🎉 Cowboy eBike Giveaway

Plus, Vässla comes to the USA, eBikes hit tipping point in Germany, and Zeway raises $29M for battery swapping.

Hi - before we get down to business…

🇫🇷 Are you heading to Paris for Autonomy? Come say hi! Tomorrow, March 22nd, Askoll EVA and us are throwing a networking party for industry insiders and passionate outsiders near the venue. We’re nearly at capacity, so we’re going to close registration soon. If you’d like to come, rsvp right now.

🆓 On this week’s episode of Ride On!, Tanguy Goretti stops by to talk about Cowboy’s growth and the new hill-crushing AdaptivePower mode. To celebrate, we’re giving away a very nice Cowboy 4 to one lucky viewer for free (retail value: $2,990). Watch the video below to learn how to enter to win.

What You Need to Know Today

Let’s start with a fun one: The longest bike tunnel in the world, the 1.8-mile-long Fyllingsdalstunnelen in Bergen, Norway, is set to open next month.

New Zealand is considering a proposal that would allow employers to offer their staff electric bikes without incurring a fringe tax. And in Australia, cycling activists are demanding that buyers of electric bikes receive the same government support as purchasers of electric cars. If these measures are approved, they will be the first micromobility incentive programs anywhere in Oceania, according to our Global Subsidy Tracker. Which country will put the region on the map first?

French startup Zeway has raised $29M to fund the expansion of its battery swapping network for mopeds.

No matter whether you’re in sharing, subscription, or retail, staying on top of product development is key to growing revenue in micromobility. How can vehicle development boost your bottom line? This week Oliver Bruce will interview Faction Bike Studio about design trends redefining small EVs. Register now for this live webinar and audience Q&A.

A New York City lawmaker is proposing that delivery workers should be allowed to charge their bikes at fire stations to decrease the risk of battery fires in apartment buildings.

Another legislative proposal would ban all free parking in New York City once and for all.

The total number of electric bikes shipped to Europe last year increased by almost 15%, from 1,032,638 units in 2021 to 1,185,695 in 2022.

… and in Germany, electric bikes accounted for 48% of the cycling market in 2022. At this rate, motorized bikes will almost certainly overtake traditional bikes in sales this year.

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USDOT’s 2024 budget requests more than $1.3B to combat America’s spiraling road fatality crisis. That kind of money could buy a lot of bollards…

This move comes at the same time as cities all over America are wrestling with whether or not to make COVID-era traffic restrictions permanent. 

Vässla is coming to the USA. The Swedish startup says its lightweight, futuristic electric bike will soon be accessible through a subscription service in NYC. For those living elsewhere in the States, the bike will be available to purchase for $2,990.

Want to know more about Vässla? On the latest episode of the Micromobility Podcast, the company’s founder Rickard Bröms joins us to talk about building an innovative subscription model for Scandi-style bikes and mopeds.

Vässla Pedal launched as Swedish electric bike with torque sensor

What does it take to start your own ebikeshare service? YoGo, a family-owned business from Youngstown, OH, has some advice for would-be entrepreneurs.

Indonesia has begun giving out subsidies for electric motorcycles, mopeds, and cars.

First California raised insurance requirements for dockless bike and scooter providers to new heights, now New York is looking at doing the same.

British e-cargo delivery startup Zedify recently completed a $6.1M funding round, led by Barclays, which will enable expansion into Manchester and Birmingham. 

A new bill in Oregon would allow public schools to direct money from their transportation budgets to fund the creation of bike buses.

This innovative school transit solution is accompanied by some exciting incentive developments, too. Sponsors of Oregon’s eBike rebate bill have introduced some significant changes that would offer more benefits to low-income residents, and a separate proposal by the Portland Clean Energy Fund would offer $20M in eBike rebates to residents over the next five years.

Five scooter operators have banded together to issue regulatory recommendations to European cities, including suggestions on minimum contract length and fleet size.

We’re living in a golden age of affordable e-cargo bikes, which tend to be among the most popular (and heavily ridden) types of electric bikes.

A bill introduced by an Illinois state representative would offer electric bike discounts to low-income residents and residents living in areas of low air quality. 

U.K. auto repair chain Kwik Fit will start servicing bikes through a partnership with Fettle.

After banning many forms of micromobility in 2021, Malaysia is now using the city of Shah Alam as a “sandbox” to test the efficacy and safety of re-introducing tiny transports onto the streets.

Will your next online purchase arrive via boat and bike? It’s a real possibility if you live in London, where electric cargo bikes are going to be used for the last leg of a new river freight trial on the Thames.

Browse the best jobs in micromobility—and post your own—on our Jobs to Be Done board. Featured jobs: