen.
To make up for the lack of a federal U.S. rebate for electric two-wheelers, Zero Motorcycles says it will give riders an “instant incentive” of as much as $4,250.
A second electric bike rebate bill has popped up in Washington D.C and this one’s even larger than the first, offering residents +$750.
Zoba, a global fleet optimization provider based in Boston, is doubling down on Europe for growth: “While some of the e-moped sharing and bikeshares have done well in the US, across the board the baseline ridership rate is often half or less of what you would see in an equivalent European market.”
The sales volume of electric two-wheelers in India is expected to hit 22M by 2030.
… meanwhile the Indian government is considering hiking the import tax on electric cars and motorbikes to promote domestic manufacturing.
A new study finds London is more congested than any other city in Europe or North America.
Luckily London just launched a ÂŁ110M Scrappage Scheme that incentivizes residents to trade in polluting, older vehicles for electric bikes, scooters, and public transit.
And the U.K. government just announced a ÂŁ200M fund to support pedestrian, cycling, and micromobility projects.
GreenMo, a Dutch company that leases micromobility vehicles through B2B channels, has filed for bankruptcy.
Lyft is rolling out a dockable scooter as part of its U.S. bikeshare system, a move that could cut down on the operational costs and headaches of a free-floating system.
Super app Free Now has a new mobility benefits card for businesses that includes micromobility options.
Waev, maker of the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle, has scored a former Google exec as its COO.
As of January 1st, 2023, employees in the Netherlands can now claim a bicycle allowance of 21 cents per kilometer tax-free.
Dubai reveals plans for massive, 58-mile climate-controlled highway for walking and cycling. The project is aimed at improving access to active forms of transportations in a city where the average temperature high surpasses 100°F during the hottest months of the year.
French manufacturer Gouach has revealed four repairable battery models for micromobility players.
Relatedly, German firm Vertical Values is working with micromobility operator Tier to give scooter batteries a second life.
In Indonesia, the authorities are thinking about slashing VAT on EV sales to 1% and creating a $467.60 cash incentive for every electric motorbike sold.
Berlin-based moped sharer Emmy is acquiring the German operations of its competitor Felyx.
The city government of Delhi is launching its own moped-sharing service as part of the public transit system.
A scooter-centric survey of Los Angeles, arguably America’s largest shared micromobility market.
What happens when you subsidize big expensive vehicles: Immediately after the U.S. Treasury raised the price cap for electric SUVs that qualify for the $7.5k tax credit from $55k to $80k, Tesla raised its prices.Â
But even after being cut from the Inflation Reduction Act, electric bikes, not electric cars, are still the way of the future.
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