đź’µ Ebike Incentive Not Dead Yet

Plus, London's Santander Cycles is breaking records, Bolt expands across Europe, and France begins its ebike subsidy program

August 16, 2022

Hello and welcome to the Micromobility Newsletter, a weekly missive about mobility, mostly mobility in cities by small electric vehicles. The reason you’re reading this email is that you signed up on our website or signed up for one of our events.

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PS As part of #LATechWeek, we are throwing an insanely fun happy hour in Los Angeles this Thursday (Aug 18), featuring cool bikes, people, and refreshments. There are still a few spots available on the list. Have you rsvp’d yet?

Down to the Wire

With Micromobility America just 30 days away, we are adding new speakers at a rapid clip, including the Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf, CEO/cofounder of Rad Power Bikes Mike Radenbaugh, General Manager of Citi Bike Laura Fox, and more.

Micromobility America is your chance to meet top global builders, investors, and thinkers for an immersive, in-person event in the SF Bay Area on September 15-16.

  • Access cutting-edge content from micromobility’s top global leaders

  • See breakthrough product launches and ride the most innovative new electric scooters, boards, bikes, and buggies.

  • Meet hundreds of attendees from innovative and emerging mobility brands

PS Interested in exhibiting alongside industry-defining brands in front of micromobility’s top global leaders? Get in touch! Here’s what our partners are saying…

What You Need To Know This Week

  • Last week, the US Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act without any incentives for ebikes. But there is still hope for federal ebike rebates in 2022 with additional tax amendments.

  • Even after the Inflation Reduction Act creates generous incentives, many electric cars are still out of reach for most people in the US.

  • Meanwhile, French ebike incentives go into effect this week.

  • Gogoro enjoyed growth in early 2022, but a “resurgence of COVID-19 in Asia and a deteriorating global economy” temper their earnings outlook for the upcoming quarters.

  • “This is an American bike lane—a blood-pumping obstacle course of neglected asphalt and ideas from the 1970s.” A tongue-in-cheek commentary on what riding a bike is like in many US cities.

  • Shared scooters introduced people to the benefits and fun of two-wheeled mobility. Now people are moving toward buying scooters. (Oliver Bruce expands on this idea in his latest blog post: Why Shared Scooters Are Like Internet Cafes.)

  • Has the bike boom finally reached its peak? Revenue at U.S. bicycle retailers fell 7% in Q1 2022 year-over-year, after rising 46% and 4% during the same periods in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

  • By introducing a congestion pricing model, New York could put some of the burdens of paying for road infrastructure on its most significant users - motorists.

  • U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson sends a letter to the U.S. Postal Service urging them to adopt more cargo bikes for mail delivery.

  • Manilla introduces a bill requiring car owners to show proof that they have off-street parking before registering their vehicles. Japan has had phenomenal success with curbing car dependency by adopting similar “proof-of–parking” rules.

  • Sport and recreational bike sales fall in the UK, but ecargo bike sales see continued growth - up 37% in the 12 months up to May 2022.

  • South American countries hold the majority of the lithium supply for the EV sector. Government control, environmental concerns, and indigenous rights limit the output to match global demand.

  • Los Angeles has only achieved 3% of its plan to make the city more bikeable and walkable. Now activists are introducing an initiative to hold the city accountable for following through on the program.

  • You heard it here first: Golf carts are the way of the future.

Pod People

This week we’re releasing a talk from our Micromobility Europe conference, featuring a conversation between world-renowned tech analysts Horace Dediu and Azeem Azhar. This is a fascinating interview covering the evolution of cities, mobility, and disruptive tech.

Jobs to Be Done

Exciting news: Your favorite jobs board (this one) has launched a new and improved platform.

Jobs to Be Done is an expanded, keyword-searchable online hub where you can post open positions and connect with thousands of talented professionals seeking jobs in in the burgeoning world of new mobility. Check it out and post your first job free using promo code SF!

Featured Jobs: