The Micromobility Podcast

SummaryJames Gross talked with Ain McKendrick the Founder and CEO of Faction about how the future of delivery is evolving with Faction, offering new opportunities and advancements in the industry. Faction provides driverless delivery vehicles for last mile logistics by combining autonomous technology with remote human assistance. In the conversation, Ain discusses Faction's focus on short 3-5 mile repetitive delivery routes for commercial users like bakeries and retailers. He explains how Faction works with light electric vehicle OEMs to incorporate their driverless tech on the production line. McKendrick notes they have operated legally in states with supportive regulations like Nevada, Arizona, Texas. Faction recently raised an extension funding round from TDK Ventures to help scale their delivery fleets in 2024, with plans to partner with national retailers and food brands. Faction won Micromobility America's Riders Choice Award in 2023 for autonomy and robotics.Highlights🚚 Faction provides driverless delivery vehicles combining autonomy and remote human assistance📦 Focus on short 3-5 mile repetitive last mile logistics routes for commercial users🤝 Works with light electric vehicle OEMs to incorporate driverless tech🚦 Has operated legally in states with supportive regulations💰 Raised extension round from TDK Ventures to scale fleets in 2024🤝 Looking to partner with national retailers and food brands🏆 Won Micromobility America's Riders Choice Award in 2023

Chapters: 00:00- 9:55 Announcements and Giveaways9:56 - 19:17 Travel Patterns Are Changing19:18 - 21:52 Electric Share is the only Share 21:53 - 24:51 The Dreaded Car Pickup Line24:52 - 32:00 Vehicle Launches32:00 - 47:34 Meet Sartee Bikes CEO Notes- 🎙️ Hosts: James Gross and Julia Thayne discuss their experiences at the recent Climate Week in New York, shedding light on the intersection of climate change, technology, finance, and micromobility.- 🌱 NYC Climate Week Insights: Despite missing key policymakers, the event was characterized by enthusiasm and a high level of participation. Julia highlighted a notable shift in focus towards tech and finance as vital components in climate transition, emphasizing their increasing role and presence in discussions and initiatives.- 🚲 Micromobility Underrepresentation: Julia noted a lack of representation and underestimation of micromobility solutions in climate discussions, suggesting a need for better quantification and communication of the impact of micromobility on climate change.- 📈 Shift in Travel Patterns: Studies from The Brookings Institute and Bloomberg showed a shift in Americans' travel patterns, with a significant increase in bike trips and a growing interest in electric bikes, underscoring the necessity for cities to adapt transportation options to people's evolving needs.- 🚴 Bike Buses for Schools: Highlighting the current inefficient and wasteful car-centric school commute patterns, James discusses the emergence of bike buses as a potential solution to mitigate congestion and promote sustainability.Additional Information- E-Bike Popularity in Bike Shares: The rising preference for electric bikes in bike share programs in various cities was discussed, with speculation on how this preference could influence the cost and operational strategies of these programs.Launch Highlights🛵 Honda's Moto Compacto: Honda has revived its iconic 80s Moto Comao as an all-electric vehicle. This vehicle is designed for easy storage and is targeted at urban environments. Test rides are being held until November, reflecting some concerns from Honda about the vehicle's reception.🚲 Mini’s Angel Mobility E-Bike: Mini has released a sleek e-bike limited to 1959 units, marking the year Mini was founded. It reflects Mini’s entry into the micromobility space and seems to be a test to gauge market interest.🚨 Product Recall:TreK Alant+ 7 faces a recall due to a serious brake issue. This recall highlights some challenges traditional bike makers face in the e-bike market.Bo's Scooter Headed for Production:Bo has announced the production and delivery timeline for its highly anticipated scooters.The first units are expected early next year, with deliveries commencing in early 2024.🌟 Celebrity Influence: Ryan Reynolds' endorsement of the Arc electric motorcycle has boosted interest in electric bikes.Interview with Sartee Electric Bikes Founder and CEO, Jared Sartee🚴 Sartee Bikes' Front-loading Cargo Bikes:Jared Sartee discussed the advantages of front-loading cargo bikes and their potential to replace car trips.The focus is on modularity, repairability, and providing a fun ride. Manufacturing is done in Canada, aligning with the company’s principles of customer connection and adaptability.🤔 Consumer Perceptions:The episode delves into the consumer perceptions surrounding front-loading and back-loading cargo bikes. It emphasizes the need for more hands-on experiences for consumers to understand the benefits and feel comfortable with new formats of micro-mobility vehicles.

Laura Kavanagh was appointed Fire Commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams in October 2022. As Fire Commissioner, Kavanagh oversees the day-to-day operations of the largest fire department in the country, with more than 17,000 employees and a $2 billion budget. We're excited to have Laura Kavanagh on the show today to talk specifically about battery fires, where according to the FDNY, batteries have led to 180 fires (now 187) and tragically 14 people have died so far this year in NYC.SummaryCommissioner Laura Kavanagh of the NYC Fire Department discusses her rise through the ranks and her leadership in handling various emergencies. The focus of the conversation centers on the rising incidence of battery fires in the city, attributed to small electric vehicles like e-bikes, used predominantly by delivery workers. There is concern about the modifications and underground markets around these devices, emphasizing the need for regulation, inspection, and collaboration with other departments and agencies to address the immediate and future challenges presented by these battery fires. Highlights👉 Laura Kavanagh, the 34th commissioner of the NYC Fire Department, has held various roles and oversaw the department’s response to several emergencies, including the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the Ebola outbreak in 2015.👉 The FDNY reports a substantial rise in battery fires, recording 220 in 2022, up from 30 in 2019, and has noted the prevalence of these fires in small electric vehicles like e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. 👉 Much attention is given to delivery workers as they are heavily reliant on these devices, which are often modified or altered to enhance performance or extend battery life, contributing to the risks and frequency of fires. 👉 Numerous issues arise from modifications, DIY conversion kits, and unregulated devices entering the market, creating unsafe conditions and usage that go beyond the original intended design of these electric vehicles. 👉 The challenge of inspecting and regulating these devices is intensified by the prevalence of underground markets and the inability to inspect private apartments where unsafe charging and alterations often occur. 👉 The FDNY is collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to examine and address the public safety impacts, with considerations on future innovations, recycling, and regulations on electrification. 👉 While government agencies are receptive and showing progress, Kavanagh emphasizes the urgency in expediting regulations and legislative actions to address the growing and immediate risks associated with battery fires in small electric vehicles.

According to Bloomberg NEF, there are nearly 300M electric two- and three-wheelers on the road worldwide, and collectively, they displace about 4x as much oil demand as the entire global fleet of electric cars. The EV revolution has arrived… on two/three wheels.Electric bike vouchers are increasing in popularity across the U.S. In Utah, the Utah Clean Air Partnership is working with Magnum Bikes to provide eligible residents with vouchers of up $1,200. The voucher program offers up to $800 off Magnum e-bikes and $1,200 for the cargo e-bike models. For income-qualified applicants, the voucher amount goes up to $1,000 and $1,400 for cargo e-bikes. While the New York Times continues to bash ebikes as a menace to public safety at every turn, the LA Times is more discerning about the real problems affecting our urban road networks: “The focus on young ebike riders’ safety can obscure the bigger crisis: People driving cars and trucks are killing more people on our roads.” How do scooter and bike sharers gain permission to operate in a given locale? Many municipalities base their decision, in part, on lucrative revenue sharing requirements, a practice that some experts say is creating a “negative cycle” for both operators and cities. → need standardized agreementsWe have Shabazz Stuart, Founder and CEO of Oonee Oonee builds, finances, and operates automated bike parking infrastructure that humanizes public spaces. It is driven on changing the mobility game in cities by building a network of smart, modular, pods that provide secure parking for bikes and scooters on the interior while providing public space amenities on the exterior.

Chapters: 00:00 - 5:20 Announcements and giveaways5:21 - 8:59 NYC enforces traffic cameras9:00 - 14:18 NYC Equitable Commute Project off to slow start14:19 - 17:18 Lavoie buys Vanmoof 17:19 - 19:52 Kenya shipping electric motorcycles at scale19:53 - 31:58 Vehicle Launches! 31:59 Interview with Patrick Wirth at Baloise GroupNYC has speed cameras cranking Here’s a novel idea for reducing car deaths: enforce traffic laws. One year after introducing its new 24/7 automatic traffic ticketing system, New York City speed violations have reportedly dropped by 30%.Small mode shift leads to big gainsA good argument for why motorists should want to see more ebikes on the road: “Studies have shown that a mere 10% shift from car drivers to bike riders has resulted in a 40% reduction in traffic congestion. Even if you never touch an ebike, you would benefit from supporting their increased use.”Lavoie buys VanmoofCult ebike brand VanMoof has been bought out of bankruptcy by Lavoie, a company that makes high-end scooters based on McLaren Applied’s Formula 1 technology. VanMoof’s bankruptcy earlier this summer had left its more than 190,000 riders in limbo. NYC Equitable Commute Project can't get off the groundNew York City’s ebike trade-in program—designed to help delivery workers swap low-quality, fire-prone bikes for safer, industry-certified models—is off to a rocky start. Since July, only three bikes have been traded in. Experts say the city’s 60,000+ delivery workers aren’t participating due to language barriers, cost of the trade-ins, and a slow and somewhat difficult approval process.Kenya is making the US programs look silly. Kenya has revealed the details of its ambitious new plan to encourage electric motorbikes adoption through a manufacturing partnership with the African startup Spiro. “[President] Ruto said Kenya currently had 1,000 of the new bikes, with another 10,000 on their way, and that Spiro had established a plant with the capacity to assemble 1,000 of the vehicles daily.”Vehicle LaunchesThe new V13 Challenger from Chinese manufacturer InMotion is a thrilling new electric unicycle that reaches a staggering top speed of 87 mph (140 kph), powered by a 4,500W motor with a maximum torque of 300 Nm. Speaking of Specialized, the company just launched the new Globe Haul LT electric cargo bike, a heavy duty hauler equipped with a throttle and a top speed of 28 mph (45 kph). The $3,500 bike has a carrying capacity of 176 lbs (80kg), a 700W hub motor equipped with a torque sensor, and a UL-listed 772 Wh batter with a range of up to 90 miles (96 km).Cannondale’s Cargowagen and Wonderwagen Neo are two newest additions on the electric cargo bike scene. The Cargowagen is a longtail that can haul up to 80kg, while the Wonderwagen has a giant front bay that can carry 100 kg, plus another 27kg on the rear rack. Both models are powered by capable Bosch motors, giving them a top speed of 28 mph (45 kph).Interview with Patrick WirthToday we have Patrick Wirth on the show. Patrick is the VP of Mobility at Baloise Group. Baloise, is a European insurance company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Founded in 1863, the company offers a range of insurance and pension solutions, as well as investment products. VC. It is very cool to see an insurance company get into VC and take a different approach to not only investing but also the ongoing relationship these companies might have with an insurance company.

Rerun: This episode was originally aired on 6 September 2023.Meet Julie Vets, Founder and CEO of GOLUO, https://gofluo.com/, and learn how she is inventing the category of high visibility gear for everyone that is moving. You can also see Julie present at Micromobility Europe 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7br1CqOz3EU&t=43s

James Gross interviews entrepreneur Dan Carr about the U.S. launch of Wombi, an all-inclusive electric cargo bike subscription, in Culver City and West LAWombi aims to encourage people in Los Angeles to drive less, be more active, and enjoy their city. They offer electric cargo bikes as an alternative to cars, addressing issues like traffic, social isolation, and fluctuating gas prices. Wombi started in Australia as Lug+Carrie and has a history of helping people find car alternatives. Customers can pick a Wombi bike that suits their lifestyle, customize it with accessories, and enjoy free delivery. The subscription includes full bike maintenance, insurance, and the flexibility to adapt to changing needs, such as adding child seats or pet carriers. There are two ebikes to choose from, the Tern Quick Haul and Tern GSD, with over 20 accessories. Chapters: 00:00 - 03:50 Why subscription + cargo ebikes is a game-changer03:50 - 07:12 Backstory of the brand in Australia (Lug+Carrie)07:12 - 13:45 Wombi's launch in SoCal13:45 - 18:12 Lowering the barrier to entry with subscription18:12 - 20:55 Why Wombi uses ebikes from Tern20:55 - 23:03 Improvements in theft prevention23:03 - 30:46 Incentives for families, schools, cities30:46 - 35:09 Future growth plans

James' interview with Ed NiedermeyerVehicle LaunchesBengaluru-based Ola Electric is coming out with four new electric motorbikes, with sales and deliveries starting in a year. Among the latest additions is the S1-X, which the company claims will be one of the most affordable mopeds in India at $1,085.… on the other end of Ola’s new product spectrum is the outlandishly edgy Diamondhead. While little is currently known about the futuristic supersport’s performance, based on the teaser video, internet sleuths have deduced the bike is a center-hub steered machine.Trek just announced the Ponto Go, its first moped-style electric utility bike, through its Electra brand. The Ponto Go is outfitted with a long rear rack, an extended bench seat with foot pegs for a second rider, pedal forward geometry, and high rise handlebars. The tandem vehicle can reach a top speed of 26 mph (42 kph) with pedal assist and has a max range of 60 miles (96 km).Indian manufacturer Mahindra’s new electric rickshaw, the e-Alfa Super, is a modern utility vehicle with 59 miles (95 km) of range on a single charge. (But if you do run out of juice, the vehicle comes with access to 10,000 charging stations across India). Mahindra claims the new three-wheeler is “best-in-class” for its safety and comfort features.Electric trikes truly come in all shapes in sizes. Take, for example, the new Vook, which looks likes a cross of a gokart and beach cruiser with its low center of gravity and swept-back handelbars. The tiny vehicle, which just launched on Indiegogo, promises a remarkable top speed of 40 mph (64 kph).We have Kyle Doerksen on Ride On! Founder and CEO of Onewheelhttps://onewheel.com/

Jame Gross interviews Edward Niedermeyer, the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors. Nathan Robinson has suggested that there is probably no greater expert on the career of Elon Musk and the development of Tesla [than Niedermeyer] His insights regarding Tesla Autopilot in particular have been cited repeatedly. Chapters: 00:00 - 03:54 CPUC ruling on paid operations on L4 AVs in San Francisco03:55 - 07:29 Will L4 AVs lead to much less traffic violence?07:30 - 09:09 Teslas are not L4 AVs09:10 - 21:03 Are urbanists are wrong about L4 AVs?21:04 - 27:56 The L4 AV tech is very real and should push automakers to do more27:57 - 35:50 Demos of different vision technology, regulation and safety marketing 35:51 - 38:10 AV technology is how we get out of car monopoly hellIn August 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved permits for Cruise and Waymo to charge fares for passenger service in San Francisco. The CPUC agreement for AVs to operate in San Francisco includes a number of safety and operational requirements that the companies must meet. These requirements include:The AVs must be equipped with a variety of sensors and cameras to detect and avoid obstacles.The AVs must be able to operate in a variety of weather conditions.The AVs must have a safety driver on board who can take control of the vehicle if necessary.The AVs must be operated in a safe and responsible manner.The approval of the CPUC agreement is a major milestone for the development and deployment of AVs in San Francisco. It is the first time that AVs have been allowed to operate without a safety driver on board in a major U.S. city. The agreement is expected to help to accelerate the development and commercialization of AVs, and it could lead to the widespread deployment of AVs in San Francisco and other cities in the future.

Chapters: 00:00 Intro03:40 More consolidation coming to the world of shared micromobility?08:46 Trek or Giant to buy Vanmoof? 11:23 How journalists are covering traffic violence against ebike riders 17:15 Mayor of Boston offering free bike lessons for kids 18:30 Vehicle Launches21:42 Meet Keith Simon from Waev and new GEM line!Show notes: Is more consolidation coming to the world of shared micromobility? Rumor has it that two of Europe’s largest electric scooter and bike operators, Tier and Voi, are exploring the possibility of a merger. Relatedly, industry analyst Augustin Friedel offers a strong testimony that the shared market is still growing rapidly. (NYC, Paris) As part of her effort to make Boston one of the top U.S. cities for raising children, Mayor Michelle Wu is providing free bike lessons for children between the ages of four and thirteen, calling cycling as a “crucial life skill.” 300 students, 15 schools. How much does this cost?Interesting eBike deals - VanMoof is accepting suitors (Trek, Giant, KKR). James and Micah discuss NYT victim blamingVehicle LaunchesKawasaki appears to have begun production on its first two electric motorcycles, the Ninja e-1 and the Z e-1. Last year, the company announced the vehicles’ development, and while it appears that some of the specs for the production bikes will be slightly different than anticipated, Kawasaki is still set to become the first large motorcycle manufacturer in Japan to go electric. Crowdfunding for the new WAU CYBER “Unleash the Beast” 5000W ebike is still live on Indiegogo for one more day. This self-proclaimed “Sur-Ron Killer” has an ultra sleek body and tops out at 55 mph - currently, 23 of the early bird models remain to be claimed. Aventon is launching the Soltera.2, a new, Class 2 ebike with 46 miles (74km) of range, a removable throttle, and pedal assist, to name a few of its features. Building upon the lightweight aluminum frame of the original Soltera, the new model aims to bring the latest technology at an affordable price.Lámpago’s new electric trike design is certain to turn heads on your morning commute. The Turkish three-wheeler has two seats, a 25-45 mile (40-72km) range, and a top speed of 28mph (45kph). Did we mention that, because it lacks a roof, it is technically classified as a moped and requires a helmet to drive? We have Keith Simon from Waev on Ride On!

James Gross and Micah Toll discuss Micah's latest article on Electrek: The 'New York Times' attacks e-bikes while ignoring the real danger all around us The New York Times published a pair of articles this weekend highlighting the rising number of deaths of cyclists riding However, in one of the most impressive feats of victim-blaming I’ve seen from the publication in some time, the NYT lays the onus on e-bikes instead of on the things killing their law abiding riders: cars.By all accounts, the e-bike rider was correctly and legally using the roadway in the only way he could. In fact, according to eye-witnesses of the car crash that killed the e-bike rider, he “did everything right,” including signaling his turn.The article goes on to detail how just three days later another teenage e-bike rider was pulled out from under a BMW – thankfully still alive – and taken to the same emergency room where the previous boy had been pronounced dead. Apparent praise is lauded on Encinitas for soon afterward declaring “a state of emergency for e-bikes,” which is a bit like saying we could just solve the school shootings crisis if kids would stop walking into all of those damn bullets.Two other points that the NYT didn't do research on: El Camino is the most dangerous road in Encinitas. We also had a pedestrian fatality this year of a young man at another area of high crash count in Encinitas. The Encinitas City Council in 2020 voted out speed cameras on El Camino Real, which is one of the biggest deterrents to speeding and distracted driving. It also set a terrible precedent that we don't believe in enforcing traffic laws and using technology to help create a consistent standard that we won't tolerate dangerous and illegal driving in our city. This quote should have led the NYT piece with some more research: “Nothing has changed, and hundreds of people are still getting these ridiculous fines,” Mosca said, referring to the $490 court-set cost of a ticket.Credit to Mayor Kranz and Councilmember Hinze for both voting against taking out the speeding/RL cameras. Finally, a 56 year old woman was killed and a 32 old man is in critical condition from car violence while on bikes this week in San Diego. One was hit by a Chevy Silverago and the other a F-150. Can you guess which two cars are responsible for killing the most Americans every year? Imagine if we looked to regulate safety for those vehicles? I know that is not going to happen anytime soon, in the meantime we can make our streets safer through slower speeds, traffic enforcement and safety education for riders (and drivers) and not through victim blaming. Micah on Electrek: https://electrek.co/author/micahltoll/ Micah's ebike school channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EbikeSchool

Ride On! is now in Audio! Subscribe to Ride On!: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ride-on-by-micromobility-industries/id1434457337 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1G2fPNzUw5mo5asaCoH7O0Chapters: 00:00 Intro02:13 California announces new ebike license bill10:08 Is Lyft quitting bike share? 18:58 Bolt still growing22:54 Craig Mod essay on riding an ebike 25:33 Vehicle Launches31:38 Meet Adam McDermott, CEO of Linus Bikes and their new electric bike line!Show Notes: eBike BillSome state lawmakers in California want to require unlicensed ebike users to get a special “ebike license” (online test + written test) and undergo a training program (with DMV and State Highway Patrol). The bill is targeted at teenagers who do not have a regular driver’s license. It would also ban children under the age of 12 from riding ebikes. Assembly Member Tasha Boerner explained that the creation of a driver’s license for previously unlicensed e-bike riders is a matter of safety (represents Encinitas)Lyft Gives UpLyft (“a taxi company” - what a dig!) is looking to quit bike- and scooter-sharing and seeking buyers. Despite being the largest bike-share operator in North America, Lyft’s CEO recently said the company isn’t doing a good enough job directing bikeshare riders to taxi trips.(Who writes shit in blog posts anymore?)“If what is in that WSJ story is true,” said David Zipper, a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School who studies urban mobility, “it suggests there may be a conflict of interest that is irreconcilable between bikeshare and ridehail.”Bolt still growingEstonian TNC Bolt is beefing up its scooter fleet, increasing its spending on new vehicles by 10x between 2020 and 2022. 200k vehicles in 200 cities. Avg. life of vehicle is 1 year(!). Spent 28% of revenues on maintenance of rental vehicles. Made most of its money in Europe (1B), but interestingly, Africa was its second largest market (226.5M). Spent 5% of revenues on payment processing (WTH?!)Electric Bike, Stupid Love of My Life,Great essay by Craig Modhttps://craigmod.com/essays/electric_bikes/ French startup La Rochelle just released a new catamaran called the IZIBoat, which is designed to collapse down and be towed by an ebike. Meet the Hupi: a Finnish-designed, solar powered camper that’s towable by an electric bike. Not only can this camper power itself, the solar cells can also be used to recharge an ebike. The Barbie film made its blockbuster debut this past weekend, and it included a surprise cameo from Super73. Speaking of moto-inspired ebikes, QuietKat just revealed their new Lynx ebike, which includes two speed settings and a powerful 1000 watt rear hub motor.The Iris etrike is a three-wheeled enclosed EV designed by a legacy inventor and tested by astronauts. Check out inventor Grant Sinclair’s interview explaining this vehicle’s vetted design process, before its upcoming release. UBCO just launched their first rental hub in Portland, Oregon, which allows riders to try out vehicles through various rental plans. My Boo just released their new My Akorta electric mountain bike, which includes front suspension, a high-performing Shimano EP8 motor, and a frame made entirely of bamboo. Meet Linus BikesCo-Founder Adam McDermott founded Linus Bike. The company is based in Venice, California. Check out their 2 new electric bike modes at: https://www.linusbike.com/

Ride On! is now in Audio! Subscribe to Ride On!: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ride-on-by-micromobility-industries/id1434457337 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1G2fPNzUw5mo5asaCoH7O0Chapters: 00:00 Intro01:17 Vela 2 giveaway, Ride On! on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, Ride Expo date announced05:45 Vanmoof Updates10:40 City of London, bikes are bigger than cars 12:24 Prince William is scooting 14:55 Law says auto-besity is out of control17:13 Small vehicles for the military?24:00 Vehicle Launches (Tesla, Velotric and more)29:13 Meet Eliott Wertheimer, CEO and Founder of LAVOIE, part of McLaren AppliedBiking is taking over in LondonNew data from the City of London reveals an important mobility milestone for the U.K. capital - bicycles now represent a larger portion of city traffic than cars. Prince William has bought an electric scooter to travel around the Windsor estateParis City Hall signed a new measure that will charge larger/heavier vehicles a higher fee for city parking. The law is aimed at discouraging so-called “auto-besity” and incentivizing the use of smaller vehicles. Officials say the number of SUVs in the city has increased by 60% over the last four years and they now make up 15% of the 1.15m private vehicles parked in Paris every evening.British soldiers may adopt electric bikes fitted with rocket launchers Military contracts will be a big win for micromobility companies, wen? Vehicle LaunchesTesla’s interest in ebikes is all speculative for now, but their Cyber Truck-inspired kids’ four wheeler is very real and arguably much cooler. The tiny quad is now going on sale in China after selling out in the U.S.French tech company Cixi recently showed off their new chainless drive system through a collaboration with LOOK bikes. Cixi says the drive system can propel a vehicle up to 74.5 mph, so it’s no surprise that Cixi plans to use the system for higher-speed vehicles such as motorcycles too. Borealis also just released their first electric mountain bike, the Keystone, which comes with a full suspension frame as well as 5” fat tires that are capable of handling just about any bump is divot with ease. Velotric has revealed their Go 1 compact utility bike (pictured), as well as the Packer 1, a longtail cargo bike. Both bikes tout a max payload of 440 lbs. The main differences between the two are power and frame size, with the Packer offering more torque while also being slightly larger. Skateboard company Traqpod just released their first electric model, which is designed to offer the a similar carving experience to a snowboard, minus the snow of course. Meet LAVOIEWe have Eliott Wertheimer, CEO and Founder of LAVOIE, part of McLaren Applied

Rerun: This episode was originally aired on 20 July 2023.Vanmoof goes Poof.Cult ebike brand VanMoof has paused sales and some of its top execs are departing or taking lower roles. The company has yet to release an official statement on the abrupt changes, but sources say that they are trying to secure a bridge round to keep the business afloat.After several bouts of layoffs and lawsuits, US-based D2C ebike seller Rad Power has announced that it will be pulling out of the European market by 2024, opting to focus its efforts entirely on North America.Lectric might have overcome market share in the US…but RadPower does better with accessories and customer repair centers.A comeback in Shared?“We are aiming for sales of $100 million this year.” How Swing's franchise model allowed it to become one of the few profitable shared micromobility companies in the world, with over 100,000 vehicles in South Korea.By contrast, CEO Wayne Ting says Lime’s pathway to profitability involved investing in more durable, modular scooters as well as better technology for operational crews. Won tenders 90% of the time.Amsterdam’s city leaders say they want to see more shared cargo bikes, mopeds, and cars on the street in an effort to reduce car usage.The Truth and Lies About Driverless Cars in SF Garry Tan exposes some wild accusations against the city of San Francisco MTA that appear to be true!LaunchesLast month on Ride On! We talked to Chris Rey of Apollo Scooters about the fast and powerful Apollo Pro. The innovative new two-wheeler has since launched on Indiegogo, and is receiving rave reviews- check out some hereParkour! BMW just released their new CE 02 electric two-wheeler, which they say is neither an emotorbike or emoped - it's an “eParkourer.” Despite the confusing semantics, its performance capabilities are clear: the CE 02 tops out at respectable 59 mph and claims 55 miles of range. ​The Brits at The Little Car Company typically deal in downsizing famous cars into small electric vehicles (see Bughatti Baby II). Now they’ve done something of the opposite, taking inspiration from the 1980s Tamiya Wild One RC car and turning the toy into a full-sized 37 horsepower electric dune buggy.The new Ago T ebike is now available from Tenways, which features a comfortable step-through frame as well as an Enviolo Stepless Shifting Hub, a cool feature which allows riders to shift gears while at a stand still.Eli ElectricWe have Marcus Li, CEO and Founder of Eli Electric Vehilces with us

This week we release another session from the recent Micromobility Europe conference - this one on Electrifying the Workplace - e-bikes as an employee benefit, hosted by none other than podcast superfan and overall mensch Roman Meliska. Roman was joined on stage by folks from the Walmart, the European Cycling Federation, Safran and Zenride to talk about how e-bike as an employee benefit works in different markets, what models exist to incentivise them, the players in the market, and the impact on employees and on the wider company. It’s a great session. Of course, if you like this material, you’ll love Micromobility America, which is coming up on October 19-20th in Richmond in the Bay Area. We’re expecting hundreds of the top thinkers and builders in the space. Please come and join us, and check it out!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.You can subscribe to our newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.

This is this week we are releasing another session from the recent Micromobility Europe which we had in June. This one is the ebike revolution which was hosted by Micah Toll from Electrek who is in our minds one of the best micromobility journalists out there. Please go and check his stuff out if you haven’t already. He was joined on stage by former guests of the podcast Taco Carlier from Vanmoof and Tanguy Goretti from Cowboy, as well as folks from ebike brands Lekker, Cannondale and Ampler which have coverage across Australia, Europe and the US. They talk a lot about the global market and what hasn’t hasn’t worked, especially in the owned bike space. We thought it was a really good discussion and we're stoked to be able to share it.If you like the session you also really like our Micromobility America, which is coming up on the 19th/20th in Richmond in the Bay Area. Come and join the top thinkers and builders in the micromobility space in North America and further afield. And with that, here’s Micah and the team!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.You can subscribe to our newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.

This week Oliver managed to catch up with Rich Pleeth while he was passing through London. Rich is the founder of Finmile, a micromobility first freight company in London using four wheeler cargo e-bikes to deliver for companies such as HelloFresh and some very large global companies that unfortunately we can’t name but who Oliver was very impressed with. They are expanding very quickly and have a relevant and replicable model for a lot of cities around the world. We encourage you to particularly listen to the section where we talked about what the model offers in terms of labour and increasing the throughput of deliveries relative to existing encumbrance. It feels to us, very disruptive to the existing freight delivery incumbents. So! Enjoy!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.You can subscribe to our newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.

This week, we release another episode from the 2023 Micromobility Europe event. This one is the shared scooter CEO’s talking about the state of their business, which was a very popular session on the Friday. Ben Hubbard From Zag Daily had the leaders from some of the top operators from all over the globe on the stage – we had Henri Moissinac, Dott in Europe, Tomás Martin from Tembici in Latin America, San Kim from Swing in South Korea, and Jaideep Dhanoa from Fenix in the Middle East. So! Quite a global coverage, and lots of really interesting parallels between all operators. We hope you enjoy this episode!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.Our weekly newsletter will be sent to your inbox every Monday and Thursday. Subscribe Now!We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week, we are releasing a session from our recent Micromobility Europe show held in Amsterdam on June 8/9th. This one is the rise of the subscription panel that was hosted by Jon Woodruff from Twotone with some of the titans of the e-bike sharing world, including Eric Quidwenus-Wahlforce, founder of Dance, Karianne Solfjed Eid, from Whee!, and Richard Burger from Swapfiets (all of whom we've had on the podcasts), being joined by Teet Praks from Comodule. This was an excellent session covering the dynamics of this part of the industry, what's working and what's not and where these folks think that the industry is going. And with that, here's the panel!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.Our weekly newsletter will be sent to your inbox every Monday and Thursday. Subscribe Now!We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

At Micromobility Europe 2023, Oliver had the chance to sit down with Horace, who had just flown in from seeing the Apple Vision Pro at the WWDC unveil. We have talked on the show for years about how augmented reality would benefit micromobility, and so we wanted to take this opportunity to unpack a little bit more about what he saw, the idea of special computing, and how it could impact how we think about Mobility. We had an amazing show – our biggest yet, with more than 60 startups pitching in our award series and the most incredible bike rave at the end through the streets of Amsterdam with DJ Dom Whiting. We’ll be sharing more content over the coming weeks but in the meantime, thank you to all who attended and hope that you had a blast. We certainly did. Specifically they dig into:- Horace’s experience of the Vision Pro and why Apple has chosen to make a ‘spatial computer’ - The implications for the general mobility market, and especially the difference between visions of the future based on autonomous or micromobility - Horace’s predictions for spatial computingAnd with that, here’s Horace.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviewed Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of Cake Motorcycles from Sweden. They’ve emerged as one of the worlds leading motorbike manufacturers, solidly occupying the premium end of the market with very Scandinavian designed versions of electric motorbikes, and a strong focus on both commuters as well as backcountry use cases. Oliver had a chance to ride some of these bikes around Santa Monica when he was doing the tour of Southern California and was really impressed with the pickup and handling of these bikes, especially for someone like him who’s new-ish to motorbikes. In this episode, we dig into the history and how they decided to get into this, as well as design, funding, and their recent deals with producers in both Asia and Mexico. We found this a super interesting episode and hope that you do too.Specifically they discuss: How Cake was founded How they have chosen to focus on design. How Stefan Stefan has thought about manufacturing and fundraising to over the years. The recent announcements from Mexico and China of the large volumes of bikes that have been contracted.And with that, here’s Stefan!We're in Amsterdam right now with the whole team for Micromobility Europe, hosting the Startup Awards. We have over 60 companies presenting and vying for the top spot. So many amazing vehicles and people around. We're looking forward to sharing more of what we find in time. Also, Oliver is going to be at Eurobike in Frankfurt from the 21-24th of June so please ping him a message on Twitter if you’re going to be there too and want to meet up. Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we release a discussion with Michael Keating that was recorded when Oliver was passing through San Francisco on the launch day of his new company Tempo. For those who are in the know, Michael Keating is an OG of the Micromobility space, having founded Scoot back in 2012, which was one of the first moped sharing companies before selling it to Bird. Tempo is Michael's latest venture and one we're very excited about, having followed the journey along for a while. We are honoured that he would share this with us on a busy launch day, as they were fielding calls from lots of other journalists, and we really enjoyed this conversation about not only the history of shared Micromobility, but also the current state of things and his efforts to accelerate getting Micromobility into the hands of millions. Specifically the discuss:- Who is Tempo, what do they do?- Why subscription and not sharing?- What makes Tempo different from other subscription micro businesses?And with that here is Michael.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

We're really excited to share this episode with the team from Onyx Motorbikes who are based in Los Angeles. Oliver visited Onyx in Southern California in January as part of the So Cal Micromobility Tour. They are the winners of this years Rider's Choice Awards for Best Moped. It was great to hear about the story of how they got started and have manage to ship more than 5000 bikes – We have a deep respect for anybody who just manages to ship and get vehicles out. The build a real cult following and I am excited to see where they get to with the new bike range, which they discuss in this episode. Specifically they discuss:- Tims's background as a designer and his work at Bird- The initial design of the Onyx and their first fundraiser - Transitioning from a project to a company and James joining- Their expanding product line and what they are excited about Here is Tim and James!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we release an episode from the SoCal tour that we did back in January, this time it is with Kevin Cox, the CEO of Electra Bikes, which was originally founded by Benno Banzinger who we have also had on the show earlier. Electra is the fifth largest event company in the US and have a real focus on making distinctive cruiser-style bikes, and have made the pivot from being a traditional bike maker to a bike maker with the support of Trek who own them. We really enjoyed this episode ,just as a guide to how traditional bike businesses are adapting to Micromobility. Here is Kevin!Specifically, they discuss- The background of Electra Bikes including its strong connection to the beach culture in Southern California - The history of how they came to be acquired by a PE firm and then by Trek- Their emergence as a large ebike manufacturer- How Trek operates with them and how traditional bike companies are adapting to micromobility - Their retail and distribution choices.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Udi Meridor from City Transformer. You may have come across City Transformer as it was on the recent Top Gear episode of microcars in Paris. Obviously, we’ve done two microcar episodes week on week so this is an area that we're definitely thinking about, as are McKenzie who I had on the week prior talking about mini mobility. It feels like such a burgeoning area and we have been really excited to explore this topic. Specifically they tackle:👉 The background of City Transformer - where did the project start?👉 Why adaptive width vehicles are unique and special👉 What classification of EU - L7E👉 What the traction has been like to date and where you’re selling them into👉 What the manufacturing challenges have beenCatch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Oliver Ouboter, one of the founders of MicroLino, who are producing one of the most beautiful cars that we have seen in the neighbourhood electric vehicle space – the thing is an electric version of the iconic BMW Ysetta from the mid 1950s. We really loved this interview for a few reasons - firstly, because the operators – Oliver and his father Whim were the OGs of the Micromobility space – setting up a company literally called Micromobility back in the early 2000s and producing the first kick scooters and then subsequently some of the first electric kick scooter’s. Secondly, anybody who is producing small electric vehicles at any sort of scale deserves to be congratulated – it has been quite the journey for them, especially as they have done it entirely self-funded of the back of their original acoustic and electric scooter business. We have really enjoyed getting to know Oliver and are looking forward to hopefully having him at Micromobility Europe in June.Speaking of which if you are interested in the latest in lightweight electric vehicles, including neighborhood electric vehicles like this and everything in between you will absolutely love Micromobility Europe. It is the show we are most excited about in terms of what we’ve done in our history of producing shows at Micromobility industries and we are sure you would have an absolute blast coming and hanging out with our team and more than 1000 others as we talk about the future of what these vehicles might enable for our cities. I will be running a start-up stage with more than 60 companies expected to patch – it is going to be pandemonium– and I can’t wait. And with that, here is Oliver!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Caroline Sampanaro, Head of Micromobility and Transit Policy at Lyft, about her role and opportunities for micromobility to participate in conversations about better transport systems and cities. They also talk a lot about the shared business model, and why PPP feels like the most logical endpoint for a lot of the shared use cases for micromobility. We have continually been struck by the great team that Lyft has built - check out our earlier conversations with Laura Fox, GM of Citibike in NY for reference - and we really enjoyed this conversation with Caroline. Also referenced is episode 170 with Julia Thayne DeMourdant and Gabe Klein, which you can listen to here.Unfortunately, we lost the end of the audio for this the first time around and had to go back and rerecord the end. Our awesome editor Lynda has managed to get this sounding good, but just a heads up about it towards the end. In this episode they discuss: - Caroline’s background as an activist and how it led her to shared micromobility policy- The story of Lyft’s micromobility business - how it came about and why they’ve chosen the strategy they have with PPP docked bikeshare vs freefloating. - Getting micromobility away from identity politics- What has electric vs. acoustic offered to the advocacy conversation?- What is the role of companies like Lyft in micromobility advocacy vs. (for example) vehicle producers etc. - How do we get a broad coalition of advocates that can tackle the status quo? If you want to see the latest vehicles and be in the most cutting-edge conversations about micromobility, you should check out Micromobility Europe, our premier event happening in Amsterdam on the 8/9th of June. We’re expecting over 1000 of the top thinkers and doers in the micro space to be there and I am pumped with the amazing vehicles that are coming down the pipe that will be there. We’re expecting over 60 companies to be pitching in our Startup Awards too. It’s going to be epic. Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Kersten Heineke, a partner at McKinsey, and lead of the McKinsey Centre For Future Mobility, based in Germany. We discuss the role and scope of the Center for Future Mobility, the rising interest in micro vehicles, and the potential impact of mini-mobility on the transportation landscape.Kersten provides an extensive overview of his research, including the emergence of direct-to-consumer electric vehicles brands like Lectric and Ride1Up, and the innovative hardware-as-a-service models offered by companies such as Lug and Carrie/Whee! They also delve into the promising growth of the German bike leasing market, the unique benefits of tax exemptions for employer-provided bikes, and the leading players in this space.We hope that you enjoy our conversation about the rapidly evolving world of micromobility and its potential to reshape the future of transportation.Specifically they tackle:- The challenges faced by mini mobility startups- The lack of investment in personally owned scooters- The potential explosion of micro-freight- The factors influencing the funding disconnect between EVTOL, Autonomy, EVs and micro-mobility- Why no micro mobility-specific funds have emerged- How content creators can assist McKinseys clientsIn the meantime, if you haven’t already please consider getting some tickets for Micromobility Europe - join us on June 8th and 9th in Amsterdam. Horace, Oliver, and the whole crew will be there – this year. We have opened up the start-up awards to a whole heap of companies and already have at least 55 presenting including some of the most exciting vehicles we have seen in the space to date. Be sure to check it out at micromobility.io. And with that, here’s Maciek and Chris.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

We're really excited to bring this episode to you. Apollo Scooters are one of those companies that quietly works away in the background and ships without being loud and overly public about it – We have been following them since they first unveiled the Apollo Pro at Micromobility Europe last year. Last year, they shipped 30,000 scooters – which is a pretty decent amount for a company that has never raised outside capital at all. In this conversation we run through the founding of the company, the opportunities that exist in the space, their journey with being direct to consumer, and focusing on being an e-commerce brand, who they admire in the space and what they think is interesting. We really appreciated both Mac’s and Chris’s humility and how they are running their company and their perspective on the space. Thanks to them for joining. Specifically they tackle :👉 The background to Apollo and how they got started👉 What models they have now - they unpack the Pro 👉 How they’ve funded the company to date - how and where micromobility can source capital👉 Marketing scooters - what works and doesn’t?In the meantime, if you haven’t already please consider getting some tickets for Micromobility Europe - https://micromobility.io/events/micromobility-europe, join us on June 8th and 9th in Amsterdam. Horace, Oliver, and the whole crew will be there – this year. We have opened up the start-up awards to a whole heap of companies and already have at least 55 presenting including some of the most exciting vehicles we have seen in the space to date. Be sure to check it out at micromobility.io. And with that, here’s Maciek and Chris.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we chose to resyndicate a recent episode of a podcast called The Next Billion Seconds, for their series called The Next Billion Cars, where they look at the future of the transportation industry and how tech will help enable the next billion vehicles to get around. In this episode, Drew Smith interviews Horace, exploring the origins and future of micromobility. Per their description, “Horace offers a blistering critique of the failure of the automotive sector to embody the new design possibilities offered by micromobility: transportation choice in our urban centres, and a powerful framework to rethink our transportation networks and cities.” This was a great episode and many thanks to the Next Billion Seconds team for letting us resyndicate it here. From The Next Billion Seconds:What is ‘micromobility’? It’s a philosophy that emphasises choice and urban-centered design in our transportation networks and transport options. Drew Smith speaks with Horace Dediu, the ‘father’ of micromobility, about its origins, his critique of the new generation of EV companies, and the way things must change in order to provide a transport future that we can all enjoy. Mark looks at the ‘wheel’ of transportation that takes developing nations from bicycles to scooters to cars – and back to bikes again? Sally Dominguez makes a heartfelt and well-observed plea for micromobility solutions that don’t favour able-bodied young men by design. In the round-table, Mark, Sal and Drew analyse everything they’ve learned in this series: Are we any closer to autonomous vehicles? Pervasive electric vehicles? Commercial hydrogen vehicles? Micromobility solutions that work for everyone? A huge final for this series of THE NEXT BILLION CARSYou can listen to The Next Billion Seconds and learn more right here.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday. We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Grace Rink, Chief Climate Officer for the City and County of Denver. Grace leads the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency. She’s more well known in micromobility as the head of the Denver e-bike subsidy programme, which has captured the imagination of regulators all over the world with the latest program iterations selling out in mere minutes. Today we talk about how she ended up in Denver, why the programme was formed and it’s objectives and the implications of what they’re finding. This felt like an important interview. We think that subsidies and government support are something that micromobility has traditionally eschewed in favour of just doing it, but there are more and more cities, states, and countries around the world realising that the bang for the buck on these vehicles are substantially higher than they’d be for the other transport climate policies. They talk through the newly launched subsidy tracker that Micromobility Industries has just launched which tracks all subsidies for E-bikes, scooters and more globally. We’re very excited about it - and think that it’ll be an important tool going forward. Oliver and Grace also run through other schemes of government support for end consumers looking to use micromobility and how to make micromobility support non-partisan. If you’re a policymaker who is looking into this, welcome - We hope that you enjoy this, and that this conversation inspires you to push for a similar policy in your jurisdiction. If you have the desire to develop better materials for you on how to best do this and that we can host, please reach out to our team - we’d love to hear from you.Specifically they tackle:- How is the subsidy funded?- Why pick this? What are the motivation/outcome objectives?- “The city reported that the e-bikes purchased as part of the program were ridden 26 miles (42 km) per week on average, and replaced 3.4 car trips each week.”Does the city calculate trips? - How do you balance action and resiliency? - Which companies benefit the most from this? Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Melinda Hansen, founder of consulting firm Brightside and formerly the head of sustainability at Bird. They talk about the recent spate of Micromobility/ebike battery fires in New York and the response there as well as the wider conversation about equitable transport options, from her work with the equitable commute project. Like we’ve discussed many times on the show, we think that there is a real opportunity for Micromobility to contribute to the conversation. We really love Melinda‘s take on the whole space – she has a wealth of industry knowledge and is in New York with the legislators having the grunty conversations that will help lead the industry forward. Really hope that you enjoy this episode as we did. Specifically they tackle:- The E-bike fires for the Micromobility Podcast and know that you've been doing some advocacy in this space. - The work on transport equity she has been doing - How she is working to better aggregate and lobby for ebike subsidies at MMI.- How micromobility companies can play a more active role in getting streets ready for smaller vehicles. Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Rickard Bröms from Sweden, who is the founder of Vässla, who won the Rider Choice Award at the recent 2023 Micromobility Riders Awards for best subscription company.We’ve been following along with what they’ve been doing for a while and really love the new pedal Ebike that they are bringing out, along with the standard throttle bike and moped that they've been offering. They have really nailed the subscription services for micromobility, lowering the barriers to entry.We really loved the conversation with Rickard - he’s very mission-driven. We're really looking forward to watching them in the futureSpecifically they talk about:- The early origins of Vässla with e-moped and throttle bikes, and now their pedal e-bikes.- How they’ve sold around 5000 mopeds - beating the global market leader NIU - in Sweden and sell them in Berlin too.- How they’ve thought about Vässla Club, their subscription business - what was the insight, and what did it require from them to pivot into this- How they do their manufacturing- Their funding journey for early moped and into developing an ebike and subscriptionCatch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we are releasing another talk from our recent Micromobility World - this one with Matthew Yglesias, pioneering political blogger and self-described "ebike dad," on why electric bikes and other small vehicles offer a compelling alternative to the solve the urban mobility dilemma.Matt has a wealth of knowledge about the interplay of politics, Transport and land use and Julia is an excellent host to ask him about it. This was a really compelling and interesting 50 minutes. We hope you enjoy it!They dig into:- His journey to be an ‘e-bike dad’ - and a big proponent of electric bikes- The intersection between transport and built urban form - and the overhang of cars.- How people are now getting used to taking the vehicles that are appropriate to the trips- The divide between privately owned and shared systems, and how land use rules interplay with those decisions.- The regulatory drivers helping and hindering EVs and micromobility- The subsidy question - needed or not?- Why he thinks SoCal should be ground zero for a micromobility first city- The importance of making micromobility a positive, accessible brand rather than making it snobby or a ‘poverty option’- The importance of allowing the built environment to innovate to new mobility options.- What should micromobility advocates do to help drive change.- Americans are typically pro-growth, opportunity and innovation. How can those attitudes be harnessed for micromobility, and transcend the left/right divide.And now, here is Matt and Julia.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week on the podcast, we welcome back Horace for the first time in a while, to discuss the recent Mastodon storm on Apple's fabled car efforts and why they may fail, especially in the face of smaller, more modular vehicle solutions. We’ve linked to it below, but as quick context, the overall arc is that cars have a very long development and use lifespan, and that computers, the thing that Apple is best at, have far shorter timespans, and that there’s a mismatch there around how these two dynamics would interplay.As we’ve talked about a lot here on the podcast, "the faster it goes, the slower it goes”.In recent years, the trend towards micromobility has been exploding. Our thesis is that smaller electric vehicles, like electric bikes and scooters, are more adaptable and can be developed and evolved at a much faster pace than larger vehicles like cars. The shorter development timeframes and lifespans of micromobility vehicles means that they can be more quickly adapted to changing market trends and consumer preferences, and can stay ahead of the curve in terms of technological advancements.Specifically they tackle:-The potential of micromobility-The challenges facing Apple's car efforts-The role of smaller, more modular vehicle solutions in shaping the future of the automotive industry.And with that, here’s Horace!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Levi Conlow who is the founder of Lectric Ebikes. This really is one of the most incredible stories of Micromobility in the last few years. Back in 2019 when they were just starting out, they started with an Ebike that they struggled to sell and no-one wanted to buy. Last year they had the most popular model of a bike in America shipping over 150,000 units, all while being profitable. It’s stories like this that we love from Micromobility – companies that have really just nailed the product market fit by focusing on the bits that people love - cost and convenience. We love this conversation – Levi is an incredibly impressive founder who is hyper focused on the job the customers are trying to do – in this case selling Ebikes to people with RV’s direct to consumers, and really just nailing that experience. We really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.Specifically they tackled:- The background to Levi's involvement in the industry including his first venture in electric skateboards- The formation of Lectric including early funding and their failures- The explosive growth through the pandemic- The specific things that Levi focusses on for the customer that have been most valuable- How they think of value engineering and quality- Their marketing strategy, including how powerful the You Tube influencers are in driving sales- The new bikes they have coming out, including the announcement of their insanely specced and priced new cargo bike, the XPedition.- Tariffs and macro conditions and how they've navigated them- What he's excited about in the future- Their D2C strategy and what that has enabled for themAnd with that, here's Levi!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we are releasing another episode from the Micromobility world catalogue – this one is a conversation between Gabe Klein, the first person to head the newly formed Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and Julia Thayne, our Micromobility world Cohost.Gabes' job is to break down barriers to electrifying transportation. We’ve had him on the podcast before for episode 122 for what was one of the top episodes of the year. Before he took his current role, he has held a number of really interesting roles as a Zipcar exec and chief of the Washington DC and Chicago DOTs.He joins Julia to discuss the role small electric vehicles can play in America’s EV transformation. He’s a self-confessed ebike nut and it was awesome to have him join to talk micromobility.Learn more about Gabe and what he does, via his website hereIn this episode they tackle:- The new role that Gabe has taken on and what it's scope is- How he thinks about micromobility in the overall scope of electrification of transport in the US and the role that it can play- The lack of ebike subsidy that was in the IRA, and what other programmes are doing to support their adoption- The role of government in rolling out electrification of transportAnd with that, here’s Gabe and Julia.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week, we are releasing one of the talks that we had at the recent Micromobility World event early this year . A discussion between Horace, Julia Thayne, one of our co hosts and the famed journalist Kara Swisher, this was a particularly energising section, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!Specifically they tackle:- The intersection of tech and transport- The micromobility thesis and is it correct or not?- Which cities are best for micromobility- What Elon got wrongWith that, here’s Kara, Julia and Horace!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we're releasing another interview from Oliver's tour of micromobility companies in Southern California.This episode is with LeGrand Crewse, founder of Super73, on the growth of his very distinctive brand. Ever since Oliver first saw the first image of the electrified mini taco bike, he thought that Super73 were on to something - they clearly understood what electrification buys you in terms of bike design, and they had focused on knobbly tyres, aesthetics and the likelihood that riders would end up using the throttle over really peddling to create something that was a substantial departure from anything we’d really seen in popular bike design before - most companies just electrified the existing form factors that they’d been making.So, it was awesome to sit down with LeGrand and talk about the history and where things are going for the company, including its expansion into motorbikes.Also, we didn’t really discuss it, but Oliver got to test ride their kids bike afterwards too, and that thing is going to sell like hotcakes. It’s built super tough and has an adult mode meaning that adults can ride it as wellSpecifically they tackle:- The history of Super73- How the company has grown over time- Funding and how they have thought about it- Why they chose to raise less than their competitors- The new motorbikes and the impact that they will have on servicing and maintenanceTake a closer look at Super73 on their websiteAnd with that, here’s LeGrand!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week we're excited to bring you an interview from Oliver's recent tour of Southern California ahead of our Micromobility World online event. Oliver flew up from NZ to be with James, Julia and the team to produce the event but while he was there also took the chance to visit a whole heap of companies working in micromobility, either as vehicle makers or peripherally. He learnt a huge amount - especially from those who have been in the industry for a while.Benno Baenziger is an OG of the bike space, founding Electra Bikes back in 1993 as a recent immigrant to California from Germany and growing it through the 90s and 2000s till he sold it to a private equity group in 2008. He stuck around but eventually left to start Benno bikes in 2015 with a focus on what electric can bring to the bike industry.There’s a few things that you should know about Benno. Firstly, the company has less than 10 employees. He has really understood the bike industry and what makes for great bikes so focusses on the very specific points that he has as a designer to make great bikes and leaves the rest to others, a very different strategy to other companies in this space like Vanmoof or Cowboy who have chosen to eschew the old bike industry and try and do it themselves.Secondly, he’s profitable with no outside funding beyond what capital he put in himself.Like the conversation with Josh Hon from Tern, Oliver learns so much about how the world works with experiences like this. It is an honour to bring you material like this and we hope that we get to do more of the tours - it’s always better to do these interviews in person!Finally, Micromobility World went great. It was one of our largest events to dates and We had a lot of really excellent content come out of it, the relevant ones of which we will drop as podcasts soon.And here's Benno!Specifically they tackle:- His background founding Electra Bikes and then moving on- Why, despite him saying that he’d not do another bike business, Benno Bikes exists- What is ‘etility’ and what does it offer to the customer- Why he’s chosen to go a more traditional route for componentry and servicing- How he has managed to self fund the company to date- The importance of design and quality in a brandCatch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week, Oliver interviews Dong Tran, founder of Ryvid, who make electric motorbikes in California. We’ve not covered heaps of motorbikes on the show so far, but that’s changing and we will have a bunch more next year. There’s a few really interesting things about Ryvid...Firstly, they’ve got a pretty unique new metal folding technique for frame design which, if you listen to Horace and how he talks about how manufacturing techniques dictate how products evolve, has a lot of potential in offering lower cost, more innovative vehicle designs and companies.Secondly, they’re about to go into production with only around $1m raised, andThirdly, they’ve just been the recipients of a $20m calcompete grant in California, which is one of the largest grants that we’ve ever seen given to a Micromobility company. We really like Dong and his attitude, and it’s a pleasure to be able to bring you this conversation.Specifically they tackle The background to Ryvid The vehicle - The Anthem What they’re building - vehicles, battery systems etc Why they have chosen folded metal frames vs. more traditional frame systems and the impact of that on the bike How they have funded the company - equity, grants What Dong is excited about in the industry going forwardAnd with that, here’s Dong!!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This is a rerun - originally aired on 12 January 2023.This week Oliver interviews Robin Eriksson from Cogo app which is the largest shared micromobility aggregator in Europe. Horace and Oliver have long had a theory that the world of micromobility will mature to be more like the public transport or airline industry over time. So it’s no surprise to us to see the rise of Cogo, which allows for discovery to be handled in a single app for all micromobility providers in a city.We were excited to hear that they’ve recently added payments, and so wanted to have them on to run through their growth and where they think the marketplace for mobility is going.We really enjoyed this conversation with Robin - he’s super smart and has clearly navigated through the challenges to build a product that we're really excited to use when next in Europe.Specifically they tackle: The origins of Cogo with Robin's background in flight aggregators The rise of shared micromobility services and the use cases for having all mobility options in an app. The maturation of the shared micro business model and why now is the time for aggregation to occur Facilitating payments in the app, and regulatory barriers/opportunities for growth Who Robin sees as competition in this spaceLearn more about Cogo App on their website.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This is a rerun - originally aired on 5 January 2023.As we tick over from 2022 to 2023 we wanted to reshare our most popular episode from 2022.Our recent Spotify Wrapped and general analytics we get from our podcast platform gave us a few really cool stats about the podcast. We’re in the top 5% of followed and shared podcasts shared globally, with listeners from 61 countries and the majority of you being new listeners who only found us in the last year.Exciting times!We're excited to rerelease what was our most listened to episode from 2022.What is Micromobility and Why does it matter (2022 edition) that Horace and Oliver recorded at Micromobility Europe in June. We do these every so often as a recap of the thesis about why lightweight electric vehicles are interesting - cheap, best suited to the majority of trips that most people take and as vehicles, fast to evolve - and what micro therefore offers to the transport and decarbonisation conversation.In this episode we discuss what we got right back in 2018 when we started this podcast, what we were hoping to see that is either starting to happen or now common place, and what we got wrong.Specifically they tackle: Where the insight for micromobility came from The core tenets of what it is Electric, lightweight, utility Why it matters including how the world is urbanising, how we need to radically reduce emissions per vehicle, how most trips are short trips and how small vehicles evolve faster than small vehicles etc. Why it is significant to transport systems in terms of enabling point to point transport in dense urban areas What we got wrong in the last four yearsRight before we head off to this. we wanted to also suggest that you check out the Rider Choice awards. These are the Oscars of the micromobility world ahead of Micromobility World on the 19th of Jan. We’ve just shifted to the semi-final rounds for many of the categories, and we’re excited to see which brands are considered the most popular whether it’s your favourite scooter, ebike, shared service or more - with tens of thousands of votes already in, be sure to not miss out. Check it out at Micromobility.io.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Danny Kim from Lit Motors. Danny is an OG of the micromobility space. He was thinking about the impact of electric and what it’d enable in vehicle architectures well before pretty much anybody else, evidenced by both the Kubo and their C1. The C1 is an enclosed gyro balanced electric motorbike that in our view has amazing potential in terms of providing something that is as performance, weather protection and safety of a car, but in the package of a motorbike. We think that what Lit motors are trying to build is not without very substantial risks but has the potential to be a real game changer in the conversation in urban mobility if they manage.It would be remiss not to note that Lit Motors has a storied history, to say the least. A quick scan of their Wikipedia page certainly makes that clear - like Oliver, there are a bunch of people who did put in pre-orders back in 2012 and 2013 that haven't seen a vehicle. But after meeting Danny and learning more about both his journey and also what technical issues they’ve managed to work through we are more excited than ever for the potential future of having lots of these crazy amazing vehicles zooming around our cities. We love bold founders who show incredible tenacity and grit in building something as bold as this.Full disclosure, as mentioned in this episode, Oliver recently invested in Lit Motors on the basis of their team and technology. None of this should be construed as financial advice, and we are VERY aware that it was an insanely risky investment, but like Marc Randolph, the founder of Netflix said in a recent tweet storm, there are some times when you just want to have a seat in the arena to watch the journey, and to cheer on those crazy enough to try and build a better world. Danny is, in our mind, one of those.Specifically, they dig into:- The early days of Lit Motors- The promise and potential of gyro-balacing technology in car/vehicles- Danny's accident in 2015 and the impact of that- The team he's built- The plan for the next few years- The addressable market and implications of these vehicles if they work.Right before we head off to this. We also wanted to also suggest that you check out the Rider Choice awards. These are the Oscars of the micromobility world ahead of Micromobility World on the 19th of Jan. We’ve just shifted to the semi-final rounds for many of the categories, and we’re excited to see which brands are considered the most popular whether it’s your favourite scooter, ebike, shared service or more - with tens of thousands of votes already in, be sure to not miss out. Check it out at Micromobility.io.Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews David Hansen from Weel Bike based in Seattle. Oliver has known David since the early days of Micromobility Industries, and indeed, Weel was one of the companies that the Microbility VC syndicate invested in back in 2019 when we were running it, so full disclosure, Oliver does have some skin in the game.We love what they’re doing - they really have taken to heart what Horace talked about early on with the concept of what a smartphone on wheels would look like, rather than being a bike with phone bits stuck on. With the company about to ship bikes in Q1 next year, We wanted to bring David on to discuss their product but also their philosophy and what makes their vehicle different to any other bikes in the space. It’s a bold strategy, but I’m excited to see what conversations it’ll provoke about what a bike is or should be.Specifically they tackle David's background and how you and Justin got into building crazy e-bikes that ride themselves What software the bike offers Where they’re at with Weel in terms of development/funding/etc The route to market Why no incumbents would be crazy enough to build this themselves What David sees as the future of ‘bikes’Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver got to interview Josh Hon from Tern bikes. If you’ve not come across the Tern brand before, they’re now a mid-size bike company, but have really found a strong niche providing high quality utility bikes like their best selling mid-drive short tail compact cargo bike the GSD.Tern is different from a lot of the other micromobility companies that we've had on the Micromobility Podcast in that it’s definitely more of a traditional bike company, using bike shops etc to sell and service their bikes in what has now grown to be 61 countries.They also pass over it relatively quickly in this episode, but Tern is an amazing story in that Josh has raised only around 6m in funding to date.We really valued Josh’s humility and perspective as someone who has been around the bike industry for a really long time, especially on his insights into Taiwan and what does/doesn’t work there. We are really looking forward to future discussions with him.Specifically they tackle:Josh's personal history and how he came to start TernThe current range - what’s notable right nowHow they’ve raised capital and built their teamBuilding in Taiwan - what should people know about what they’ve doneAlso, if you haven’t already, please be sure to check out our Rider Choice Awards - the Oscars of the micromobility world. Voting is open now ahead of Micromobility World on the 19th of January. We’re excited to see which brands are considered the most popular whether it’s your favourite scooter, ebike, shared service or more - with tens of thousands of votes already in, be sure to not miss out. Check it out at Micromobility.ioCatch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Mike Radenbaugh from RAD Power Bikes. RAD is the largest maker of the bikes in the US and this is a conversation we have wanted to have for a really long time. They discuss the new bike that they have just unveiled (skip ahead to around minute 13 if you want to know more about that!) They've been so excited to let you know about what is happening! Besides that, they also talk all about how he got to starting the company, the vehicles that he's built and why he still sees micro as such an exciting and interesting space. They also get into what he’s up to next now that RAD has brought on Phil Molyneux as CEO last month. This was also published as a YouTube interview complete with video here: https://youtu.be/u1_H3kSdSl0Also, for a further take on everything RAD, head to our YouTube Channel for an shorter interview at Micromobility America with Mike earlier this year (https://youtu.be/EJnH8ie-x9k)Specifically they dig into:- Rad Power Bikes, how it started and where they are at now.- D2C, and why they chose that model and how they think about servicing- RAD has the largest marketing budget of the industry. What’s been effective in this space? What are the biggest barriers in a D2C marketplace?- Mike has recently stepped down as CEO, what is he now focusing on?- The double standard about ebikes vs other vehicles. - The RadTrike - RAD has always been known for two wheels so why the move to three, and why it's been their most requested bike ever. And with that, here’s Mike!Be sure to check out our Rider Choice Awards - the Oscars of the micromobility world. Voting is open now ahead of Micromobility World on the 19th of January. We’re excited to see which brands are considered the most popular - with thousands of votes already in, be sure to not miss out. Check it out at Micromobility.ioCatch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This Week Oliver interviews Murvah Iqbal from HIVED. Every so often we come across entrepreneurs where we come away thinking that they’re going to own a segment in a way that the incumbents are going to struggle to respond to.Murvah is one of those. We loved this interview. We got into the backstory for HIVED, what they’re building and why micro is core to their strategy. The world of package delivery is one that is here and real. We're super excited to follow her career and see them succeed.In the meantime, if you haven’t check out our latest effort, the Rider Choice Awards. It is our industries version of the oscars, the baftas, the Top Gear Speed Week and the webby’s all tied into one. You can select the best firms and vehicles in more than 30 categories and get them selected for consideration ahead of judging for Micromobiltiy World, which is happening on January 19th online. We have many of the top brands in the world currently battling it out for top spot in the bike, scooter, pod, subscription business, shared operator and more from around the world. We’ve been blown away by the level of excitement from the community and are super excited to share the preliminary results with you. The first round of cutoff is coming this month, and then again next month so get your votes in quickly!And now, here’s Murvah.Specifically, they dig into: Murvah's background and what led to the foundation of HIVED The problem that they're trying to solve, and why micro is core to it Traction on HIVED to date Fundraising for businesses like thisIn the meantime, if you haven’t check out our latest effort, the Rider Choice Awards. It is our industries version of the Oscars, the Baftas, the Top Gear Speed Week and the Webby’s all tied into one. You can select the best firms and vehicles in more than 30 categories and get them selected for consideration ahead of judging for Micromobiltiy World, which is happening on January 19th online. We have many of the top brands in the world currently battling it out for top spot in the bike, scooter, pod, subscription business, shared operator and more from around the world. We’ve been blown away by the level of excitement from the community and are super excited to share the preliminary results with you. The first round of cutoff is coming this month, and then again next month so get your votes in quickly!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

This week Oliver interviews Horace about the talk he did at Micromobility America on the Total Addressable Market for micromobility, and the opportunity of the space.This should really be listened to in context of the 5 Billion Riders talk that Horace gave at the conference, which is now on Youtube. Here, we dig into Horace’s thought pattern and the significance of mapping out addressable markets in informing the debate and opportunity for the space.Specifically, they dig into: The backstory for Total Addressable Markets and why these matter What has changed since Horace’s early work in this space The potential impact of 5 billion riders Why this matters for companies raisingIn the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out our latest effort, the Rider Choice Awards. It is our industry's version of the Oscars, the Baftas, the Top Gear Speed Week, and the Webby’s all tied into one. You can select the best firms and vehicles in more than 30 categories and get them selected for consideration ahead of judging for Micromobility World, which is happening on January 19th online. We have many of the top brands in the world currently battling it out for top spot in the bike, scooter, pod, subscription business, shared operator, and more from around the world.We’ve been blown away by the level of excitement from the community and are super excited to share the preliminary results with you. The first round of cutoff is coming this month, and then again next month so get your votes in quickly!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Ever since Oliver interviewed Karianne from Whee! earlier in the year, we’ve been excited to find more companies doing ebike subscription services to families. As Karianne says, there is a lot of money to be made by taking women and families seriously.So it was awesome to more recently discover the team at Lug and Carrie, based in Australia, who are as far as we can tell, the largest e cargobike consumer subscription business globally (notwithstanding Dance and Swapfiets etc in Europe that do commuter bikes).As you’ll hear in this interview, Dan and Ben have absolutely nailed product market fit - e cargo bikes being absolutely perfect for subscription - and we’ve been super impressed with both them as a team but also their execution and positioning. It will be very exciting to see what this company goes on to do, especially with their forthcoming launch into larger markets.Specifically, they dig into: Dan and Ben's backgrounds and what led to the formation of Lug and Carrie How it’s going - the model, vehicles, uptake etc What they have found fundraising/company building like What are their plans for the futureCheck out Lug and Carrie's websiteIn the meantime if you haven’t check out our latest effort, the Rider Choice Awards. It is our industries version of the Oscars, The Baftas, The Top Gear Speed Week and the Webby’s all tied into one. You can select the best firms and vehicles in more than 30 categories and get them selected for consideration ahead of judging for Micromobiltiy World, which is happening on January 19th online. We have many of the top brands in the world currently battling it out for top spot in the bike, scooter, pod, subscription business, shared operator and more from around the world. We’ve been blown away by the level of excitement from the community and are super excited to share the preliminary results with you. The first round of cutoff is coming this month, and then again next month so get your votes in quickly!Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and have it in your inbox every Monday and Thursday.We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.