đź©ş Ebike Subsidy on Life Support

Plus, Voi banks $115M, majority prefers owning to renting e-scooters, and the top DoorDash orders of 2021, revealed.

December 21, 2021

Welcome to the final Micromobility Newsletter of 2021.

Looking back at the year, many of the disruptions of 2020 flowed straight into 2021, despite the widespread availability of vaccines. Knots in the global supply chain got denser. Fresh rounds of lockdowns interrupted international and local travel. Traffic gridlock crept back to pre-pandemic levels, yet buses, trains, and office districts remained distressingly deserted.

Meanwhile, ebike mania swept the world; several micromobility companies rode the wave of EV SPACs to stock market debuts; and a rainbow of new “instant commerce” unicorn-apps upended retail supply/demand by promising to deliver groceries to consumers in 15 mins or less.

Yes, it was a rollercoaster year for urban transportation. And from the looks of it, the next year promises more of the same.

If you want to know where the industry is heading in 2022, we have you covered with our free virtual conference, Micromobility World, streaming live on Jan 12th.

We’ll bring together top experts to cover all the latest updates in the world of small electric vehicles. Highlights include Bird founder and CEO Travis VanderZanden (making his first public appearance since the IPO) and Robin Chase, serial entrepreneur behind Zipcar, Veniam, and NUMO. And of course, our own Horace Dediu will preside over the entire affair.

Tickets are free but space is limited so grab your spot now 👇

What You Need to Know This Week

  • With US Senator Manchin opposed, the future of the BBB bill (and the $900 ebike subsidy it contains) looks dim. Here’s a tracker of other ebike subsidies that are available in the US and Canada, 54 in total.

  • The EU is making bike parking mandatory for any new or renovated buildings that have between 4-6+ car parking spaces. The new “minimum bicycle parking requirements” promises to make cycling easier for millions of Europeans.

  • The top DoorDash orders of 2021 included bedsheets, french fries, Cabernet Sauvignon, ice cream, and live crickets. Diverse products, requiring diverse methods of delivery.

  • Four years after the first shared scooters came out, private ownership is starting to take off. McKinsey examines consumer preferences for electric scooters, and finds people would rather own (64%) than share (6%) by a landslide margin. Looking at those numbers, it’s not surprising that companies such as Bird, which started as a scooter rental service, are now adding new retail products.

  • Notice the research also shows a good chunk of consumers gravitate toward subscription or leasing schemes. Unagi is aiming to corner this market with its all-access e-scooter subscription, now expanding to all 50 states.

  • Voi raises $115M in Series D funds, as it preps to enter more cities and file for an IPO. The Sweden-based micromobility company claims it achieved 140% year-over-year revenue growth in 2021.

  • Rad Power, America’s largest ebike seller, says it will raise prices after the holidays, citing the ongoing global supply chain crisis. Will other ebike companies follow in 2022?

  • Gogoro is launching a new battery swapping initiative in Taipei that uses Gogoro-powered smart parking meters.

Eco-Lumina smart parking meter powered by a Gogoro battery. (Gogoro photo)

  • Colorado approved a new rule that will divert as much as $6.7B in funds by 2050 from road expansion toward public transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, construction emission reduction, and other environmentally friendly strategies.

  • Lime is planning to expand in the Middle East over the next two years.

  • Kymco, the largest motorcycle and moped producer in Taiwan, will likely spin off its EV division and take it public via SPAC. (Funnily enough, last week Harley Davidson announced it would do the same thing with its own electric efforts.)

  • Hyundai unveils MobED, a four-wheeled robot that’s designed to carry pretty much anything, from parcels to people and beyond.

  • The founder of Chinese electric moped manufacturer Niu Technologies has formed a new company to make full-size EVs.

  • Wind’s stopped blowing. Last week we learned that European scooter startup Wind is selling its Italian subsidiary to rival Tier. Now it looks like the company is offloading the rest of its operations, market by market, to various competitors, including Superpedestrian (UK, France), GoTo (Spain), Yandex (Israel), and Voi (Norway).

  • Is the ebike you want on backorder? Here’s everything you need to build your own.

  • Citroen’s newest concept EV is a pint-sized off-road buggy. Looks like a weekend companion to the company’s tiny city car, the Ami.

  • GoPuff, the instant grocery startup, is raising $1.5B in a convertible note at up to a $40B valuation, ahead of going public as soon as mid-2022

  • The ITDP says the road to keeping global warming below 1.5° C is two-pronged: promoting vehicle electrification and encouraging cycling, micromobility, walking, and transit.

  • Zoomo unveils a new utility ebike called One ($4,000). Designed for hauling food and packages, the One has 128 lb (58 kg) of cargo capacity, a removable battery, and enough range to last a full working day on a single charge.

  • Just in time for the holidays, Electric Scooter Guide shared with us 11 straightforward tips for buying an electric scooter (plus, they recommended 8 models to buy now). Check it out.

Jobs to Be Done

Welcome to our jobs board, where every week we post open positions in hopes of connecting our talented readers with professional opportunities in the burgeoning world of new mobility. Find out who’s hiring below and sign up for the newsletter to view fresh listings every week.

Hit reply if you have a job that you’re interested in listing.

Culdesac:

Dance (Berlin, unless otherwise noted)

Hopp (Reykjavik):

Regional Program Director @ Tranzito (Los Angeles)