NYC Delivery Riders Feel Safer Thanks to Minimum Pay Law

Plus successful fundraising for GIN E-Bikes and Velco, 20,000 Superpedestrian scooters up for auction, and more.

January 09, 2024

Welcome to the Micromobility Newsletter, your weekly digest of important events and industry news in the world of personal transportation.

🏆 Time is running out to cast your vote in the Rider’s Choice Awards. After two months and thousands of ballots, the final elimination round is coming up next week. Winners will be determined by popular vote and announced via livestream at Micromobility World (rsvp here) on January 25th. It's coming down to the wire. Get your votes in right away.

What You Need to Know Today

Gachaco announced plans to provide battery-swapping services for consumers in Japan, a major expansion from their business-focused operations. The move is part of a partnership with multiple motorcycle manufacturers including Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Eneos.

Ola Electric now qualifies for the Indian government’s Production Linked Incentives (PLI) program. This is a first for electric motorcycle manufacturers in India and is a significant milestone as Ola Electric prepares for an IPO later this year.

GIN E-Bikes secured a ÂŁ510,000 (~ $650,000 USD) investment to expand their operations. The funding comes from Ukrainian investment company Toloka.vc, and will allow the UK-based e-bike manufacturer to ramp up production and introduce a specialized cargo bike.

Most people agree that electric scooters don’t belong on the sidewalk, but in many cities scooter riders have no other option. This study from Spin shows how improving bicycling infrastructure has a positive effect on other micromobility services.

Phylion Battery Group is a major supplier of electric bike batteries in China, and now they’re targeting European and North American markets with their newly-formed subsidiary, Joycube Battery.

Superpedestrian will be auctioning off over 20,000 electric scooters later this month. The auction will also include other equipment from the shared mobility startup’s US operations, coming after they officially shut down at the end of 2023.

2023 was a rocky year for many shared mobility operators, but Gbike is hoping to capitalize by acquiring some of their competitors. The Seoul-based shared mobility provider hopes to expand their market share before its planned IPO in early 2025.

row of shared e-scooters

Cirtek Holdings will soon begin manufacturing electric motorcycles and battery packs at its Technopark in the Philippines. The announcement comes after the Laguna-based company received approval from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

New York City’s new minimum pay rates for delivery workers are in effect, a first for cities in the US. While app-based delivery companies are still trying to fight the new rules, the response from delivery riders has been positive. Says Uber rider Josh Wood:

“You don’t have to risk your life to save two minutes anymore. You can ride safely and have a better chance of making it home at the end of the shift.”

Velco, a provider of connected solutions for electric bike brands, has completed a fundraising round to the tune of €2M ($2.2M USD). The French company will continue to focus on product and service innovation and looks to expand into European and North American markets.

Rwandan startup Ampersand has secured $19.5M in a funding round. The Kigali-based company will use the funds to expand operations, with their current fleet of 1,000 electric motorcycles expected to expand to 10,000 by late 2024.

What mobility trends should we expect in 2024? Microcar founder HĂĄkan Lutz shares his perspective, including the importance of collective action and why moving from ICE cars to full-size electric counterparts has a negligible effect on our climate trajectory.