How Micromobility Kept Taipei Moving After Earthquake

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

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by…?RYSE

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What You Need to Know Today

Micromobility?demonstrated its resiliency?during last week’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan. While trains and buses were shuttered,?Gogoro kept its mopeds and battery stations 100% online to provide?Taipei residents with an essential mobility lifeline.

The European Union signed a?landmark declaration prioritizing cycling, with plans to create cycling-friendly infrastructure and legislation across member states.? This policy shift is expected to generate over one million jobs in the cycling industry by 2030.?

Paris is a shining example of how strong cycling policies can lead to positive change. A?new report?from the?L’Institut Paris Région?shows that more people now ride bikes than drive cars in the French capital.

Dutch cargo bike company Babboe found itself in hot water when?it was?investigated for hiding defective frames?from officials during inspection visits.?A few days later, Babboe?issued a recall, offering a replacement frame or new bike to approximately one-third (or 22,000) of its customers.

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Heads up: Our annual?Micromobility Europe?conference is coming to Amsterdam in less than two months. Join us on June 5-6 for two stacked days of networking, demos, test rides, knowledge-sharing, and more. And best of all, tickets are on sale for a limited time for?€295/each, i.e. 70% off the full price.

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Lime continues to show growth, with a noteworthy?32% YoY increase in bookings for 2023, marking its second consecutive year of profitability.?Building on that momentum, the shared micromobility giant says it will?expand its fleets?by adding 30,000 e-bikes across North America, Europe, and Australia in 2024.

Airbnb for e-bikes? A Seattle-based startup called Spokeo has created a?new peer-to-peer rental platform?for bicycles, both acoustic and electric.

The Dutch cargo bike producer Cargo Cycling?partnered with UK-based Delivery Mates?to?pilot their Chariot FS2 e-cargo trike. This innovative tilting e-trike is designed for durability and high operational uptime, aiming to reduce last-mile maintenance costs and improve delivery efficiency.

The CEO of Ather Energy, one of the largest moped manufacturers in India, is critiquing the Indian government’s surprise decision to slash cash incentives for mopeds by 25%. He argues increased subsidies will be necessary to meet the country’s goal of electrifying 70% of 2-wheelers by 2030.

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2023, a reorganized Bird will operate under a new parent company,?Third Lane Mobility.

Following a safety-certification scandal, Daihatsu, Toyota’s kei car subsidiary, will reorganize its business structure and focus on making mini EVs.

It’s still illegal to use privately-owned electric scooters on public roads in the U.K., but that hasn’t stopped many Brits from riding them. In response, law enforcement is cracking down and police seizures of e-scooters are?on the rise.

In an effort to offset sky-high third-party delivery fees, Cambridge, MA is exploring?subsidizing cargo e-bikes for restaurants, making local deliveries carbon-less and cheaper.

Some good news: U.S.?traffic deaths fell 3.6%?in 2023. But a?new report?from NHTSA finds that, in 2022, American cycling deaths hit an all-time high, even as overall traffic deaths declined.

Colorado's e-bike rebate program has seen a?tepid response from local bike shops, largely because the state doesn't reimburse them for a full tax year. Colorado will introduce quarterly reimbursements from 2025 onward to boost local retailer participation.

Minnesota is the latest state to?offer generous e-bike incentives?with rebates of up to 75% of the cost of a new e-bike.?Minnesotans can apply for the rebate starting on June 5.

Are you looking for up-to-date information on e-bike incentives in your area? Check out our interactive?Electric Bike Incentive Guide?on?Ride Review.

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