⚖️ EV Credit... for E-Bikes?

Plus, Ford poaches head of iCar, French runners break Paris speed limit, and BMW slams "irrelevant" e-bike laws.

September 14, 2021

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

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Thank you for reading.

Final Countdown ⏳

Hard to believe Micromobility America is just over a week away!

This will be the first time our industry has come together in-person in two years, and it couldn’t be happening at a more exciting moment. From the rise of 15-min cities to the extraordinary bike boom, clearly there’s much to discuss.

Join us, alongside an incredible mix of public and private decision-makers, in the SF Bay Area on Sept 23rd for an immersive day of talks, demos, test rides, meetings, and more. You’ll hear from US entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Wired senior reporter Lauren Goode, Secretary David Kim of the California State Transportation Agency, and many more.

Lastly, please note space is extremely limited and may run out in the final days. We recommend booking your tickets as soon as possible if you plan on coming.

P.S. We’re looking a few more volunteers to assist with setup in exchange for a free ticket. Contact us here or hit reply if you’re interested in lending a hand and eating pizza with us :)

What You Need to Know This Week

  • This week the US House Ways and Means Committee proposed creating a 15% tax credit for e-bike purchases for those earning less than $75k/year (down from a 30% rebate with no income limits in the last version of the bill). The legislation would also extend tax-free commuter benefits to scooter- and bike-share users for the first time.

  • Ford has hired away Apple’s car chief, Doug Field, become its chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer.

  • Bikes are not only one of the cleanest forms of transport we have to mitigate climate change, they’re also among the most resilient for surviving extreme weather events. Case in point, New York’s Citi Bike set a single-day ridership record the day after Hurricane Ida closed subways.

  • Planned community Culdesec announced partnerships with Lyft, Bird, and other mobility services as part of its effort to help residents live car-free.

Founder Shield, Joyride, and Segway have joined forces to host a special post-conference get together for the micromobility community at the Seven Stills Brewery + Distillery beer garden.

Just a short ride from the ferry terminal, you can expect craft beers, whiskey tastings, cocktails, and networking with conference leaders across the full spectrum of mobility.

For those who can attend, spaces are limited so make sure to sign up here.

  • Chinese EV maker Xpeng says it’s going to make a robotic unicorn toy that kids can ride.

  • A French running store invited a group of athletes to break Paris’s new citywide speed limit (~18mph) on foot.

  • A shocking study finds that up to 14% of dementia cases registered in Denmark in 2017 could be attributed to transport noise.

  • Swedish EV firm Polestar is developing a sort-of electric cargo scooter that can carry up to 400lbs and be used in the bike lane.

Shaero（Photo: Kisa Toyoshima）

  • While Europe is remaking its cities in favor of cyclists post-pandemic, the US is reverting back to its car-friendly norm.

  • Dutch startup Squad Mobility revealed designs for a low-speed, two-seater EV equipped with solar panels and swappable batteries. The tiny city car (technically a quadricycle) is said to have a base price of $6,790, although amenities like removable doors, heating, and air conditioning will cost extra.

  • The US needs 10x more public charging stations if it wants to spur a mass transition to electric cars.

  • On the rise of ADAS in shared micromobility: “People riding or parking scooters on sidewalks is a big problem for cities and forms one of the main complaints from NIMBYist residents who dislike change all the more when it becomes a tripping hazard. Companies are trying to solve this problem with tech that effectively puts the onus of rider behavior on operators, which may result in cities requiring scooter operators to have this sort of ADAS tech.”

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.