US Golf Cart Companies Teed Off as Chinese Drive Through Tariff Loophole

Plus, Minnesota e-bike rebates restart today and Castrol Oil diversifies into the battery-swapping business.

July 02, 2024

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

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What You Need to Know Today

Minnesota’s e-bike rebate program relaunches today, July 2, after technical glitches forced the system to go offline during its initial rollout last month.

Motor oil company Castrol is taking the first steps to diversify its portfolio beyond petroleum products, investing $50 million in Gogoro battery swapping infrastructure.

Thanks to a tariff loophole, Chinese golf cart and buggy sales in the US are booming, growing 6x since the pandemic. Now American NEV makers are pushing for a 100% import tax to protect their business.

Image Credit: ITC Dataweb via Wiley law firm

Flux Performance taps ex-Cake CMO Karl Ytterborn to as head of marketing for the Slovenian electric motorcycle company. 

India-based Matter has received a nearly $10 million investment from Temasek, Capital 2B, Japan Airlines & TransLink Innovation Fund to bolster its electric motorcycle production.

Lime is transitioning 92% of its operations fleet to electric vehicles in its journey to reducing 90% of its Scope 1 & 2 emissions.

Vancouver-based e-moto producer Damon Motors prepares to go public through a merger with technology company Inpixon. 

Image Credit: Damon Motors

Commercial EV fleet charging hub specialist ZevHub built a 1-megawatt microhub in London to power last-mile micromobility delivery vehicles. The multi-customer facility is equipped with chargers, battery-swap stations, a lounge, food stations, washrooms, and lockers for riders. 

Ola Electric is developing solid-state batteries and expects to power its electric vehicles with them next year. Compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries offer improved safety, a longer lifespan, and faster charging.

The number of American cities scoring 50 or higher on PeopleForBikes' annual City Ratings increased from 33 in 2019 to 183 this year. This increase reflects a tipping point where more infrastructure inspires residents to become advocates who then lobby for greater infrastructure.

The Velotric Summit 1 provides recreational riders with the essential bits for trail fun without breaking the bank. The Class 3 e-MTB is equipped with a torque-sensor rear hub with 90Nm of torque, Shimano dual piston hydraulic brakes, and an IPX7-rated battery (fully waterproof) for only $1,999.

Image Credit: Velotric

With its latest product launch, Segway focuses on safety, UX, and operator efficiency with the new refined B-200 e-bikes designed for shared operators.

Vietnam will participate in the Selex Smart Electric Vehicle Project, the first carbon credit program for electric motorcycles in Vietnam, to lower its carbon emissions and meet its 2050 net zero climate goals.

In June, NYC’s Citi Bike averaged 165,000 rides a day on its shared bike network. Ever wonder how dockless e-bikes stay charged and maintained? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how Citi Bike keeps its fleet of 15,000 e-bikes running.

This week, L.A.-based Magicycle launched the Ocelot Pro 2.0 e-bike. The Ocelot Pro 2.0 will feature a switchable torque/cadence sensor for customized assistance and thick-wall frame construction that is claimed to “solve the problems of insufficient strength of the step-thru model down tube in the bike industry.”

Image Credit: Magicycle

LEV maker Yadea sets its sights on South America as it opens a flagship store in Lima, Peru.

"Double Is Better Than Single." is the tagline for Engwe’s new M20 2.0 moped-style e-bike, which features 2 batteries, front and rear suspension, and a dual headlight. The early bird price for the M20 2.0 is $1,249.

The ZF Group launched the ZF Bike Eco System, an e-bike drive system built around a 48-volt architecture and 250-watt continuous power. There are 2 models: the CentriX 90 (90Nm, 600 max watts) is for mountain biking and heavier-duty utility e-bikes, and the CentriX75 (75Nm, 450 max watts) is designed for road and gravel e-bikes.

Image Credit: ZF Group

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