Micromobility Roundup January 28
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MICROMOBILITY HEADLINES
City of Bikes: With virtually no biking culture only a few years ago, Paris is now seeing staggering bike adoption, creating a blueprint for other cities. The rapidly growing infrastructure, primarily a large network of protected bike lanes, was enabled thanks to bold leadership from Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The saga continues: With a history of global press coverage and no shortage of customers, the maker of the ultra-efficient solar electric ELF, Organic Transit looks for buyers to continue their mission of convenient and sustainable personal mobility.
Candid about carbon costs: Pushing for a sustainable business model and an edge over rival e-scooter operators, micromobility company Skip will publish reports on the quarterly maintenance and parts needed to keep its scooter fleet up and running. Will this new data finally prove to the doubters that micromobility truly is green?
Mom-and-pop shop dock: While some micromobility operators are retrenching, India’s Bounce just raised $105M. Looks like investors like its innovative business model – keeping capex low by using local businesses to increase its footprint.
Grow shrinks: Micromobility’s growing pains seem to be spreading south of the border. LatAm-based Grow just announced it is laying off 25% of the company and exiting a number of Brazilian markets.
A royal slam dunk: Surprising 50 teens in Harlem, LeBron James announced a partnership with Lyft for free membership to the CitiBike network to local youths. The unrivaled athlete spoke to the incredibly positive role the bicycle played in his childhood and the need for safe biking infrastructure for kids and adults alike.
About time! After a disappointing veto late last year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to legalize electric scooters and bikes—which have already been used in significant numbers—paving the way for expanded use and potentially opening up the state to micromobility operators.
Go big or go home: Uber and three bike advocacy organizations wrote an open letter to Congress calling for new bike lane implementation during road resurfacing and congestion pricing to fund bike/transit infrastructure in the US. Uber also released their JUMP data tool giving cities insights into micromobility trips and demand.
Second mover advantage: Alibaba backed Hello Global surpasses 300 million users and overtakes its Chinese rivals to become the largest bike-sharing service, thanks in part to a focus on smaller cities.
What’s NIU? Chinese NIU rolls out its large form electric scooters in eight US cities while introducing an eye-catching, semi-enclosed, three-wheeled urban commuter capable of 150 miles and 50 mph.
Taking charge: Startups like Charge, Swiftmile, and Perch Mobility aim to add value and boost unit economics for providers and gig workers alike with various scooter charging models.
Context is key: StreetsBlog picks apart JAMA Surgery’s problematic scooter safety study, which resulted in misleading media coverage.
Access granted: Uber begins “adaptive scooter pilot” in San Francisco, adding seated and standing three-wheeled scooter options with the aim of increased accessibility.
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Have A Go is the micromobility editor for CoMotion, a weekly roundup of all things mobility.
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