Micromobility: Recent Episodes
Horace Dediu and Oliver Bruce
Micromobility explores the disruption to urban transport that comes from new electric, lightweight utility vehicles. Using the history of computing as a framework, we unpack how e-bikes, scooters and more will change how people get around cities.
We chat with Drew Henry, EVP of Arm's brand new Physical AI business unit, about the future of physical AI, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and the importance of system-level design and safety standards. He also really wants you to know that Arm's hiring (hint hint, engineers).
We do a deep dive into the Tensor Robocar, the world's first real SAE Level 4 self-driving vehicle that you can own.
We do a deep dive into Dot, DoorDash's newly announced homegrown delivery robot, that has eyes, can talks, and is capable of speeds up to 20mph.
In this episode, we dive into the details of the Uber-Lucid-Nuro robotaxi deal, which could be the largest deal of its kind to date.
In this episode, we dive into the nitty gritty of what makes a good sensor and how lidar could transform urban traffic as we know it.
In this episode of the Ride AI podcast, we sit down with Ed Bernardon, Chief Racing Officer at AIPEX Racing, to explore the high-octane world of autonomous motorsport. From dispelling the myth that self-driving race cars are just glorified remote-control vehicles to unpacking the unique challenges of AI-driven competition, Ed offers an insider’s look into the future of racing. He breaks down the tech stack powering AIPEX's autonomous vehicles, discusses the parallels and divergences between human and AI drivers, and reveals why the drama behind the code might rival the thrill on the track. We also dive into why autonomous cars might someday outpace their human counterparts.
In this episode of the Ride AI Podcast, we sit down with Ali Kashani, CEO and co-founder of Serve Robotics, the company bringing AI-powered sidewalk delivery robots—with googly eyes—to city streets. Ali shares the origin story behind Serve's charming, efficient bots and explains why using a two-ton car to deliver a two-pound burrito simply doesn’t make sense.
We dive into the rationale behind sidewalk robots versus road-based vehicles, the surprising stats about food delivery distances, and how Serve’s robots—some capable of 40 miles on a single charge—are redefining last-mile logistics. Ali also explains how the company maintains Level 4 autonomy with human-in-the-loop oversight and the unique challenges of operating in pedestrian-dense environments.
Hear how Serve’s robots navigate public spaces with body language, what goes into scaling to cities like Dallas, Miami, and soon Atlanta, and why the future of delivery may depend less on bikes and more on scalable automation. Plus, Ali reveals unexpected revenue streams—from ad campaigns on robots to software licensing deals—and shares his dream cities for future deployment (spoiler: New York is high on the list).
In this episode, we explore Lyft’s evolving approach to autonomous vehicles and the future of rideshare. Rather than building its own L4 tech, Lyft is doubling down on its marketplace strengths—demand generation, rider experience, and fleet management—while teaming up with AV innovators like Mobileye. The company envisions a hybrid future where human drivers and AVs coexist, expanding the market rather than replacing people.
We dive into how Lyft plans to support its diverse driver base—over two million strong annually—by creating new opportunities, such as turning today’s drivers into tomorrow’s AV fleet owners. Plus, we break down the economics of surge pricing, the complexities of fleet ops, and how Lyft compares to competitors like Uber and Waymo.
In this episode of Ride AI, we dive into the fast-evolving intersection of autonomy, gig work, and delivery economics. Our guest, Gridwise founder and CEO Ryan Green, joins to discuss why autonomous vehicles won't spell the end for human gig workers — at least not yet.
In this episode, we dive into the gritty reality of autonomous trucking with Xiaodi Hou, founder of Bot Auto, a Level 4 freight-hauling company that's rewriting the playbook on autonomy. While much of the industry chases glossy tech demos and futuristic hype, Bot Auto is quietly building a cost-efficient, scalable logistics operation—one truckload at a time.
Today's episode is a recording of an interview from the Ride AI summit in which Vishay Nihalani of Waymo (Director of Product Management, Operations) unpacks the company’s transformation from Google’s self-driving side project into a global pioneer of autonomous mobility. From deployment strategy to global expansion, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how Waymo is designing autonomy for the real world — and the road ahead. Interview by Edward Niedermeyer.
In this episode, Ed Niedermeyer sits down with Nimrod Nehushtan, EVP of Strategy and Business Development at Mobileye, to unpack the company’s push to bring ADAS to the mainstream. From Mobileye’s new partnership with Volkswagen and Valeo—bringing hands-free Level 2+ driving to EVs priced under $30K—to the rollout of Supervision, Chauffeur, and REM-based technologies, the conversation dives deep into Mobileye’s evolving product stack, regulatory tailwinds, and vision for scalable autonomy.
YouTuber, writer, and coder Sophia Tung recaps the week's most important AV news, including Waymo’s big Bay Area expansion, multiple Tesla controversies, Travis Kalanick’s robotaxi regrets, Rivian’s hands-free driving debut, and more.
This week’s episode is shorter than usual, but hopefully it serves as a good introduction to Sophia and her point of view on AI mobility. She’ll be podcasting more with us in the future.
As a reminder, the first Ride AI summit is taking place on April 2 at Neuehouse in Hollywood, California. We already have an amazing group of speakers lined up, including Amnon Shashua of Mobileye, Gill Pratt of TRI, and other top decision makers from Waymo, Zoox, Wayve, Apollo Go, Nuro, and more. There's a ton of excitement around the fact that this will be the first event of its kind that people will be able to take a fully driverless Waymo robotaxi to, making it the perfect opportunity to inaugurate the second chapter of this technological space. The on-stage conversations will be focused on this shift, from experiments and ideas to delivering real-world realities, and how to reboot conversations with stakeholders in the public sector, capital markets, media, and beyond.
Tickets are currently on sale here: https://ti.to/rideai/ride-ai-2025
The first Ride AI summit, an intimate gathering of top leaders in driving automation technology and related AI-empowered hardtech, is taking place on April 2 at Neuehouse in Hollywood, California. In this episode, our hosts, Edward Niedermeyer and Timothy B. Lee, preview the aspects of the event program they are most excited about.
We already have an amazing group of speakers lined up, including Amnon Shashua of Mobileye, Gill Pratt of TRI, and other top decision makers from Waymo, Zoox, Wayve, Apollo Go, Nuro, and more. There's a ton of excitement around the fact that this will be the first event of its kind that people will be able to take a fully driverless Waymo robotaxi to, making it the perfect opportunity to inaugurate the second chapter of this technological space. The on-stage conversations will be focused on this shift, from experiments and ideas to delivering real-world realities, and how to reboot conversations with stakeholders in the public sector, capital markets, media, and beyond.
Tickets are currently on sale here. Space is limited.
Alex Kendall, founder and CEO of Wayve, shares how Wayve's unique end-to-end AI approach allows their self-driving system to generalize across different countries and driving cultures—from London to California. The discussion explores how Wayve (which recently raised $1 billion from Softbank and others) combines vision, language, and action to create more intuitive human-AI interactions, why synthetic data matters for safety testing, and how their lean hardware strategy could make autonomous technology more accessible to automakers worldwide.
The AV trucking company Aurora is spending the final days of 2024 busily getting ready to start hauling freight without humans on board, a long-awaited milestone. On the eve of this potentially historic launch, our host Timothy B. Lee catches up with co-founder Sterling Anderson about the long road of technological innovation that led here.
- Sterling shares his journey from leading Autopilot at Tesla to starting Aurora in late 2016.
- The conversation covers the technical and strategic decisions behind Aurora's development, emphasizing their shift from robotaxis to autonomous trucking.
- Sterling highlights key partnerships with OEMs and others that have allowed Aurora scale their operations efficiently.
- Tim and Sterling discuss Aurora's unique approach of verifiable AI to ensure safety and reliability compared to end-to-end monolithic systems.
- Finally, Sterling explains the critical regulatory aspects Aurora is navigating as they aim for a driverless trucking launch between Dallas and Houston by April 2025.
Timothy B. Lee of the Understanding AI newsletter joins Ed Niedermeyer to unpack Tesla’s flashy robotaxi unveil.
In this episode of the Ride AI podcast, host Ed Niedermeyer interviews Anuja Sonalker, CEO of Steer Tech, to discuss a lesser-known success story in mobility technology. Anuja shares how Steer Tech, founded in 2016, specializes in low-speed, autonomous vehicle operations within geofenced areas like parking lots and depots. She explains that while parking automation was initially underestimated, it presents complex challenges requiring high precision and intelligence. Steer Tech developed the first fully autonomous Level 4 parking solution and has since expanded into broader vehicle orchestration systems. Their lean, customer-driven approach allowed them to achieve cashflow positivity by focusing on practical applications in fleet management, emphasizing operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Unlike many companies in the autonomous vehicle space, Steer Tech avoided big venture capital funding, choosing instead a more sustainable business model that balances innovation with profitability.
In this episode of Ride AI, recorded live at Micromobility Europe in Amsterdam, we delve into the evolving landscape of EV charging and automation with Crijn Bouman, founder of ROCSYS. Crijn shares his extensive journey in e-mobility, starting from his university days influenced by a friend's self-built electric bike, to founding ROCSYS, a company that develops autonomous EV charging robots for robotaxis, human-driven fleets, and more. He explores the critical advancements in EV fast-charging, the role of robotics in automating EV charging, and the broader implications for mobility and infrastructure.
On the latest episode of the Ride AI podcast, we dive into insurance, risk management, and driving automation with Michael Wagner, CEO of Edge Case Research.
With autonomous vehicles poised to revolutionize transportation, understanding the risks and liabilities associated with this technology is paramount. Unlike traditional auto insurance, where policies are based on factors like driver history and vehicle usage, insuring self-driving vehicles requires a deeper understanding of the technology itself. Edge Case Research aims to fill this gap by providing risk assessment technology tailored specifically for autonomous cars and trucks. Michael sheds light on how this nascent industry is developing new insurance solutions that address the unique challenges of AVs, while incentivizing safe practices and fostering trust.
The latest Ride AI podcast episode features Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, the former founder of Starsky Robotics and current founder and CEO of Polymath Robotics, discussing his experiences in the self-driving truck industry. Stefan reflects on the challenges faced by Starsky Robotics, particularly the overconfidence in machine learning and the belief in a one-size-fits-all solution for autonomy, and how this experience informs Polymath Robotics, his new venture focused on building a generalized navigation layer for off-road vehicles.
- Stefan reflects on the history of self-driving trucks and the challenges faced during his time at Starsky Robotics, including the overconfidence in machine learning and the misconception that data collection alone would lead to successful autonomous driving.
- He highlights the difficulty in raising funds for a more focused approach compared to competitors' broader promises.
- Stefan discusses the need for a more grounded understanding of robotics and AI, emphasizing the importance of addressing specific problems rather than chasing general solutions.
- Polymath Robotics aims to democratize automation by reducing the upfront costs and complexity, allowing smaller players and seed-funded startups to compete effectively.
- Stefan emphasizes the parallels between the evolution of the automotive and smartphone industries, indicating a similar maturation process in robotics hardware.
On the latest episode of the Ride AI podcast, our host Ed Niedermeyer talks to Tyson Jominy, VP of Data & Analytics for J.D, Power, about the recent dynamics in the car market. They touch on COVID, the EV market, the prospect of another truck/SUV slowdown, and how these are all related.
- Discussion on the cyclicality of the auto industry and recent turbulence due to COVID-19: undersupply situation, excess savings leading to increased demand, and supply chain disruptions.
- Pricing dynamics in the EV market: oversupply of EVs in the $50-60k price range leading to price cuts.
- Fleet sales and their impact on EV market dynamics, including potential risks to resale value and pricing stability (Hertz struggled with high repair bills and consumer dissatisfaction with EV rentals, prompting them to unwind their EV-focused strategy.)
- Tesla's decision not to pursue a low-cost model raises questions about the industry's focus and the challenges of making EVs profitable.
- The auto industry seems to be retreating to familiar corners, like focusing on SUVs, hybrids, and high-margin segments, rather than investing heavily in lower-cost EVs.
- EVs face challenges in consumer perception and understanding of total cost of ownership, compared to hybrids, which have been around for a while but still face low adoption rates.
- The auto industry's struggle to make EVs profitable raises concerns about the future of EV adoption and the profitability of traditional segments like trucks and SUVs.
- There's uncertainty about the trajectory of EV adoption and whether there will be a "EV winter" where growth stalls.
- Regulatory factors still incentivize automakers to invest in EVs despite profitability challenges.
This week’s episode of the Ride AI podcast is a mind-meld between automotive analyst Ed Niedermeyer and tech-innovation scholar Horace Dediu about why the car industry is ripe for disruption. Their conversation is a reflection on the transformative power of past innovations like computers and phones, and the need to imagine a better future for mobility. Together they discuss:
- The concept of unbundling the car for different trip types and purposes, similar to computing devices
- Observation that the world seeks to improve cars, but they are already highly optimized
- Critique of current approaches by companies like Tesla and Apple, which aim to fit new technologies into the existing car model
- Emphasis on the need for truly disruptive innovation in mobility, either through cheaper, more accessible options or new directions of competition
- Discussion on the potential for self-driving technology to transform mobility by enabling new experiences and connections
- Examinations of the challenges of building an EV that is both cheap and has extensive battery range
- Why investors are over-focused on cars as a platform at the expense of other autonomous driving use-cases, like agriculture, defense, and transit.
⌲ Subscribe to our free newsletter to stay on the forefront of the intersection of AI and mobility 👉 https://rideai.beehiiv.com/
For the inaugural episode of the new Ride AI podcast, author and analyst Ed Niedermeyer discusses the hype and disillusionment surrounding several new mobility technologies—namely autonomous vehicles—with Mike Ramsey, a vice president at Gartner. Ramsey explains the five parts of a hype cycle, including the innovation trigger and the trough of disillusionment, and provides historical analysis for where he believes autonomy is today on the road to mass adoption.
- Ed and Mike discuss the concept of the five-part "hype cycle" in technology adoption: innovation trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment, and plateau of productivity.
- The "slope of enlightenment" is explained as the phase where technologies become useful and start to see real-world applications.
- Autonomy in vehicles, while not profitable yet, is advancing (especially in robotaxis)
- Meanwhile autonomous technology is diffusing into other industries like agriculture, mining, and construction, where simple design domains allow for easier implementation.
- Despite challenges, significant investment in autonomy has advanced technologies like vision systems and edge AI.
- The hype surrounding autonomy is similar to that of other emerging technologies like generative AI, which may have significant impacts but will likely manifest in smaller, more practical applications initially.
- Media attention tends to focus on hype, but the most significant advancements often occur quietly, requiring deliberate effort to discover and understand.
⌲ Subscribe to our free newsletter to stay on the forefront of the intersection of AI and mobility 👉 https://rideai.beehiiv.com/
Leading up to Micromobility Europe, James Gross talks the state of micromobility in Europe with Prabin Joel Jones, Founder and CEO of Mayten along with Augustin Friedel, Senior Manager, MHP – A Porsche Company who is sharing his personal views on the podcast.
Topics Discussed:
Shared and Owned Micromobility
Prabin takes us through the Tier and Dott merger:
- Tier/Dott deal
- Background of the deal
- What the deal is
- Challenges in merging
- Where can they go from here
- What does this mean for the industry?
Augustin predicts continued consolidation in the shared mobility space, with potential mergers or acquisitions among companies like Bold, Lime, and Voi. Prabin critiques Bolt's strategy and their future as the next Uber.
Augustin also spoke about the struggles of owned ebike companies and the shift towards software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and AVs to enhance customer experience and safety.
Software Defined Vehicles, AI and Regulation
Augustin elaborates on Europe's position on AVs, noting a lag compared to the US and China due to a lack of investment and no existing tech giants.
The potential for software-defined vehicles to improve user experience and safety, but recognizing Europe's fragmented approach to AVs and mobility tech.
How government and local authorities could play a more significant role in advancing AVs and shared mobility through funding and regulatory support.
Augustin speculates about Europe's potential to catch up in the AV space by pooling resources from major automotive players and focusing on local mobility solutions.
Safety is discussed as a primary concern for micromobility users, with different European cities showing varying degrees of progress in creating safe infrastructure for cyclists and scooter users.
Despite the challenges faced by shared mobility and AVs, there's optimism about the future, with emphasis on the need for innovation, better regulation, and strategic investments.
The discussion concludes with a call for continued exploration and improvement in the mobility space, acknowledging the long journey ahead but recognizing the opportunities for impactful change.
Trends to watch:
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Software-Defined Vehicles and Artificial Intelligence
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The Role of Government in mobility investments and Regulation
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Safety and Infrastructure
Apple is reportedly exiting the car industry, focusing instead on software and mobility services. The company's decision is driven by the challenges and complexities of the automotive industry, including high costs, long product cycles, and difficulty in making significant contributions. Apple's future in mobility may lie in micromobility and smart accessories for vehicles.
🚗 Apple's decision to exit the car industry is not surprising given the challenges and complexities associated with building and selling cars. The company's strengths lie in software and user experience, which may be better applied to mobility services and smart accessories for vehicles.📱 The smartphone is already a powerful tool in the car, with features like Apple CarPlay allowing users to integrate their phone's apps and functions into the vehicle's infotainment system. Apple's focus on privacy and AI could enhance the smartphone's capabilities and create unique mobility experiences.💡 Apple's decision to pivot away from the car industry and explore opportunities in micromobility aligns with the broader trend of urbanization and the growing demand for sustainable transportation options. By focusing on smaller, more agile vehicles, Apple can address the needs of urban dwellers and contribute to the future of mobility.
On this episode of Ride On! we are talking with Tyson Roehrkasse, the Chief Reviewer at our sister company, Ride Review. Tyson has been with us now for around 4 months and comes from a tremendous background in electric bike reviews, with the majority of his time spent working with Electric Bike Review, the OG of the ebike review space.
Highlights: - 🚲 Reviews play a crucial role in the success of small electrical vehicles, with online reviews impacting pre-orders, investments, and revenue.- 🛵 The importance of local dealers and retailers in providing better customer experience and service for e-bike buyers.- 🌐 The rise of influencers in the scooter and one-wheel market, focusing on lifestyle and fun rather than technical attributes and formal reviews.
We also use this episode to make some announcements around Ride AI, a platform covering all the technology that moves us. We have started with a newsletter, you can subscribe at http://rideai.org and very soon we will be launching a Ride AI podcast with Ed Neidemeyer who has tirelessly covered the AV and vehicle tech landscape for over 15 years now. Finally, as part of the new launch, we will also be announcing our Ride AI Conference in Costa Mesa, CA the week of November 11th that will also coincide with Micromobility America.
So big news there is 1) a new event Ride AI highlighting all the technology that moves us with our first ever event along with Micromobility America moving from the Bay Area to Southern California.
Why Southern California? On top of the being the largest market in the United States for small electric vehicles we also think it represents the renaissance happening in the hard tech world both as it relates to AI and mobility. SoCal is home to incredible mobility history like Hughes AirForce Base, the first west coast refineries from Rockefeller and now home to SpaceX and many startups looking to change the way we move.
We hope you buy tickets and join us at the event, go to Micromobility.io to learn more about it.
Arnold Kamler, CEO of Kent International, discusses the evolution of his family's three generations of the bicycle business from its inception in 1906 to the present day. The journey includes the transition from retail to wholesale, adapting to market trends like racing and mountain bikes, overcoming challenges during the financial crisis and COVID-19, manufacturing in the US, moving it to Europe, then to Chin and then back to the US all the while remaining resilient in a dynamic industry that has now gone electric.
Timeline:
- 🚴 1906: Arnold's grandfather arrives in the U.S. and opens up his first bike shop in the Lower East Side.
- 🛠️ Early 1920s: The family moves the business to New Jersey.
- 📈 1947: Post-WWII, Arnold's father shifts the business from retail to wholesale.
- 🌎 1950s-60s: The company adapts to changing markets, beginning to import bikes from Europe and then Asia.
- 🏁 1970s: Kent International experiences a boom with the popularity of racing/road bikes, starting in California.
- 🚵♂️ 1990s: The company adapts to the mountain bike craze and faces the challenges of globalization and competition from China.
- 💸 2008: The financial crisis impacts the business, leading to strategic pricing and inventory adjustments.
- 🌐 2010s: Kent International focuses on e-commerce and begins exploring the electric bike market.
- 📉 2020-21: The COVID-19 pandemic causes a surge and then a sudden drop in demand, impacting inventory management.
- 🌿 Present Day: Kent International remains a resilient player in the bicycle industry, adapting to current market trends and consumer needs.
Other Highlights:
- 🌍 Global Expansion: Kent International's strategic shift to importing and later manufacturing in China.
- 🚀 Growth: Significant growth in the 1970s, reaching new heights in the 2000s with major retail partnerships.
- 🛠️ Manufacturing Innovations: Experimentation with different bike designs and materials, adapting to changing consumer preferences.
- 🛍️ Retail Shifts: Adjusting strategies to cope with the rise of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales.
- 🚲 Industry Trends: Continuous adaptation to industry trends like electric bikes and changing consumer habits.
In an emergency podcast episode of Ride On!, James Gross and guest Prabin Joel Jones discuss the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Bird, one of the high flying shared micromobility companies over the last 5 years.. They delve into the financial challenges and strategic missteps of Bird and other companies in the shared micromobility space, considering the broader implications for the industry. They then turn their attention to how you could build a shared micromobility company today and the opportunities that are now present as capital and some of the existing industry heads for the exit.
Oliver Bruce is back for this episode!
Upway is an innovative company in the e-bike marketplace, specializing in the refurbishment and resale of electric bikes. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Paris, France, Upway has made significant strides in the e-bike industry. Toussaint Wattinne, the CEO and co-founder of Upway, along with co-founder Stéphane Ficaja, have backgrounds in leading roles at Uber Eats, bringing their expertise in tech-driven business models to the e-bike industry. The company is notable for refurbishing and certifying a vast array of electric bikes, offering customers a wide selection of over 400 brands. As of March 2023, Upway had refurbished and certified more than 20,000 electric bikes, showcasing its commitment to providing quality and sustainable transportation options.The company has successfully expanded its services beyond France, with availability in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. This expansion is a testament to the growing demand for sustainable and affordable mobility solutions. Upway's approach to e-bike sales centers around a seamless ordering and delivery process, ensuring that the bikes and their batteries are of high quality and safe for use. This business model has attracted notable investors like Sequoia Capital, Global Founders Capital, Exor Seeds, and Origins, contributing to Upway's impressive total funding of $60.6 million.Highlights🚲 Upway, a company specializing in selling refurbished electric bikes, has successfully raised over $30 million in Series B funding.🌍 Founded in 2021 and based in Paris, Upway has expanded to Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States.🔄 They have refurbished over 20,000 electric bikes from more than 400 brands, offering up to 35% discount compared to new bikes.🛠️ Upway's business model focuses on rebuilding trust in the used ebike market by refurbishing bikes to a high standard and offering a one-year warranty.📈 Despite initial skepticism, the market demand for used ebikes has been strong, with Upway receiving high customer satisfaction ratings.🤝 Upway collaborates with over 1500 retailers and ebike dealers, using trading software for customer trade-ins and managing returns for D2C manufacturers.📊 The business mix varies by region, with a significant portion of sourcing in Europe coming from dealers, while in the US, direct consumer purchases and manufacturer returns play a larger role.
Melvin Lian is the Founder and CEO of @VoroMotors . He discusses his company's journey, from its beginnings in Singapore to its current base in Los Angeles. Melvin detailed the challenges he faced in Singapore, including strict regulations that culminated in an overnight ban on scooters. Melvin also talks about the company's innovations in seated scooters, its distribution of Kaboo and Dualtron scooters, as well as its own EMOVE line of vehicles. Highlights- 🛴 Melvin Lim, founder and CEO of Voro Motors, explained how the firm began in Singapore due to the city's need for convenient and portable e-scooters. - ⚖️ He explained the various laws in Singapore that gradually constrained scooter usage, leading to an unexpected overnight ban on scooters in 2019.- 🖊️ Following this, Melvin made the decision to move operations to Los Angeles where he believed the desire for e-scooter use was increasing.- 🚀 In L.A. they primarily sold their own models, the Emove Cruiser and the Emove Touring, however consumer demand led to them also distributing dula motor scooters by other brands like Kaboo and Dualtron.- 🌍 Despite the challenges from strict regulations and sudden changes in operating environments, Voro Motors has successfully adapted and grown, serving different customer bases with varied products.
With more Americans dying in car crashes than at any point since the 1970s, the data increasingly shows robotaxis make cities safe for micromobility. Edward Niedermeyer talks to @Waymo about how AVs can help eliminate the dangers of human driving, at Micromobility America 2024.Highlights🚗 The panel discusses the progress and ongoing evolution of road sharing in San Francisco, noting the city's move towards being more cyclist-friendly.👥 The guests all share their individual experiences as cyclists around San Francisco, highlighting the importance of infrastructure and social norms for cyclist safety. 🌆 Each panelist emphasizes the variability of driving conditions between different cities, such as the contrast between Phoenix's car-centric suburbs and San Francisco's diverse road users. 💻 Team members from Waymo explain their roles in automating driving tasks that we often do subconsciously, such as perceiving our surroundings and planning our route.- 🤖 Edward Niedermeyer notes that robots are not entitled to anything. Instead, autonomous vehicles must respect human needs and find their space in society.🚙 The discussion addresses the shift from Waymo operating primarily in Phoenix to its activities in San Francisco, while noting their strong track record so far.🚴♂️ The panelists stress the need for autonomous vehicles to have hyper-awareness of their surroundings, particularly in relation to vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians.
At Micromobility America 2023, policymakers and fire-safety experts discuss why li-ion batteries in ebikes and scooters are suddenly catching on fire and how cities can minimize the risk - Panelists include Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator of the Pipeline Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), Jason Levine, the Executive Director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Laura Kavanagh, the FDNY Fire Commissioner.- The discussion focuses on the challenges and safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries in micromobility vehicles, particularly in densely populated areas like New York City.- Commissioner Kavanagh highlights the unique challenges faced by the FDNY in a delivery-intensive city like New York, including issues with battery charging and swapping- Deputy Administrator Brown emphasizes that the problem extends beyond micromobility and is related to the misuse of batteries in general.- The discussion also touches on the underground economy surrounding battery charging, DIY conversion kits and the need for safety regulations and certifications.- The panelists express the importance of public safety and innovation coexisting and working towards safe solutions.
Fresh off Micromobility America, James Gross talks with Jimmy Standley, the Co-Founder and CEO of Solé Bicycles. Solé Bicycles was founded in 2009, with the initial concept being a class project to create affordable bicycles, specifically aiming for a price tag of $200-$300. They subsequently won an Alibaba business plan competition, and used the $25,000 grant won to create their first product. They sold their products directly to customers, offering a high-quality product at a competitive price. They used the Shopify platform early on, and utilized digital marketing strategies on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to grow their business. The brand focuses on being relevant culturally, collaborating with various DJs and other artists for special products and promotions.Highlights🎓 The idea for Solé Bicycles began as a college business plan project to create affordable fixed-gear bikes.💡 Winning a business plan competition sponsored by Alibaba, they received a $25,000 grant to start their business.🌍 Initial struggles included direct dealings with manufacturers in China and rapidly scaling the business.📈 The company's focus on vibrant, artistic designs helped them break into the market and attract customers.🚲 Solé Bicycles diversified into direct-to-consumer sales, online marketing, and various collaborations.💻 Early adoption of Shopify and leveraging social media platforms like Instagram played a key role in their growth.🛠️ Future plans include expanding into electric bikes while maintaining their core in acoustic bikes.
Meet Jason and Camilla Iftakhar of Swifty Scooters. Swifty Scooters is an innovative micromobility company that specilizes in foldable and portable scooters for adults. James Gross talks with Jason and Camila about winning the Startup Awards at Micromobility America 2023 and their brand new electric Scooter, the G500. You can see their Startup Awards pitch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRKQrqI04mM Highlights of the Talk🔋 Swifty Scooters are powered by a LFP (lithium ferrophosphate) battery that can cover a range of 25km and assure the rider that these batteries won't catch fire in or around their home or work. 🏙️ These scooters are ideal for adults commuting in urban areas.🛴 Convenient features such as adjustable handlebars, low center of gravity and a kickstand enhance maneuverability and add ons for paneers and other storage capabilities.💦 Mudguards are added to keep the ride clean.🎒 Thanks to their foldable design, these scooters are portable and easy to store.
At Micromobility America, James Gross and Levi Conlow, CEO of Electric Bikes, discuss the company's rapid growth to become the #1 ebike seller in the US. He also shared insights into the ebike market, Lectric's DTC strategy, plans for new products, and the need for industry regulation while also being concern with some of the current legislation being pushed.
🚲 Lectric sells over 150,000 electric vehicles annually, that is more than any US vehicle company besides Tesla
📈 Despite industry downturn, Lectric still seeing double digit growth
⚙️ Focused on high quality, low cost bikes rather than maximizing margins
🛒 Committed to DTC as it provides valuable customer feedback
🆕 Excited about upcoming partnerships and new wider wheelbase models
🤝 Sees need for more industry regulation to protect consumers
🫂 With influence comes responsibility - brands can drive positive change
Ryvid's CEO, Dong Tran, discusses the advancements and goals of the company in building electric motorcycles at their California HQ. He emphasizes local manufacturing, funding from the state of California, and innovative design techniques that allow for easier production and assembly. Tran also highlights the importance of shifting public perception about two-wheel transportation and the potential benefits of electric bikes in urban commuting.Highlights📍 Ryvid is currently based in California, having moved into a new R&D facility in Orange County. They've also secured bigger facilities for ramped-up production and retail in Hawaiian Gardens.💰 Ryvid secured a $20 million grant from the state of California, emphasizing local manufacturing and job creation.🛠 Dong shares a unique folding metal technique for constructing their motorcycles, which simplifies the assembly process and reduces labor requirements.🌍 While many companies are looking to offshore manufacturing, Ryvid and similar companies are reshoring, emphasizing the importance of local production and job creation in the US.🚲 The "Anthem" motorcycle's design aims to bridge the gap between traditional motorcycles and electric bikes. The goal is to simplify operation, eliminating barriers like manual shifting.🏙 The ideal use case for the "Anthem" is urban commuting, even though it's built to keep up with highway traffic speeds when necessary. The focus is on affordable EV transportation for shorter, urban commutes.🏍️ The company designed its product to handle speeds of 45-75 mph safely, ensuring consumer protection.🚘 Motorcycles can be a solution to modern infrastructure challenges, especially in congested areas like Southern California.⚡ The trend with electric vehicles is moving towards smaller, more efficient designs, with some motorcycles achieving an efficiency of about 60 watt per mile.🏙️ The company's motorcycle is designed to fit both urban and higher-speed road environments.🔧 The challenge with modified e-bikes is they aren't built to handle higher speeds, leading to breakdowns and safety concerns.📜 Licensing requirements and insurance concerns are barriers to widespread adoption, but education on safe riding practices is vital.🚗 The integration of autonomous vehicles, like Teslas, brings both promise and uncertainty for two-wheel riders on the road.🏍️ Dong addresses the concern of electric vehicles not recognizing motorcycles and the associated risks.✈️ There's a comparison of trusting technology in planes vs cars, with computers communicating being potentially safer.🛣️ Dong stresses on the importance of product design for specific road types – urban vs. highway.⚡ The potential for geofencing capabilities in electric motorcycles to adapt to specific lane speed limits is also talked about.🎤 James and Dong preview their participation at Micromobility America, including demos and discussions.
Offer and GiveawayEnter for your chance to win a new VMAX VX2 at RideReview.com https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-xmax-vx2-pro-electric-scooter-usd1-099-valueVideo SummaryDani Horwitz, CEO of VMAX, discusses the company's journey and mission to provide high-quality electric scooters with a focus on safety and reliability for the US market.Highlights🛴 Vmax Mobility, a Swiss-based company, is expanding to the US with high-quality, reliable scooters.🏞️ The scooters are designed for a wide range of users, offering reliability and performance for everyday use.🏆 Vmax prioritizes safety with UL certification and built-in safety features going after some of the bigger barriers to scooter adoption.🚴♂️ The company aims to appeal to those considering e-bikes, providing a smaller and more eco-friendly alternative.📊 Negative news and safety concerns are barriers to scooter adoption, which Vmax aims to address with its quality and safety measures.📈 Studies suggest that scooters may be safer than e-bikes, challenging common safety perceptions.
Offer and GiveawayMicromobility America is right around the corner. You can get your tickets to the show here and be one of the first to ride the Land Disctrict! https://micromobility.io/events/micromobility-america Enter for your chance to win a new Lectric Lite at RideReview.com https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-lectric-lite-with-commuter-bundleSummaryJames Gross and Scott Colosimo, the founder and CEO of Land Energy, covers the company's origin, evolution, and its focus on electric motorcycles. With his background in Cleveland and previous experience in manufacturing motorcycles, Colosimo is now planning to bring manufacturing back to Cleveland, focusing on electric bikes, which they initially started producing under Cleveland CycleWorks brand. The decision to shift to electric motorcycles came naturally, aligning with the market's readiness and the company's desire to move away from China due to IP theft and growing tensions between the two countries. Currently, Land Energy is looking at the usability of motorcycles and focusing on innovation and improvement in manufacturing and product design. The ultimate question comes down to what Scott and his team are building, with 4 modes the current vehicle can be everything from an ebike to a moped to a performance motorcycle. This creates challenges and questions around regulation, technology and what is the safest for the driver. Emoji Summary🏍 Scott started Cleveland CycleWorks to make affordable, customizable motorcycles in 2009🇨🇳 He initially manufactured in China due to availability of eager young partners and 24/7 work ethic during manufacturing boom🦠 COVID caused supply chain issues, so he pivoted to electric vehicles made in the US under Land Energy⚡ Land Energy makes the District, an electric vehicle platform with software-defined ride modes from bicycle to motorcycle🤖 The flexible platform introduces new riders safely and rethinks mobility between categories defined by outdated laws🚦 Cities and laws aren't keeping pace with new electric mobility, creating confusion Scott aims to be part of the regulatory solution💰 After bootstrapping, Land raised a $7M Series A to scale manufacturing of their connected battery platform🛵 Scott wants to bend the metal to balance innovation and safety for new electric mobility platforms
Offer and GiveawayMicromobility America is right around the corner. You can get your tickets to the show here and be one of the first to ride the P1! https://micromobility.io/events/micromobility-america Enter for your chance to win a new Lectric Lite at RideReview.com https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-lectric-lite-with-commuter-bundleSummaryToday we have the exclusive launch of the P1 from Joseph and Eddie Cohen. The P1 is a new electric moped designed by start-up Infinite Machine to be fast, fun, and practical for urban transportation. It has a powerful motor, removable batteries, and tech features like wireless CarPlay. With its striking sculptural design, the P1 aims to make electric vehicles inspiring. Preorders are now open, with priority delivery for the first 100 units. The founders see it as part of their mission to reimagine vehicles and reduce car dependence in cities.Emoji Bullets🙂 Launch of the P1 electric moped from Infinite Machine🛵 Brothers Joseph and Eddie Cohen started Infinite Machine to create the perfect electric city vehicle📱 P1 has a fast 6KW motor, removable batteries, carplay, and a modular design🚘 Inspired by automotive brands to create a beautiful, sculptural vehicle💨 Accelerates quickly with a turbo boost button - designed to make you smile🔋 Removable batteries allow charging without needing garage🎧 Built-in speakers and navigation audio for safety💵 $10,000 MSRP - preorders open today🏍 First 100 units get priority delivery for $5,000 deposit👪 Owners become part of an exclusive club with perks and membership🚲 Different from e-bikes: faster, street legal, and can be left locked outside🔋 UL certification on batteries for safety🛣 Able to keep up with cars on roads up to 55mph🎨 Distinctive anodized metal finish in silver or black🌎 Plans to expand with more vehicles and global showrooms🚘 Mission is to rethink vehicles and reduce cars for better cities
Offers and Giveaways
Micromobility America is right around the corner. You can get your tickets to the show here: https://micromobility.io/events/micromobility-america Enter for your chance to win a new Lectric Lite at RideReview.com https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-lectric-lite-with-commuter-bundleSummaryJames 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
Win a Tenways CGO 600 Pro ($1,900 value)! Called "The Lightweight Champion" of electric bikes, the Tenways CGO600 Pro doesn't disappoint. https://ridereview.com/giveaway/tenways-ggo-600-pro-usd1-900-value
Chapters: 00:00- 9:55 Announcements and Giveaways9:56 - 19:17Travel Patterns Are Changing19:18 - 21:52 Electric Share is the only Share 21:53 - 24:51The 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.Summary
Commissioner 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.
Win a Tenways CGO 600 Pro ($1,900 value)! Called "The Lightweight Champion" of electric bikes, the Tenways CGO600 Pro doesn't disappoint. Head on over to ridereview.com for your chance to win. https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a... We’re incredibly excited to introduce the first round of speakers joining us at Micromobility America in the SF Bay Area this October! Manufacturers, operators, brands, policymakers, investors, media—and this is just the start. https://micromobility.io/events/micro...Chapters: 00:00 - 3:10 Announcements and giveaways3:11 - 7:47 Bloomberg says micro is making all the difference with climate7:48 - 14:29 Utah Clean Air Partnership successful ebike voucher program and the failure of others14:30 - 16:02 LATimes stands up for electric bikes16:03 - 20:57 Encinitas update on state of emergency around Electric Bikes20:58 Shabazz Stuart, Founder and CEO of Oonee 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.
We’re incredibly excited to introduce the first round of speakers joining us at Micromobility America in the SF Bay Area this October! Manufacturers, operators, brands, policymakers, investors, media—and this is just the start. https://micromobility.io/events/micromobility-america
We are giving away some GOFLUO gear. Leave a comment here and head on over to ridereview.com for your chance to win. https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-gofluo-bodyflower-and-bag
Chapters: 00:00 - 5:20 Announcements and giveaways 5:21 - 8:59 NYC enforces traffic cameras 9:00 - 14:18 NYC Equitable Commute Project off to slow start 14:19 - 17:18 Lavoie buys Vanmoof 17:19 - 19:52 Kenya shipping electric motorcycles at scale 19:53 - 31:58 Vehicle Launches! 31:59 Interview with Patrick Wirth at Baloise Group
NYC 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 gains A 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 Vanmoof Cult 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 ground New 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 Launches The 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 Wirth Today 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.
We are doing a GOFLUO giveaway, leave a comment here and enter to win at Ride Review: https://ridereview.com/giveaway/win-a-gofluo-bodyflower-and-bag
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 LA: https://wombi.us/Wombi 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
Win a lectric XP 3.0, comment here and enter the contest here: https://ridereview.com/giveaway/lectric-xp-3-0-giveaway-
We announced the Ride Expo in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 20th! Register now for a $10 ticket. https://lu.ma/yvv4158o
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/1G2fPNzUw5mo5asaCoH7O0
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Riding the XOTO and GEM announcement 08:30 NABSA report on shared micromobility in North America 13:05 The AVs are coming! 17:37 Vehicle Launches 28:32 Onewheel Interview!
Riding the XOTO and also our exclusive is now out to the world…. Wondering where you can and can’t drive your new low-speed electric vehicle? GEM’s new app shows every road in the U.S. with posted speed limits of 35 mph (56 km/h) or lower. Here is our interview with their CEO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtqX6s1CyXg
NABSA just released its fourth annual Shared Micromobility State of the Industry Report for North America, which finds that ridership in North America has returned to pre-pandemic levels with 157 million trips taken in 2022. 401 cities = all-time high.
James' interview with Ed Niedermeyer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HTfjKCoijw
Vehicle Launches Bengaluru-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 Onewheel https://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 Francisco 03:55 - 07:29 Will L4 AVs lead to much less traffic violence? 07:30 - 09:09 Teslas are not L4 AVs 09:10 - 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 more 27:57 - 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 hell
In 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.
Win a lectric XP 3.0, enter the contest here: https://ridereview.com/giveaway/lectric-xp-3-0-giveaway-
We announced the Ride Expo in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 20th! Register now for a $10 ticket. https://lu.ma/yvv4158o
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 03:40 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 Launches 21:42 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. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/tier-und-voi-e-scooter-marktfuehrer-spricht-mit-wettbewerber-ueber-fusion/29285566.html
Relatedly, industry analyst Augustin Friedel offers a strong testimony that the shared market is still growing rapidly. (NYC, Paris) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/friedel_sharedmobility-micromobility-bikes-activity-7093903247832145920-n67y?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
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?
https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/2023-07-19-boston-mayor-wu-announces-free-citywide-bike-riding-lessons-for-kids
Interesting eBike deals - VanMoof is accepting suitors (Trek, Giant, KKR).
James and Micah discuss NYT victim blaming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ItDY0rIb4
Vehicle Launches Kawasaki 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. https://electrek.co/2023/08/02/kawasaki-says-its-first-electric-motorcycles-are-ready/
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. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wau-cyber-unleash-the-beast-5000w-powerhouse-ebike#/updates/all
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. https://www.aventon.com/products/soltera-2-ebike?variant=42472444920003
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? https://lampago.co/en
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 electric bikes. 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. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/encinitas/story/2020-05-10/encinitas-pulls-the-plug-on-red-light-camera-program
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. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/e-biker-dies-after-collision-with-pickup-in-gaslamp-quarter-san-diego-police/3272854/
Micah on Electrek: https://electrek.co/author/micahltoll/
Micah's ebike school channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EbikeSchool
We announced the Ride Expo in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 20th! Register now for a $5 ticket. https://lu.ma/yvv4158o
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/1G2fPNzUw5mo5asaCoH7O0
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:13 California announces new ebike license bill 10:08 Is Lyft quitting bike share? 18:58 Bolt still growing 22:54 Craig Mod essay on riding an ebike 25:33 Vehicle Launches 31:38 Meet Adam McDermott, CEO of Linus Bikes and their new electric bike line!
Show Notes: eBike Bill Some 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 Up Lyft (“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 growing Estonian 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 Mod https://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 Bikes Co-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/
We are giving away a Vela 2, comment on this video, subscribe and enter your email here: https://ridereview.com/giveaway/vela-2-giveway
We announced the Ride Expo in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 20th! Register now for a $5 ticket. https://lu.ma/yvv4158o
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/1G2fPNzUw5mo5asaCoH7O0
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:17 Vela 2 giveaway, Ride On! on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, Ride Expo date announced 05:45 Vanmoof Updates 10:40 City of London, bikes are bigger than cars 12:24 Prince William is scooting 14:55 Law says auto-besity is out of control 17:13 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 Applied
Biking is taking over in London New 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 estate
Paris 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 Launches
Tesla’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 LAVOIE We have Eliott Wertheimer, CEO and Founder of LAVOIE, part of McLaren Applied
We are giving away a Vela 2. To enter to win, subscribe to our channel, comment below, and submit your email here: https://ridereview.com/giveaway/vela-2-giveway
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!
Launches
Last 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 here
Parkour! 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 Electric
We 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week we release another episode from the recent 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week we have been in Amsterdam at our Micromobility Europe conference and 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:
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Horace’s experience of the Vision Pro and why Apple has chosen to make a ‘spatial computer’
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The implications for the general mobility market, and especially the difference between visions of the future based on autonomous or micromobility
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Horace’s predictions for spatial computing
And with that, here’s Horace.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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How Cake was founded
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How they have chosen to focus on design.
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How Stefan Stefan has thought about manufacturing and fundraising to over the years.
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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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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Who is Tempo, what do they do?
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Why subscription and not sharing?
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What makes Tempo different from other subscription micro businesses?
We hope you enjoyed as much as we did, and if you are listening to this and would like to come and join us, get your tickets for Micromobility Europe – June 8th and 9th in Amsterdam. Horace will be there along with Oliver and the whole rest of the team and over 1000 thinkers and builders in the space of Micromobility. It will be an absolute blast.
And with that here is Michael.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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Tims's background as a designer and his work at Bird
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The initial design of the Onyx and their first fundraiser
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Transitioning from a project to a company and James joining
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Their expanding product line and what they are excited about
If you enjoy this conversation, you will also enjoy Micromobility both in Europe and America. We have Europe coming up on June 8 and 9th, and then we have America happening in the Bay Area on the 18th and 19th of October. We will of course be at both. Looking forward to hopefully having some more of you there along with more than 1000 people at both events talking about the latest in Micromobility and lightweight electric vehicles. And with that, here is Tim and James!
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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.
We hope that you enjoy it too! In the meantime, if you enjoy this conversation, you will also enjoy Micromobility both Europe and America. We have Europe coming up on June 8 and 9th, and then we have America happening in the Bay Area on the 18th and 19th of October. We will of course be at both. Looking forward to hopefully having some more of you there along with more than 1000 people at both events talking about the latest in Micromobility and lightweight electric vehicles. And with that, here is Kevin!
Specifically, they discuss
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The background of Electra Bikes including its strong connection to the beach culture in Southern California
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The history of how they came to be acquired by a PE firm and then by Trek
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Their emergence as a large ebike manufacturer
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How Trek operates with them and how traditional bike companies are adapting to micromobility
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Their retail and distribution choices.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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.
If you enjoy this conversation, you will definitely enjoy Micromobility Europe – We would really encourage you to see if you can join us – on June 8 and 9th in Amsterdam! This will be a collection of over 1000 top thinkers and builders in the space building everything from e-bikes and scooters all the way through the vehicles just like the one we are discussing today. We are really excited with the companies that are going to be coming and cannot wait to get there. Get your tickets at micromobility.io
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 been Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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. Get your tickets at Micromobility.IO.
And with that, here is Oliver!
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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Caroline’s background as an activist and how it led her to shared micromobility policy
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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.
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Getting micromobility away from identity politics
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What has electric vs. acoustic offered to the advocacy conversation?
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What is the role of companies like Lyft in micromobility advocacy vs. (for example) vehicle producers etc.
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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. If you’re interested in joining, get your tickets at micromobility.io.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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The challenges faced by mini mobility startups
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The lack of investment in personally owned scooters
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The potential explosion of micro-freight
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The factors influencing the funding disconnect between EVTOL, Autonomy, EVs and micro-mobility
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Why no micro mobility-specific funds have emerged
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How content creators can assist McKinseys clients
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our https://micromobility.substack.com/ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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 CARS
You can listen to The Next Billion Seconds and learn more right here.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
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:
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How is the subsidy funded?
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Why pick this? What are the motivation/outcome objectives?
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“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?
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How do you balance action and resiliency?
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Which companies benefit the most from this?
Connect with Grace on LinkedIn
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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:
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The E-bike fires for the Micromobility Podcast and know that you've been doing some advocacy in this space.
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The work on transport equity she has been doing
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How she is working to better aggregate and lobby for ebike subsidies at MMI.
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How micromobility companies can play a more active role in getting streets ready for smaller vehicles.
Connect with Melinda on LinkedIn and Twitter
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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 future
Specifically they talk about:
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The early origins of Vässla with e-moped and throttle bikes, and now their pedal e-bikes.
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How they’ve sold around 5000 mopeds - beating the global market leader NIU - in Sweden and sell them in Berlin too.
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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
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How they do their manufacturing
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Their funding journey for early moped and into developing an ebike and subscription
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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:
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His journey to be an ‘e-bike dad’ - and a big proponent of electric bikes
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The intersection between transport and built urban form - and the overhang of cars.
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How people are now getting used to taking the vehicles that are appropriate to the trips
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The divide between privately owned and shared systems, and how land use rules interplay with those decisions.
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The regulatory drivers helping and hindering EVs and micromobility
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The subsidy question - needed or not?
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Why he thinks SoCal should be ground zero for a micromobility first city
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The importance of making micromobility a positive, accessible brand rather than making it snobby or a ‘poverty option’
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The importance of allowing the built environment to innovate to new mobility options.
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What should micromobility advocates do to help drive change.
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Americans are typically pro-growth, opportunity and innovation. How can those attitudes be harnessed for micromobility, and transcend the left/right divide.
Follow Matthew on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
And now, here is Matt and Julia.
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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:
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The background to Levi's involvement in the industry including his first venture in electric skateboards
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The formation of Lectric including early funding and their failures
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The explosive growth through the pandemic
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The specific things that Levi focusses on for the customer that have been most valuable
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How they think of value engineering and quality
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Their marketing strategy, including how powerful the You Tube influencers are in driving sales
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The new bikes they have coming out, including the announcement of their insanely specced and priced new cargo bike, the XPedition.
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Tariffs and macro conditions and how they've navigated them
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What he's excited about in the future
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Their D2C strategy and what that has enabled for them
Check out the Lectric website right here
And with that, here's Levi!
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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 here
In this episode they tackle:
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The new role that Gabe has taken on and what it's scope is
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How he thinks about micromobility in the overall scope of electrification of transport in the US and the role that it can play
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The lack of ebike subsidy that was in the IRA, and what other programmes are doing to support their adoption
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The role of government in rolling out electrification of transport
And with that, here’s Gabe and Julia.
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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:
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The intersection of tech and transport
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The micromobility thesis and is it correct or not?
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Which cities are best for micromobility
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What Elon got wrong
With that, here’s Kara, Julia and Horace!
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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 well - check out Oliver's SoCal tour write up on Twitter for a video of him checking it out.
Specifically they tackle:
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The history of Super73
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How the company has grown over time
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Funding and how they have thought about it
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Why they chose to raise less than their competitors
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The new motorbikes and the impact that they will have on servicing and maintenance
Take a closer look at Super73 on their website
And with that, here’s LeGrand!
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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:
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His background founding Electra Bikes and then moving on
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Why, despite him saying that he’d not do another bike business, Benno Bikes exists
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What is ‘etility’ and what does it offer to the customer
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Why he’s chosen to go a more traditional route for componentry and servicing
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How he has managed to self fund the company to date
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The importance of design and quality in a brand
Catch us on Twitter. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our Micromobility Newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer Micromobility Pro membership that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.
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, and
Thirdly, 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 forward
And with that, here’s Dong!!
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews Robin Eriksson from CoGo app which is the largest shared microbiology 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 space
Learn more about CoGo App on their website.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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 years
Right 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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:
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The early days of Lit Motors
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The promise and potential of gyro-balacing technology in car/vehicles
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Danny's accident in 2015 and the impact of that
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The team he's built
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The plan for the next few years
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The addressable market and implications of these vehicles if they work.
Right 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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’
Learn more about David here.
Visit the Weel website.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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 Tern
The current range - what’s notable right now
How they’ve raised capital and built their team
Building in Taiwan - what should people know about what they’ve done
Also, 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.io
To learn more about Tern Bikes, click here
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!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 this
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!
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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 raising
In 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
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 future
Check out Lug and Carrie's website here.
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!
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver speaks with Albin Wilson from Roam Motors, who are building a electric motorbike manufacturer and battery stack out of Kenya. Oliver was particularly struck when talking to Albin about the size of the opportunity and how conforming to the theory of micromobility what they’re doing is.
We have long thought that the market for Micromobility would be most exciting in countries where automobility and electrification has yet to happen simply by nature of these vehicles being cheaper and the markets less attached to the past than OECD countries. It’s also the most exciting spot for future decarbonisation opportunities.
Specifically they dig into:
- Roam’s backstory - how they ended up building EV’s from Kenya
- The details of the bikes and what Roam is working on
- What has been hard/different about building for
- How much Roam has raised and what the market for raising is like
Connect with Albin on LinkedIn
Learn more about Roam here
We are committed to finding more people to interview in this space. If there’s anyone listening to this who can give us an introduction to the team at Ola in India please let us know via Twitter DM’s or at oliver@micromobility.io. We would love to have that conversation with them and about their electrification efforts given that they’ve just shipped their 100,000th electric moped in only just over a year since starting production.
In the meantime if you haven’t check out our latest effort, the Rider Choice Awards, you really should check it out. 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. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews Jonas Nyvang, CEO and founder of Stilride, who are building a very novel electric motorbike out of Sweden.
We are always VERY interested in how micromobility will create and enable new production techniques for lightweight electric vehicles, and we think that what Stilride have built might offer something very interesting to the conversation.
As Horace has often laid out, the manufacturing technique determines so much about a product, and new vehicle manufacturing techniques like iStream from Gordon Murray or modularised microfactories that Stilride talk about, so goes new types of vehicles that can be created.
Specifically they tackle:
- The background of Stilride and what they are building
- The significance of alternative vehicle fabrication techniques
- Why Jonas is working on his own vehicle and what’s significant about it
- The manufacturing technique and what it offers
- The details about the moped
- Fundraising to date and what has worked/not worked
Find Jonas on LinkedIn and learn more about Stilride right here
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviewed Sam Baker from Mobility Fund. We’ve had Sam on before, on episode 50, when he was still at Wunder Mobility, but since then, he’s headed off and is doing his own fund specifically focused on micromobility B2B businesses.
He’s been a real advocate for the space and it was great to reconnect at Micromobility America and to get into more depth about the opportunities that exist in micromobility around the edges and in niches that otherwise aren’t always covered.
We really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too.
Specifically they discuss:
- Sam's background with Wunder Mobility and what led to the formation of Mobility Fund
- What he is focused on at Mobility Fund, and where he is excited about opportunities
- Who are his LP’s and why are they interested in this space?
- What Sam thought of Micromobility America and what we can be doing to better tell the story of micro
You can connect with Sam on LinkedIn here
And you can learn more about what is happening with Mobility Fund here
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews San Kim, founder and CEO of Swing Scooters, the largest shared micromobility operator in South Korea.
South Korea is one of the worlds biggest shared micro markets and also one of the most underreported. This interview lifts the lid on the growth of the space and why the unique regulatory environment, high incomes, dense urban environment and other factors has contributed to one of the highest levels of penetration per capita for shared than anywhere else on the planet.
In this great first exclusive interview with San, they unpack:
- The background of San at Softbank and auto companies and how that perspective gave him the idea for Swing
- How they got into the scooter game initially
- The South Korean landscape - players, regulations and other contributing factors
- How they’ve managed to build such a strong operational team and how that compares relative to other companies around the world
- How he’s thinking about growing the company - focus on competition vs expansion
- How they’ve raised capital over time
To learn more about San and Swing Scooters, visit his LinkedIn page.
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews James Gross, one of the co-founders of Micromobility Industries (which host this very podcast and the conference) to talk about the launch of Ride Review, the new source of reviews and ratings for all vehicles in the micromobility universe, from Onewheels to escooters/bikes, to golf carts and pods. As this space undergoes a Cambrian explosion of new vehicle models and types, Ride Review seeks to cover them and provide help riders who are trying to find the best option for them.
Specifically they dig into:
-
What is Ride Review and why is it important?
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The significance of discovery in a fast changing environment
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The origin of why Micromobility Industries was uniquely placed to roll this out
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The wider mission of Micromobility Industries and what they’re trying to achieve in supporting the industry.
You can follow James on Twitter and LinkedIn
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week we release another session from Micromobility America – this one is the interview with Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime being interviewed by Julia Thayne Demourdaunt. Wayne was impassioned and his call more recognition of Micromobility and the role that it can play in our transport systems. Being in the audience It was electric to watch. We hope you enjoy the session as much as we did.
Specifically they dig into:
- The history of the space and how they’ve grown
- What he sees as the opportunities for shared micromobility
- The importance of city regulations
- The injustice of how these vehicles are viewed relative to other options
From Julia - I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during an interview as when Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime told Micromobility America that Micromobility can't just be for "white boys". Check out the full video, and Wayne's other quotable comments on our You Tube Channel
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week we release a talk from our recent Micromobility America conference that we hosted in the Bay Area in mid September - this was one of the most popular panels of the event - the ‘Raising Money in Micromobility for Software VC’ panel that was run by our conference cohost, Julia Thayne Demourdant and featured a slew of the top mobility investors and incubators in the space. We loved this panel, because it covered all manner of topics, from funding to government regulation to total addressable market to more.
We’re going to be releasing a few of these talks on the podcast over the next few weeks. If you’re also interested in seeing them as videos, a number of them are up on the Micromobility Industries Youtube channel.
Panel topic:
Panel of investors to discuss how to harness cleantech and mobility funds in the U.S. and Europe for micromobility. Especially well-suited for software start-ups and for policymakers who are trying to attract more start-ups to their geographies.
Specifically they tackle:
- We've seen firms like Elemental invest in low GHG on-road transport software plays like Weavegrid or lots of EV charging infrastructure. We've not seen so much go into micromobility companies. Why do they think that is?
- What is the opportunity for entrepreneurs building in the space? And where (geographically) the opportunities for funding are.
- What counts as micromobility software – where does it start and end? And how does that definition translate to where companies should look for funding?
- Why hasn’t the general mobility investment funding translated to micromobility investments? Is the space still too nascent?
- What the iPhone of micromobility is going to be, and what will the killer app be?
- How do we insulate newer companies from being tarred by the current terrible performance of micromobility services and software on the public markets?
- How policy has changed the playing field for micromobility compared to other modes in cities, and what’s software got to do with leveling that playing field?
- What are the coolest software companies or services that they have seen in the micromobility space and why they are interesting.
A big thank you to our panelists:
Alex Mitchell, LA Cleantech Incubator
Olaf Sakkers, GP, RedBlue capital
Avra Van Der Zee, COO, Elemental Excelerator
Sam Baker, GP, Mobility Fund
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews Alper Oktem, CEO and founder of Marti, which as far as we can tell, is the largest Micromobility operator in Turkey. Oliver has long wanted to cover the Turkish Micromobility market, because it is such a large country, and they are proportionately so underserved.
Turkey is proportionately underserved with transport options in the cities – Istanbul is considered one of the most congested cities in the world. This was a great conversation and Alper is a real go-getter in the Micromobility space.
This was a great conversation, especially around funding and the importance of building Micromobility markets for the demographics and countries that they are operating in.
Lots of lessons in this episode. Oliver will be interviewing Alper again at the Micromobility America conference which, is happening on the 15th and 16th of September, so hopefully we will see you there and if not, we will have all of these conversations and videos coming out and up in the very near future.
Specifically they tackle:
- The backstory for Marti
- Their vehicles
- Regulations and the Micromobility market in Turkey
- Fundraising and their plans for the NYSE listing
- What the exciting next steps are for Marti
If you like this, you’ll love Micromobility America - coming up in San Francisco on the 15th and 16th of September 2022. We are expecting 1000 people from hundreds of companies to talk about the latest on Micromobility technology services companies and more, as well as the wider implication for micromobility in climate, transport systems and cities. I will be up there and would love to see you there – please come and join us by getting your tickets at micromobility.io
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews Julia Thayne Demordaunt, Principal of Urban Transformation at the Rocky Mountain Institute. Oliver is a massive fan of RMI - they’ve been advocated for market based climate solutions for years and have some of the most in depth research on the pathways required to help us meet our climate goals. Julia is leading the research at RMI about the potential for micro to contribute. She came onboard as one of the hosts for the Micromobiltiy Europe show and the team had an absolute blast meeting her and talking about her work. In this conversation they talk about the opportunities and pitfalls of micromobility in all it’s forms, and how they intersect with cities.
Specifically they dig into:
- Her background and how she got to Rocky Mountain Institute
- What RMI does around urban transport / electrification
- Why Micromobility is important in the overall mix, and why it’s different from other options (especially around funding/infrastructure)
- What steps we need to take to accelerate adoption
This week we share another interview from Micromobility Europe - This time it is the timeless interview of Jason Slaughter, creator of the largest urban planning YouTube Channel - Not Just Bikes being interviewed by Julia Thayne DeMourdant from the Rocky Mountain Institute, about why many cities suck, but Dutch cities don’t.
Our host Oliver has often joked that if you spend enough time talking about Micromobility, you end up falling backwards into discussions about urbanism, space allocation and what makes for great cities. Jason nails why that is in this interview, and being in the Netherlands for this conference we can see what he was referring to. The intersection between transport, vehicles, felt experience and finances are all laid to bear.
This was also released on our YouTube channel that has turned out to be our most popular ever with more than 100,000 views on You Tube.
Specifically they tackle:
- The origin of Not Just Bikes and Jason's background
- Why car dependency creates sprawled suburbs
- How urban planning and design can determine if a city will suck or not
- A city that is built for cars is not built for people
- We need to move away from building car-centric cities, and instead build people-friendly cities with walkable neighbourhoods and good land use.
- Any micromobility solution needs to be compatible with walking
If you like this, you’ll love Micromobility America coming up in San Francisco on the 15th and 16th of September 2022. We are expecting 1000 people from hundreds of companies to talk about the latest on Micromobility technology services companies and more, as well as the wider implication for micromobility in climate, transport systems and cities. I will be up there and would love to see you there – please come and join us by getting your tickets at micromobility.io
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver is joined by Marcus Li the founder of Eli who are building a lightweight electric vehicle similar to a Smart car but a bit smaller and selling into the European and American markets. This is possibly one of the most interesting interviews Oliver has done with an early stage founder of a hardware company – They get really into the nitty-gritty details of how Marcus has funded the company to date and the challenges and opportunities that exist in the space.
They also discuss the Chinese micro electric car industry to date which is an area that is desperately undercovered here in the West.
Specifically they tackle:
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How Marcus got to starting Eli
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Why there is a big opportunity in this space for small vehicles
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The specifications of the vehicle itself
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How Eli is handling manufacturing, Chinese design and supply chains and transport
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The fundraising journey for the company
As you’ll hear at the end, Marcus will be one of the companies that is presenting at Micromobility America on the 15/16th of September in the Bay Area. He’ll be joining the Micromobility team, and about 1000 others to talk about the latest in micromobility and lightweight electric vehicles. He’ll be a part of the pitch competition that will happen on the stage on the 16th alongside amazing other companies such as Taur Scooters, Bo Mobility, BiMotal, Weel and more. We’re expecting this to be our best event yet. Get your tickets now at micromobility.io
You can find out more about what is happening with Eli on their website
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Micromobility Europe is coming to San Francisco in September 2022! Learn more and get tickets here.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This week Oliver interviews Kari Anne Solfjeld Eid from Whee!
Whee is a cargo bike subscription service based in Oslo Norway. Kari Anne won this years inaugural Micromobility accelerate pitch competition that we had at the Micromobility Europe conference in June. She was selected by a group of judges as the best presenter on the day for a new Micromobility service or product. The judges noted her quirky style but also a really solid business under it.
One thing not covered in this episode was Kari Anne's low cost of acquisition and very low levels of churn that they’ve had with their subscription businesses.
Specifically they dig into:
- The backstory of Whee! and why it exists
- How the service has grown, customer expectations and unpacking ‘there is a lot of money to be made from taking women seriously'
- The subscription model and why it holds promise
- The fundraising/company building experience they’ve had to date
Oliver really enjoyed this conversation and has enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Kari Anne over the last couple of months/ He has come to the realisation that we don’t include enough conversations here about Micromobility for families or women, something that we plan to do better on - If you have any ideas please message Micromobility on Twitter.
If you’ve not yet heard, Micromobility America is coming up in San Francisco on the 15th and 16th of September 2022 and we are expecting over 1000 people from hundreds of companies to talk about the latest on Micromobility technology services companies and more. The Micromobility team will be up there and would love to see you there – please come and join us by getting your tickets at micromobility
Catch us on Twitter @MicromobilityCo. Horace and Oliver are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.
Micromobility Europe is coming to San Francisco in September 2022! Learn more and get tickets here.
Our newsletter is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday morning here! And for those who want more, we offer our Micromobility membership (mmm — “Triple M”) which includes exclusive content, swag, and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This podcast was first published on our sister podcast, Infinite Block
This week we're releasing a talk from our recent Micromobility Europe Conference, with Horace interviewing Azeem Azhar.
Azeem is one of the great thinkers in the space of smart cities, the importance of exponential technologies like Micromobility and how they relate to governance and the social contract.
You may recall that we interviewed him earlier this year. Both Horace and Azeem are big fans of each other and at the recent conference they got to sit down and really nut out the importance of the city and how it relates to Micromobility.
These are the sort of conversations that we want to be having on the Infinite Block so if you have any suggested guests, please reach out to us on Twitter or email Oliver@micromobility.io with ideas. We'd love to hear from you.
Find out more about Azeem and his involvement in micromobility here.
This week Oliver interviews Adam Barmby from EAV, the electric cargo bike manufacturer based in the UK.
When Amazon launched their 'micromobility hub' in the UK recently, an EAV bike was the pictured bike used in promotional material for the announcement.
Micromobility for freight hasn’t been discussed a lot on the podcast, and it was really exciting to unpack the implications of Micromobility and see how it conforms to the thesis that Horace and Oliver have been weighing out of the last couple of years.
It is especially exciting to hear that EAV is fundamentally changing the business model of last mile delivery, where interestingly more than half of the cost of delivery is incurred. Adam was part of the Micromobility Accelerate pitch contest that in the recent Micromobility Europe conference in June.
Specifically they tackle:
- The background for EAV and how it came to be founded
- What EAV builds, and why it matters impact of cargo vans in cities
- Their traction to date including recent business development deals and the sales pipeline to operators working for large ecommerce platforms.
- The fundraising journey so far
See more of what Adam is doing within the micromobillity industry here.
You can view the EAV website here
Micromobility America conference coming up on the 15th and 16th of September in the Bay Area. We will have over 1000 guests from hundreds of companies talking about the future of Micromobility and how it can simultaneously help us with climate change while, disrupting the urban transport economics of cities. It’s going to be a wonderful reunion for the industry to all get together with incredible vehicles, including the Nimbus which Oliver covered in episode 141, as well as the new autonomous bike from Weel which we will be covering on a future podcast , as well as a whole heap of other really cool product announcements. Learn more and get tickets here.
This week is the release one of the episodes from recorded at the recent Micromobility Europe conference in Amsterdam in early June.
This episode is the story of TIER with Lawrence Leucshner, and interviewed by Julia Thayne DeMordaunt from The Rocky Mountain Institute.
TIER is now the worlds largest micromobility operator. Lawrence was a guest on the podcast very early on, back in episode 37, in August 2019. A lot has happened since then, and it really is a fascinating take with Lawrence this episode.
Specifically they tackle:
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How Tier started out with much less money than their competitors
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The importance having a mission
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How the industry has evolved and what is done well and what it hasn’t done well.
You can learn more about Lawrence here and learn more about TIER on their website
If you like this you will probably also really like the Micromobility America conference coming up on the 15th and 16th of September in the Bay Area. It’s going to be a wonderful reunion for many of us in the industry to all get together with incredible vehicles, including the Nimbus which Oliver covered in episode 141, as well as the new autonomous bike from Weel which we will be covering on a future podcast , as well as a whole heap of other really cool product announcements.
This week Oliver is excited to share an interview with Lihang Nong, CEO and founder of Nimbus. Nimbus recently went public with their vehicle, the Nimbus One, in a Techcrunch article.
Oliver has been talking to Lihang for years and was excited to be able to interview him and bring a bit more of the story for you. We think what Nimbus is building is really really important - as you’ll hear hear, in an era of climate change, high costs of travel and urbanisation, we need lightweight electric vehicles more than ever, and what Nimbus is proposing solves a lot of the issues that folks have levelled at micromobiility to date.
Specifically they tackle:
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The latest announcements from Nimbus - prototypes, fundraising etc.
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The history of Nimbus
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Why this space is compelling.
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Why small electric vehicles like Nimbus creates haven’t had a breakout hit yet
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The next steps for manufacturing/scaling
Learn more about Nimbus and the exciting developments they have planned on their website
Disclosure: Oliver is an advisor to Nimbus.
This week Horace and Oliver were together in person for the first time in nearly two and a half years as they got ready for the Micromobility Europe conference. One of the things that they love to do every so often is to revisit the Micromobilty thesis.
They want this to be the episode you share with everyone who is perhaps interested in what all the fuss is about. If you’re a first time listener, Horace Dediu is the creator of the term Micromobility, and this podcast was where he and Oliver first started talking about it.
They’ve now done over 140 episodes, covering all manner of lightweight electric vehicles including interviewing CEOS/founders in this space from companies like Vanmoof, Cowboy, Onewheel, Unagi, Segway, Arcimoto and more, while also talking to shared operators such as Tier, Lime, Bird, Dott, Revel and Beam.
They try to focus on the intersection between the new vehicle tech, cities and consumers, using the disruptive innovation framework developed by Clay Christensen to ask what jobs are being solved, why these small and low cost vehicles are interesting, and what the implications will be on wider society.
Specifically they tackle:
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Where the insight for micromobility came from
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The core tenets of what it is - electric, lightweight, utility
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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.
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Why it is significant to transport systems in terms of enabling point to point transport in dense urban areas
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What we got wrong in the last four years
This week Oliver speaks with Job Stehmann from Vanmoof. Job is the chief of product design and technology at Vanmoof and responsible for bringing you the beautiful bikes that they produce.
Specifically they tackle:
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Vanmoof’s new bikes, the A5 and the S5 and the innovations that they have on them.
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The wider context of Micromobility and design, and what works.
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Job's journey with Vanmoof from where it was when he arrived (around the start of ebikes) to now, and how that journey has been for him
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Vanmoofs pivot to proper integration of a phone/app and how Job sees that integrating with the overall experience.
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What Job is excited about in micromobility design overall.
Learn more about Job and Vanmoof by heading to their website.
Our sponsor for this episode is Joyride.
Joyride’s SaaS platform powers every point of the micromobility journey, from vehicle selection to turnkey software to extensive resources. As one of the world’s first micromobility platforms, Joyride’s shared mobility customers span more than 200 global markets and thousands of multimodal vehicles. These micromobility operators - no matter their size - are on a fast-tracked road to profitability with Joyride’s low-cost operating platform, exclusive hardware deals and industry hand-holding through obstacles like insurance, RFP writing and data compliance.
This week Oliver interviews Mark Frohnmayer, CEO of Arcimoto. Mark has been on the podcast before on episodes 111 and 46, and this time they discuss the latest progress with the vehicles they’re building, like the FUV and where they’ve got to with future vehicles like the Mean Lean Machine. They get into the revisions to the platform they’ve made for manufacturing with one of Oliver’s industry favourites, Sandy Munro, as well as the various variants that they’ve developing.
Specifically, they tackle:
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The latest on Arcimoto production and the development of the FUV platform.
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The journey through Arcimoto’s project with Sandy Munro.
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Mark’s vision for the Mean Lean Machine and how they manufacture the vehicles locally.
– Funding, and how the Arcimoto stock 30x’ed and then corrected heavily in line with a lot of other EV manufacturers, how they can bring this technology to the market without going bankrupt.
Learn more about Mark and Arcimoto by visiting their website right here.
Our sponsor for this episode is Joyride.
Joyride’s SaaS platform powers every point of the micromobility journey, from vehicle selection to turnkey software to extensive resources. As one of the world’s first micromobility platforms, Joyride’s shared mobility customers span more than 200 global markets and thousands of multimodal vehicles. These micromobility operators - no matter their size - are on a fast-tracked road to profitability with Joyride’s low-cost operating platform, exclusive hardware deals and industry hand-holding through obstacles like insurance, RFP writing and data compliance.
And now, the Joyride team is taking their micromobility know-how on the road to host the first-ever Joyride Academy Experience. This one-of-a-kind, hands-on workshop made entirely for micromobility operators is being held on June 1 as part of Micromobility Europe. They’ll be covering Financing, Advanced Operational Efficiencies, Data-Driven Insurance and hosting a fireside chat with some of the industry’s biggest players. If you’re managing - or thinking of managing - a micromobility fleet, this is the place to be on June 1.
The best part? The Joyride Academy Experience is completely free to Micromobility Europe ticket-holders, so register today and head over to our blog to see how to sign up for the workshop before spaces fill up.
This week Oliver interviews Laura Fox, General Manager of the Citi Bike bike sharing service in New York, and Senior Director of Lyft Bikes. This podcast was also released on our sister podcast project, Infinite Block.
Laura has a very deep background and thinking about the future of cities, not only in an operational sense - running a Micromobility firm, before that working for Sidewalk Labs for Google and working with former world bank urban economist, with whom she edited one of Oliver's favourite books on urban economics “Order Without Design.”
In this episode, Laura talks with Oliver about the implications of Micromobility on the city and also new forces calling upon her background at Sidewalk Labs, and consulting on the interplay of regulations and housing supply in Mexico City with Alain Bertaud.
In this weeks episode, they talk specifically about:
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How Citi Bike is a novel means of accessing high performance city vehicles, but it's highly dependent on government interventions for things like street space, allocation and funding. What would happen if NYC voted in a new council that took Citi Bike very seriously as a transport option?
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Laura reflects on her time at Sidewalk Labs: What went well, and whether their new focus on software enabled tools is a step down.
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A city often builds up complex regulations over time, and that deregulation, especially around things like zoning and building codes (for example in Mexico) can unlock cities to be more responsive to their citizens. Oliver and Laura discuss how this can be achieved.
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Where are there cities who are not as fast at responding to tech advances, and how the process can be accelerated.
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How we can trust in governance in an age of quicker change, and what countries are doing this well.
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Whether there have been any alternative methods for infrastructure funding that have been successful.
Check out Citi Bike and their developments within New York right here
Our sponsor for this episode is Joyride.
This week Oliver interviews with Ryan Johnson, CEO and founder of Culdesac. This was first released over on the Infinite Block, our sister podcast looking at the intersection of urbanism, technology and the social contract (more on that below).
Ryan is building the first Micromobility-focused real estate development in the US, with the goal of eventually building the US’s first car free city.
The majority of people want to live in walkable/bikeable neighborhoods, yet only 8% do. Culdesac are developing a system for building real estate that will bring that to the masses, and with it, put micromobility at the centre of how we can get around in these new developments.
Oliver and Ryan discuss the implications it will have on things like zoning, parking, housing and cities. It’s clear that what Ryan is doing is super important and something that is hopefully becomes the example others point to for a new micromobility-centred real estate model going forward.
Specifically they talk about:
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What Culdesac is trying to build, and why that matters.
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How Culdesac came together in Ryan’s mind.
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Why they chose Tempe in the first place and what they did as a city that enabled being there
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The roles and responsibilities of Culdesac as a developer/landlord in terms of the contract that it has with its citizens.
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The role of capital formation in unlocking this type of urban form innovation.
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Is it really just as simple that they’re packaging all the things that have been done in Europe and working out how to bring them to the US?
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How we can increase a city's capacity and flexibility without getting tied up in council and regulatory purgatory.
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How Culdesac convinced venture capital to invest, and what they saw that other urbanists didn’t.
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Whether getting MPR amendments is a sustainable advantage in creating differentiated built form
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How Ryan considers cities emerging and responding in response to economic opportunity.
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How we can avoid the common pitfalls seen with the new urbanist movement in the past.
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How they consider emerging new forms of transport when selecting sites and designing communities.
Check out Culdesac’s website right here - https://culdesac.com/
The Infinite Block is a podcast about the intersection of tech, the social contract and cities, using the lens of disruptive technologies like micromobility and crypto to understand how cities of the future will work in an age of declining trust and agility in governments. Check out our newsletter and podcast.
This week Oliver interviews Josh Whale, the founder/CEO of Ampersand, based in Rwanda. This is a story that we've wanted to bring our listeners for more than two years - ever since we first heard that there was a team trying to build their own full stack motorbike and battery swapping hardware and software in one of the world's most underserved mobility markets. We're excited that it shows the adoption of micromobility in markets purely on the basis of its economic merits, and helps develop low-carbon pathways to mobility market growth.
Specifically they talk about:
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How Josh, a New Zealander, ended up in Rwanda building electric motorbikes.
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What is Ampersand and how their growth has tracked so far.
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Why micromobility matters for countries like Rwanda.
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How they source vehicles, why they chose to go to route of building their own and what has worked/not worked.
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Over time, might they build a Gojek style application for Ampersand
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How have they managed to fund the operation to date and what have they learnt in that process
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what are the unit economics like in Rwanda for motorbike taxi operators, and how Ampersand improves this
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What the scene for local indigenous vehicle production is like in Rwanda and surrounding countries
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What Josh would like people to know about the micromobility scene in Rwanda
Bradley Tusk is a political fixer-turned-venture capitalist who specializes in working with startups like Bird, Coinbase, Eaze, FanDuel, and Wheel to break through in highly regulated markets. He was formerly the campaign manager of Michael Bloomberg’s 2009 NYC mayoral bid, the Deputy Governor of Illinois, and the first political advisor at Uber. In addition to his firms, Tusk Strategies and Tusk Ventures, Bradley is currently exploring mobile voting technology and blockchain solutions to help fix political polarization.
Specifically they tackle:
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Bradley’s most prominent experience of rapidly changing technology squaring with cities, their governance and their citizens was Uber. Bradley talks through that story.
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Bradley has built your career on this trend of politics intersecting with tech, but when did the penny drop for him that this was going to be a thing?
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How does he think think about derisking investments and the need for appropriate regulation with Tusk Venture investments?
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Specifically with micromobility, the equilibrium we’ve reached feels sub-optimal - there is more demand vs. the supply that could be enabled. How did that happen? What will change it going forward?
- Does he believe that there are instances in which tech can transcend politics?
- Bradley talks through his project for mobile voting that he’s driving through Tusk Philantrophies.
- What is the attraction to crypto for Bradley and how he thinks that that squares with local regulations.
- The No1 thing that gov regulators don’t understand about the tech coming down the pipe and vice versa for tech folks about how government works.
This is a syndication of the podcast that was originally launched on Infinite Block. If you like the Micromobility Podcast, you’re also likely to enjoy our new project, Infinite Block. As we’ve gone deeper into micromobility we can see that it’s connected to everything that we have in cities - zoning decisions and urban form, tech platforms, infrastructure funding, governance and at it’s core, the social contract. We’ve long wanted to be able to talk about some of the other disruptive innovation developments that we are seeing that are relevant to cities but aren’t quite the right fit for the Micrombility Podcast. So, if you like what we do here and ask in the age of accelerating innnovation, where and what is the city to be and do please come and join us by signing up to the Infinite Block Substack email and the Infinite Block podcast.
Check out Bradley’s Firewall podcast: https://www.firewall.media
This week, Oliver interviews Tanguy Goretti, one of the founders of Cowboy, who just raised a $80m series C to fuel their expansion into the US. Tanguy debuted the C4 in the US at Micromobility America back in September, and this is the first chance that Oliver has had to sit down with him to talk through about the latest bikes and what funding will unlock for them. It’s a great conversation.
Specifically they unpack:
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The history for Tanguy’s involvement in Micromobility and the formation of the company
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What problem they were trying to solve when they started Cowboy
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Why DTC remains a rapidly growing model for bike sales, and how they think through the challenges
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How they view competition
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The fundraising journey for Cowboy, and how they’re thinking of the launch in the US
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Why software is integral to the Cowboy experience, and why bike companies are not that good at it.
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Why Tanguy believes that Cowboy can unlock community in a way that few other products can
This week we’re releasing the interview of Rebecca Bellan from Techcrunch interviewing Gogoro CEO and cofounder Horace Luke at our recent Micromobility World event. Horace is an OG of Micromobility and very similar to our Horace Dediu in that he came from mobile as well, and then sought to apply the advancements in tech to transport.
Gogoro aspires to build a battery swapping infrastructure that will power millions of micromobility users from Berlin to Hangzhou everyday. Rebecca gets the inside story of the Taiwanese battery-swapping company in a depth hasn't been captured before—and conveniently, right on the eve of the firm's upcoming IPO.
Horace and Rebecca discuss
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Horace’s background in mobile phones
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The business strategy behind battery swapping and two-wheelers
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Gogoro’s expansion plans for China, India, and Indonesia - some of the largest micromobility markets in the world.
Thanks very much to Rebecca for doing such a great job.
This week we release the interview that Horace did with Bird CEO/founder Travis VanderZanden at Micromobility World conference from January 2022. It was his first public appearance since Bird went public late last year and it is an instantly iconic exchange between two of the industry’s most important figures - Travis who catalyzed dockless electric scooters at Bird in California back in 2017 and Horace who coined the term micromobility. Travis and Horace discuss mega trends in micromobility and why, in their view, the industry still hasn’t produced a bike or scooter as impactful as the iPhone.
Specifically they dig into:
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Travis’s background in cell phones and ride-hail
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The origins of Bird
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Product and business model innovation in micromobility
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The chicken-and-egg problem of infrastructure
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How cities can accelerate micromobility adoption faster.
It’s an awesome discussion, and one you can only hear here on the Micromobility Podcast. Thanks very much for listening!
This week Oliver interviews Mina Nada, CEO of Zoomo (formerly Bolt Bikes, featured on episode 66), about their business leasing ebikes to delivery gig workers like UberEATS/Deliveroo/DoorDash in the UK, US and Australia. The business has massively expanded in the last 18 months, and Mina has managed to drive a lot of that growth remotely while he’s been locked down in Australia. It’s an awesome story - don’t miss it.
Specifically, they dig into:
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for the uninitiated, a brief background on the story of Bolt Bikes and now Zoomo, and why electric bikes are compelling for delivery/B2B.
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Where they’ve seen the most growth in the last 18 months.
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Zoomo works directly with the delivery companies, so we unpack how integrated into their signup flow the company can you be.
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Zoomo have started releasing their own hardware, so they unpack more about the vehicles and what they’ve learnt in doing that.
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On episode 66, Mina indicated he had no interest in going for consumers. They explore whether that view has changed at all.
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You've raised a few rounds of funding since the last conversation. They talk about the fundraising landscape and what has/has not changed.
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One thing that the MM team was massively impressed by in the first interview was Zoomo’s capacity to raise debt funding - felt like a real strategic advantage relative to other companies in the space and it's still relativley uncommon. They unpack why it’s still uncommon and who is doing it well/what needs to happen to make it common.
It was a great discussion - well worth listening to!
This week Oliver joins Horace to talk about his latest blogpost about his new transport metric - A Modicum of Transport. Developing new metrics is in some ways a provocation to remap how we thinks of new things, and change the framework for how the incumbents are viewed. This is no different. Like the horsepower before it, or the byte or Monthly Active User, we are trying to develop new nomenclature, metrics and ratios that sit around this phenomenon called Micromobility. They discuss the name, and would love your feedback on the concept, especially if there’s a name that you feel might be easier or more intuitive to understand.
Specifically they dig into:
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The historical importance of James Watt’s Horsepower and generally industrial measurements
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Why new words and metrics can help us reframe the conversations
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What the implications of a low MoTz score is in a city context (hint, it’s like free flowing water vs. sewage)
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The next steps for adoption
This week Oliver interviews Horace about his latest research on climate and micromobility, and his reflections on the recent COP26 meeting in Glasgow. Specifically, they dig into why micromobility wasn’t more prominently featured in the potential solutions provided by groups like the IEA, and how that matches up to the disruptive innovation framework.
Specifically they get into:
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His new research and modelling into the climate action opportunity that micromobility presents
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The new IEA report (https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-from-transport) and it’s reliance on new technology that they haven’t identified, and why Horace believes it will come from micromobility
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The challenges of technology disruption intersecting with policy makers who require proven and de-risked methods
In today’s episode, Oliver interviews Ties Carlier, the co-CEO and cofounder of Vanmoof to talk about the new Vanmoof V, which is one of the most beautiful ebikes at Micromobility Industries have ever seen and is due to drop next year. It’s a lot faster and more powerful than anything they’ve done before, and this was a great chat about that design decision and why Ties thinks we need to get more creative and lateral in how we think about what micromobility vehicles can do and should be regulated. Ties is based in Taiwan, which manufactures most of the world’s ebikes, so they also briefly touch base on that too. We’ve had his brother Taco (co-CEO of Vanmoof) on shows 53 and 74 so also check those out if you want to hear more about the Vanmoof story.
Specifically they dig into:
- Ties’ background starting the company with his brother Taco and his move to Taiwan.
- the new V - what, why, when and why they chose to go for speed over other potential design opportunities
- how the launch of the S3/X3 went and what Vanmoof learned in the process
- hiring/building teams remotely for micromobility and how much Vanmoof has grown in the last year
- what he’s excited about in the coming years in terms of product and tech in micromobility
This week Oliver interviews Enrico Howe and Alex Gmelin from Invers (@Inversmobility) about the 2021 Global Moped Sharing Report. Oliver interviewed Enrico on the show in episode 52 for the 2019 version and it was great to have him back and get an update two years later on about the state of moped sharing globally. It included some incredible and crazy stats – the mopeds sharing industry has transitioned to electric at a dizzying pace in the last two years. We’re looking forward to hearing commentary about it on Twitter - please drop us a line at @MicromobilityCo, @oliverbruce and @asymco.
Specifically they dig into:
How INVERS and the Global Moped Sharing Report came to work together
The current state: What are the top line figures/key insights/developments?
What are the main markets and how did they develop?
Which cities are hotspots for moped sharing?
What vehicles are used for sharing and what are the trends?
What are latest developments in charging infrastructure and battery management?
Urban mobility planning: how is regulation affecting the market?
Look into the future: what do we expect for the next two years?
In the meantime we want to thank our sponsor for the episode Ubiq. Ubiq is turning operations from reactive to predictive. Most shared mobility businesses are not profitable, as 60%-80% of the demand is not met. Ubiq places vehicles in the right place, at the right time, to meet demand. This enables operators to increase revenue by 20% within 8 weeks while also decreasing operational costs.
Most shared operators react in order to meet demand, instead of predicting and exploiting the full capacity of their fleet. StreetCrowd is enabling over 15.000 citizens across 11 cities on 2 continents to address that issue by matching vehicles requiring rebalancing or charging with crowd users, allowing shared mobility providers to automate operations. Therefore, mobility operators can utilize decentralized operations that run 24/7, across the city, turning operations from reactive to predictive.
Best part? It’s plug and play and you can get started right away. Get in touch to find out more.
This week we’re releasing another interview from the Micromobility America conference. Laura Bliss from Bloomberg interviews Ben Bear, CEO of Spin (and guest on MM episode 73), about where sharing is going next after a COVID 19 put the brakes on it. Spin is one of the more interesting companies with the relatively crowded shared Micromobility field being owned by Ford, and pursuing a slow and steady strategy focussed around things like charging infrastructure. It’s a great discussion.
Specifically they dig into:
The challenges that COVID-19 has posed to the industry
What of the big problems - regulatory, unit economics, safety - still need to be solved
What cities are thinking about
Their expansion globally
In the meantime, thanks to the sponsor for the episode Ubiq. Ubiq is closing the gap between supply and demand. Most shared mobility businesses are not profitable, as 60%-80% of the demand is not met. Ubiq places vehicles in the right place, at the right time, to meet demand. This enables operators to increase revenue by 20% within 8 weeks while also decreasing operational costs.
How? By exploiting the full potential of your fleet. StreetCrowd is enabling over 15.000 citizens across 11 cities on 2 continents to contribute to the future of shared mobility. StreetCrowd matches vehicles requiring rebalancing or charging with crowd users, allowing shared mobility providers to automate operations. In other words, mobility operators have access to scalable, decentralized operations that run 24/7, across the city.
Best part? It’s plug and play and you can get started right away. Get in touch to find out more!
LINK: https://l.linklyhq.com/l/cxIZ
This week Oliver interviews Eric Qwidwenus-Wahlforss, Founder and CEO of Dance. When we first heard that the founders of SoundCloud had got into electric bikes we wondered how does the world of software paralleled across to the world of hardware and electric bikes. But Eric puts up a convincing argument and Dance has made a splash with their launch. This is a great conversation about the nature of how the industry has changed over time and how the business model of micromobility parallels to a lot of other subscription Internet businesses.
Specifically, they dig into:
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The backstory to Dance, including Eric’s background at Soundcloud in Berlin and the climate motivations for starting Dance
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Why they chose the rental business model, and what that enables
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More about the bike and the service, and how they see competition
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The reception to date
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The challenges and ease of fundraising and what has changed in the space over time
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Manufacturing in an era of COVID
This week we’re releasing the first of the content from the recent Micromobility America conference. In this interview, Lauren Goode from Wired interviews Andrew Yang who was one of the headline speakers.
Lauren and Andrew talk about Forward, his new American political party, before moving on to talk about role of micromobility in the future of transport. It’s a great conversation and we in the team really appreciate it when politicians have such progressive takes and are willing to embrace technology in transport like this.
Specifically they dig into:
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Andrew’s new political party, Forward, and why its important
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How local, state and federal regulations play a part in Micromobility’s future
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How many scooters Andrew owns
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Why micromobility is important for health, both mental and physical
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The need for cities to better accomodate these new modes
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Why he likes small companies and innovation, and why micromobility is well suited to this
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The challenges of electrifying other parts of the fleets.
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The links between UBI and micromobility
This week Oliver interviews one of his heroes in the urbanist space, Gabe Klein. Gabe has successfully managed to successfully operate in both the private and public sectors, as one of the first execs at Zipcar, helping form the company that became Car2Go and then was appointed head of DOT in both Washington DC and Chicago. He has a great grounding in the space and understands what works and what doesn’t in cities giving him great perspective of what micromobility offers to the cities and urban transport conversation. It was a wonderful conversation - more like a catch up with a friend than an interview. The team hopes you enjoy!
Specifically they dig into:
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His background starting in bikes, moving on to Zipcar/what became Car2Go
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His move into city government - both DC and then Chicago - and what he learned there around the challenges/opportunities to help shape cities and their transport systems
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What he thinks micromobility offers to the transport conversation - both owned and shared - on the variables of cost, speed, convenience, joy and safety.
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What he thinks the industry in general has done poorly/needs to improve on.
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Whether he believes that micromobility has an integral part in the future of transport both in the US and globally, and what needs to be developed to unlock that potential.
Our sponsor for the episode is UBCO.
UBCO is accelerating the global transition to electric mobility by designing the world’s toughest electric utility vehicles. Engineered and tested in New Zealand, now adopted by consumers and businesses globally, UBCO’s rugged all-wheel-drive two-wheeler stands out in the lightweight electric vehicle category. As appetite grows for sustainable transport options, UBCO provides utility EVs that are tough, versatile, safe and connected. We interviewed their founder Tim on episode 96, and we were honoured to have them on stage at the recent micromobility America event in the Bay Area on the 23rd of September.
Thanks for their support of the show.
This week Oliver interviews Jaideep Dhanoa, Founder and CEO of Fenix, about his experience within the micromobility industry across Asia and the Middle East. Jaideep is an absolute OG of the space. They talk about his experiences with the Chinese bikeshare boom while at Grab, his move back to the Middle East with Circ and now his efforts with Fenix. They talk Turkey which is a market that hasn’t been on the radar till now, but could well become the next Paris or Seoul. It's a great conversation and they really hope you enjoy as much as they did.
Specifically they dig into:
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Jaideep’s background at Grab working on micromobility integrations, and why that foretold the future explosion of the sector.
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His journey back to the Middle East and his efforts with Circ and then the rise from the ashes of Fenix.
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The challenges and opportunities for the rise of micromobility in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC).
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The significance of the funding rounds that they’ve received.
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The largest markets across the Middle East and Central Asia.
-
Why Istanbul is the most interesting emergent market for micromobility, and what Fenix is doing to secure their position there.
-
Jaideep’s reflections on the overall space globally, and where he thinks we’ll get to in 5 years.
Our sponsor for the episode is Ubiq. Ubiq is making shared mobility profitable. Most shared mobility businesses are not profitable, as 60%-80% of the demand is not met. Ubiq is automating rebalancing operations to ensure vehicles are in the right place, at the right time, to meet demand. This enables operators to increase revenue by 20% within 8 weeks while also decreasing operational costs. The solution? Automated Rebalancing and Charging as a Service. Ensuring EV fleets remain charged is a major challenge for shared mobility and, if not managed effectively, can be a huge drag on revenues. Ubiq’s Charging as a Service gives you a head start by automating the charging process; its predictive engine is combined with crowdsourced operational execution to provide easily scalable charging operations. This leads to an efficient charging process that will have a major impact on revenue boosting.
Best part? It’s plug and play and you can get started right away. Get in touch to find out more here: https://l.linklyhq.com/l/c3iX
Hey team, this week Oliver interviews Olaf Sakkers about his new book, Mobility Disruption Framework. Olaf is one of the General Partners at Redblue Capital, a new mobility venture investment firm that he founded. Prior to this, he was at Maniv Mobility for 6 years with Michael Granoff, a friend of Micromobility Industries and a previous guest on the podcast. This is one of our favourite episodes. Olaf’s work feels seminal, which is always a good place to start from. It covers a lot of the same ideas covered on this podcast all in one, coherent and cogent framework, and helped us really get our head around concepts that we’ve been thinking about for years but have struggled to articulate. We cannot recommend it highly enough.
Thank you to Reilly Brennan for putting us onto it via his excellent Future of Transportation weekly newsletter.
Specifically they talk about:
-
Olaf’s history with Maniv Mobility and his new venture Redblue.
-
The origins of the Mobility Disruption framework and its audience.
-
Why Olaf is bullish on hydrogen for vehicles.
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His framework around CATS and DOGs and why the dematerialisation of transport matters
-
His framework for Throughput Construction Cost, which in our opinion is revolutionary.
_________________
In the meantime. The next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be at the Craneway in Richmond, across the bay from San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500+ startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
This week Oliver interviews Horace about his recent thoughts on the impact of lithium ion batteries on power tools and how the market and products have developed. He also spawns a new framework: batteries we carry, batteries that carry us and batteries that carry themselves. It’s Horace at his best - riffing and letting his brain do what it does.
In the meantime, make sure that you get your tickets for Micromobility America, the world’s largest summit devoted to small electric vehicles. It returns to the SF Bay Area on September 23, 2021 for an immersive, in-person gathering. The team are hellbent on breaking the old paradigm of car dependency and getting the world moving again, safely and sustainably. The event will be a jam-packed day of talks, demos, meetings, and test rides with micromobility’s top global founders, policymakers, investors, and influencers. Meet over 500 startups and established players, test the latest technology and vehicles for the first time in nearly two years. It’ll take advantage of the beautiful California weather, doing as much as possible outdoors and headliners include political upstart Andrew Yang, veteran tech reporter Lauren Goode, and e-scooter racing trailblazer Lucas Di Grassi, and dozens more. Check it out more at micromobility.io.
The sponsor of the episode is Segway Commercial, the sharing business division of Segway-Ninebot. Their job is to help people and companies launch their own micro-mobility business. No matter the size or location of your scooter fleet, their mission is to make shared micro-mobility simpler and more accessible to all. They will be bringing a full line of electric vehicles to Micromobility America and encourage listeners to reserve their test ride. They’ll have their full range, such as Segway’s IoT-enabled e-Bike and e-Moped, and their full line of shared scooters featuring latest AI technologies, including T60 & T60 lite.
To RSVP your test ride, please click on this link.
Today Oliver interviews Michael Dunne, founder of Zozogo, former VP of JD Power in China, GM of General Motors Indonesia and host of the Winning in Asia podcast which covers the auto sector in China. Mike has a huge depth of experience in China, which is an area that the team haven’t covered as much as we’d like on this show. The conversation gave rise to a lot of discussions about the lay of the land in the Chinese auto sector, the role of the Chinese auto sector in Micromobility and how micromobility will need to change to see adoption from those who are coming from poverty into wealth and are looking for highly performant and high status vehicles. It’s a great discussion and one that we think you’ll really enjoy.
Specifically they dig into:
-
Mike’s background and how a kid from Detroit ended up in China in the 1990s.
-
the Dynamics of the local Chinese car industry, including a breakdown of local vs joint ventures vs Tesla.
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what (totally crazy!) excess capacity in the auto sector looks like and why that might matter for Micromobility
-
the top down vs bottom up nature of industry in China, and why the incentives matter.
-
infrastructure in China - roading vs existing Micromobility
-
the cultural enablers and disablers for Micromobility in China - and why Micromobility will struggle in the quest for status
In the meantime. The next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be at the Craneway in Richmond, across the bay from San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500+ startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
Today Oliver interviews Kyle Doerksen, founder/CEO of Onewheel, about the companies journey. Kyle has been in the space since the very beginning and epitomises the builder mentality - having tinkered with lots of components back in the late 2000’s to build his first prototypes. They also talk a lot about funding and manufacturing as OneWheel has taken quite a different approach to others in the space in the USA. This video is also up as a Youtube video, complete with images of the vehicle as well.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The origins of Onewheel/Kyle’s background and motivation for starting the company
-
The vehicles and where they're finding a market including the breakdown between commuters and recreational users.
-
How Kyle thinks about community building, including Onewheel racing events.
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How they think about countering the learning curve for the vehicle and their target demographic.
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What the market for funding etc. has been like on your journey since the late 2000’s and why Kyle is a fan of bootstrapping.
-
What Kyle’s excited about in the micromobility space
Today, Oliver interviews Erdem Ovacik, CEO of Donkey Republic, the first shared micromobility player to go public globally. Donkey Republic is listed on the Nasdaq First North exchange in the Nordics. It’s a great discussion about how the market has evolved, and why they see increasingly tight cooperation with governments being the next phase of shared market developments.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
the backstory of Donkey, including where the name came from and the development of the bikeshare market in Europe
-
Donkey’s unique approach of being both an operator and SaaS business and the economics of the varying parts of the business.
-
Why they’ve pursued a ‘virtual dock’ solution rather than just straight free-float and what that’s enabled them as a business.
-
Why they see the growth of the business being in publicly funded bike share systems in the EU.
-
How their valuation compares to other companies in the shared space, and what the reception of investors has been like.
-
what the listing has provided them in terms of options and what the costs have been
___________________
Thanks to our sponsor for the episode, Ubiq, who is making shared mobility profitable with data-driven services to automate operations and ensure vehicles are in the right place, at the right time, to meet demand. Ubiq’s customers have increased revenue by 20% while also decreasing operational costs.
Ubiq offers services including Automated Rebalancing and Charging as a Service (ChaaS), using the power of the crowd to exploit the full potential fleets. The StreetCrowd also service matches vehicles requiring repositioning, or charging with crowd users, allowing shared mobility providers to automate operations.
Ubiq is also increasing the efficiency of ops teams, by helping identify underutilized vehicles. With its plug-in forecasting models one can easily see where improvements can be made. Ubiq’s systems are plug and play and you can get started right away. Check them out at Ubiq.ai.
_________________
The next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be in Pier 70 in San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500+ startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
This week Oliver interviews Richard Thorpe, CEO of Gocycle. Gocycle are the world’s premier electric folding bike manufacturer, and Richard has been at the game longer than most, starting to work on the project back in the early 2000’s. In this episode, they dig into the history of the company, why folding matters in a multimodal future, and the importance of vehicle weight.
Specifically:
-
Richard’s background at Mclaren and how that informed his view on weight
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The challenge of building an electric bike company in the 2000s
-
What matters for consumers, and how that informs how they bring their bikes to market
-
The new G4 range, and what that offers over prior models
-
What has helped and hindered with marketing
Also, the next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be in Pier 70 in San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500ish startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
This week, Oliver and Horace interview Amir Haleem, CEO of Helium, about the rise of distributed telco infrastructure. This was originally recorded for the Critical Path, but given that Amir has been a guest on the podcast in the past and there’s a direct link between what they’re building and low cost connectivity for micromobility, we wanted to share here as well.
If you’re interested in Helium and wondering how it sits within the telecommunication industry business model, this is a great episode.
Specifically they dig into:
-
The Helium model for telco and what problem they were trying to solve.
-
Why Horace calls this the first 'useful crypto' he's found.
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Horace talks about the traps of infrastructure financing, and ponders whether the Helium model invalidate these challenges.
-
Horace and Amir break down whether/how the model is disruptive to existing infrastructure.
-
They talk about the future challenges they can foresee, and how Helium will potentially react.
Also, the next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be in Pier 70 in San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500ish startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
This week we’re releasing an audio version of the recent Micromobility Membership webinar on low end micromobility that Oliver did with reporter Lavender Au and Nat Bullard, Head of Content at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. They discuss Lavender’s lauded RestofWorld article on low end micromobility in China. In lieu of full-size cars, Chinese commuters are flocking to tiny alternatives that look and perform more like golf carts or rickshaws than Teslas. In 2019, these low-cost, low-speed vehicles actually outsold traditional electric cars by 2 to 1.
It’s a great discussion about how the sector these lightweight electric vehicles in China have emerged, and where they might fit into a global transport future going forward. It is an incredibly illuminating discussion about a topic that receives far too little press.
Also, the next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be in Pier 70 in San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500ish startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to micromobility.io to find out more details.
In celebration of Earth Day 2021, Oliver interviews Horace about his latest project - looking at the carbon emissions in the transport sector and modelling the pathways for the current options. You can probably imagine where they get to, but they don’t want to spoil the show.
This is still a work in progress, and they are putting this out as a primer so that folks may understand the narrative arc, and the background/context of why Horace is looking at this.
Specifically they look at:
-
The math of emissions, and why transport is hard
-
The lifecycles of vehicles and why the shift to electric cars will take a long time
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The ‘gap’ that exists between existing emissions reduction plans and reality
-
Where micromobility might contribute
Also, the next Micromobility America conference is now scheduled for the 23rd of September. It’ll be in Pier 70 in San Francisco and have more than 50 top speakers from the industry, more than 1000 global participants and 500ish startups and brands represented. If you love this space and want to find your tribe here, head to miicromobility.io to find out more details.
Between COVID work stoppages, a massive stock surge, a strategic tech acquisition, partnering with legendary automotive engineer Sandy Munro, and the general fits and starts of pre-production, Arcimoto, maker of semi-enclosed electric three-wheelers, has had an eventful year. This week Oliver interviews their CEO, Mark Frohnmayer, to shed light on the company’s manufacturing progress and long-term ambitions—and why he believes heavy micromobility is vital to the future of electric vehicles.
This is the audio version of the video from the Micromobility Show on Youtube. Check out the link to the video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTzO9wekyiA).
If you like this, you will also likely like the interview we did with Mark back in November 2019 on Episode 46.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
What is Arcimoto and the FUV?
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How Mark got into lightweight electric vehicles
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The no man’s land between bikes and cars
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Arcimoto’s coming "Platform 2"
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The regulatory situation for 3-wheeled vehicles
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Licensing requirements to drive
-
Sandy Munro’s influence
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Technical debt of Arcimoto
-
Arcimoto’s mini delivery vehicle, the Deliverator
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How Arcimoto sees competition
This week Oliver brings you an exclusive interview with Salvatore Palella, CEO of Helbiz, which is about to list on the NASDAQ as the first shared micromobility player to go public globally. It’s a fascinating conversation about the current state of the market, how valuations are reached in the SPAC space, and what possibilities are enabled for micromobility by the public markets.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
Salvatore’s background, including as one of the youngest professional football club owners in Europe.
-
The origin story through to the current state of Helbiz, including where they started, how they operate and how many vehicles they have.
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They talk through the SPAC fundraising journey, and how Salvatore raised early capital for the company.
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They talk through the post-public market plans for the company including thoughts on mergers and acquisitions strategy.
-
How they have viewed hardware.
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A discussion of their early forays into cryptocurrencies, and what Salvatore thinks the future will look like for advertising-driven micromobility.
-
A discussion about the operational and behavioural differences between US & EU markets
This week, Oliver interviews Jameson Dietweiler, CEO of Fantasmo.
Fantasmo has been around since 2014 to build maps for machines, and has been working specifically on micromobility since the earliest days in 2017. With the recent announcement that they’ve partnered with Tier to roll out an innovative phone based parking verification technology Oliver was excited to have a chance to bring them on the show. They use camera based positioning to better locate vehicles like scooters and ebikes in cities where often GPS is an insufficeint technology to provide highly accurate location data.
They talk about the pivots that the company has made and why their ultimate goal is to own the basemaps that are used for positioning in cities all over the world, using micrombility as the first step.
At Micromobility Industries, we’ve been long excited about companies that are building software layers to the micromobility experience. It also provides a good answer to regulators and city officials who ask how hard it is to enforce parking solutions for shared operators across cities, which as we know was an early issues with shared schemes.
It can be a little hard to visual, so we would recommend that you check out the short video here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPsXU0Vbctg].
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The origin story of Fantasmo and how Jameson came to be working on ‘maps for machines’
-
The details of the pivots that they’ve made as a company - on-device to parking on phone via cloud etc.
-
They talk through the Tier pilot and what they’re seeing in the early data.
-
How they think about the move of computation into mobility, and where it’ll sit (discussing Horace’s thesis that these vehicles will become computing platforms)
-
They discuss how defensible the moat for a company like Fantasmo is vs. Google or Apple opening up an API for this based on their mapping tech
-
How the the funding environment is for a software company in the boom-bust Micromobility industry.
This week, Oliver interview Joseph Brennan, co-founder of Zoba, an analytics company working on optimizing micromobility operations. It’s a pretty nerdy topic, but the topline is that their clients have seen up to 74% more rides per scooter simply from operational tweaks that Joseph and the team have suggested. As micromobility operations get more sophisticated and cities get stricter on operators and rule enforcement, services like what Zoba offers will become even more important.
This was originally published as a video on our Youtube channel. Check it out here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ipNkpCEN4].
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The history of Zoba and how Joseph and his team came to found the company.
-
The variables that they’re working with, and how they engage with customers
-
A discussion on the benefits of new technologies coming down the pipe, including swappable batteries.
-
The biggest operational challenges for both operators and governments
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How has their business fared in the boom/bust of the wider sharing industry, and what are they seeing now?
-
The challenges and opportunity for raising money in the software-for-micromobility space and what he’d recommend to other entrepreneurs.
We're excited to bring you this interview with Carson Brown, co-founder of TAUR Scooters who are building one of the best designed and coolest looking scooters we've seen on the market. With their team based in London, it’s an excellent discussion about the role of design in micro, and why these new vehicles reflect the culture and environment that they’re designed in. We really hope that you enjoy it.
This was originally a Youtube video for Micromobility Industries - if you’re keen to check that out, check out the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elwybg1Vmeo
Specifically they dig into:
-
Carson's background working on electric unicycles
-
Why they decided to chase after personally owned scooters
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The importance of design in owned objects
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What does their development process look like, and what were the design decisions they had to weigh up.
-
How they thought about the TAUR brand from the get go.
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How they think about the 'hard' part of being in hardware, and what they're facing as a company when getting into production
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How they're thinking about support and maintenance
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The irony of designing one of the most innovative personally owned scooters in a market (the UK) where ownership is banned.
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His long term aspirations for TAUR.
This week, Oliver interviews Horace about the ‘Trillion Dollar Question’. With Arcimoto (who we’ve covered on episode 46) hitting a $1b market cap, and the recent article from RestofWorld covering the rise of low end Chinese micro-EV’s, we wanted to circle back to the question of what will heavy micromobility - those vehicles in the 50-500kg category - look like and why could they be where we find the defining vehicles of our time.
Specifically we cover:
-
A quick summary of Horace’s research into carbon emission modelling for micromobility (more to come on this soon!)
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How Horace and Oliver both got into micromobility
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The rise of the Chinese low-end and what’s interesting about them
-
How small cars like the Gordon Murray T25 or the golf cars sit in ‘no-mans-land’
-
Why the criteria for disruption in vehicle type might sometimes require getting creative with the rules, and being ‘unsafe’
-
The rise of Arcimoto and their creative interpretation of the rules
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Why these vehicles will answer the ‘trillion dollar question’ when they emerge, and why they’re inevitable.
This week, we release the first of the many incredible sessions from the 2021 Micromobility World conference, wherein Benedict Evans and Horace Dediu discussed the disruptive potential of micromobility. It was an incredible conversation between two people who clearly have a lot of time and are excited by each others ideas. We hope you enjoy it!
Specifically they dig into:
Why Benedicts background as a historian makes him a great analyst.
The micromobiltiy disruption thesis - low end, the asymmetric nature of unbundling trips (market for vehicles vs. market for miles), the role of fun/enjoyment, speed of interaction
Why micromobility is more interesting that autonomy
The role of Marchetti’s constant in transport, and why that matters for micrombility’s unique capabilities
What the rise of elevators can teach us about new urban transport technologies
What the platform game will look like in this space.
What the impact of COVID has been on how we think about transport
How micromobility will enable Amazon logistics API to fulfil deliveries
Tackling ‘Should the thing move, or the person move?’, and why that matters to micromobility.
Why the low cost of micromobility platforms will allow real world marketing kickbacks similar to how ‘surfing’ on the internet works now - ’take me somewhere interesting’
Why the rise of new forms of transport like automobiles enabled new crimes and the rise of Bonnie and Clyde
Why cities will likely eventually move towards dynamic road pricing
If you prefer video, check out the video of it on the Micromobility Industries Youtube page here.
On this episode, Horace joins Oliver on the show to talk about what an entry by Apple into the mobility market would look like, and why a car is perhaps the wrong form factor to be looking at. They talk through the growth prospects for micromobility, and why Apple’s entry into the market would be a meaningful contribution to the world of mobility.
This is on the back of Horace’s post ‘Apple Computer’ published on the Micromobility Industries blog recently. Check it out here: https://micromobility.io/blog/2021/1/11/apple-computer
Specifically they dig into:
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The parts of the upcoming Micromobility World conference that Horace is most excited about
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The size of the car market vs the micromobility market as it currently stands
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Where the margins lie
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Why Apple has typically entered into industries that are still ‘embryonic’
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What a meaningful contribution could look like and what technologies would materially affect the user experience
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The constraints of infrastructure on useability and the ‘feel’ of a vehicle
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How computation becomes more personal over time, and why that will apply to vehicles too
-
The revisit Microsoft’s decision in the 90’s to get into the lounge, and why that was the wrong question.
-
Horace coins the term ‘smartphone-y’
Thanks again to the sponsors of this episode, Christensen Group.
Christensen Group, a lead player in the micromobility insurance category. As the micromobility space continues to grow around the world with a diverse spectrum of business models, Christensen Group continues to be a leader in the space servicing: e-scooter, moped, motorcycle, e-bike sharing operations along with: subscription & private based programs, manufacturers, AI technology providers and more. They will have a virtual booth at this year’s Micromobility World event on January 27-29. They invite you to stop by and have a chat with them about safety, fundraising, regulatory requirements, and trends in the risk and insurance marketplace, or whatever else is on your mind. They’re also going to have folks from Zagster, ZipCar, Ford Mobility, and others dropping by their booth to discuss litigation trends, regulatory missteps, fundraising and start-up strategies, and more.
Fun fact: Seoul, South Korea is the largest market for shared scooters globally, and Beam is one of the largest players there.
This week, Oliver interviews Alan Jiang, founder of Beam, the largest shared Micromobility operator in Asia-Pacific. Asia is one of the hotspots for micromobility given its home to the majority of the world’s population experiencing the growth, density and ensuing urban congestion where micromobility really thrives. We’re very excited to cover more of it in 2021. Alan has a great view over the market and it's nuances.
Speciflcally they dig into:
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Alan’s background at Uber and then Ofo
-
how he’s seeing the market develop in Asia and Australasia
-
Seoul - it’s the worlds biggest scooter market, and you're one of the largest players. What are the benefits to scale and what are they seeing?
-
Beam’s unique commodity hardware strategy
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fundraising and what he’s seen change in the conversations over the last 12-24 months
-
how Alan think of the ridehailing players, and whether Grab/Go-Jek/Didi are going to go hard into micromobility
Today on the show, Oliver interviews Puneeth Meruva, Associate at Trucks VC about their latest report: The Three Axes of Micromobility: Supply Chains, Distribution and Maintenance about the often unseen world of getting Micromobility into the hands of consumers. This is a topic that hasn’t received much coverage to date, so it was a fascinating conversation fully of nitty-gritty and relatively technical details about the opportunities for development and investment in the micromobility ecosystem.
Specifically they dig into:
-
A recap of Trucks VC, their thesis and other portfolio companies in the Micromobility space
-
Puneeths background and how he got there
-
What the research was about, and why Trucks undertook it
-
Key findings in the fields of components, distribution, maintenance etc
-
Whether timelines for new product development are getting shorter vs longer and why
-
Who the interesting businesses are in the distribution and maintenance space
-
Future opportunities in design and tech both in vehicles and business models (including a reference to www.nimbus.green - one of the companies Oliver is most excited about at the moment)
-
A discussion about vehicle platforms, and whether Puneeth agree’s with Horace’s thesis that these vehicles will become computing platforms.
The report itself can be found here [https://www.trucks.vc/blog/the-three-axes-of-micromobility-supply-chains-distribution-and-maintenance]
This week Oliver interviews Chinmay Malaviya and Charlie Depman, cofounders of Ridepanda, about their efforts to build a better customer journey for purchasing owned micromobility. The platform is relatively new, but it hits on a very relevant need. Thanks to Reilly Brennan from Trucks VC for putting us onto them.
Specifically we dig into:
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Their backgrounds at Bird, Scoot and Lime and how that led them to starting this business.
-
The core customer needs that they’re trying to solve
-
The importance of trusted reviews and reliable servicing for customers
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What matters to customers, and why brand is far further down the list than expected
-
What early traction they’re seeing
-
How COVID 19 has impacted the buyers guide
-
Their fundraising journey and what they’re seeing for Micromobility related startups in general.
This week, Horace joins Oliver for the podcasts 100th episode, and they run through what’s happened in the last 2 and a half years, and wonder aloud what will happen in the next two.
Specifically they dig into:
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Horace’s early theses
-
The emergence of scooters and why they proved to be so challenging to Horace’s ideas about what vehicles would be most popular
-
The biggest mistake that Horace thinks he made in his early theories
-
What Oliver considers the biggest barriers, and where he over and underestimated progress over the last 2 years
-
Where they expect to see development and who will enter the game
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The pace of adoption, and why patience is needed.
This week Oliver interviews Richard Burger, co-founder of Swapfiets, the largest bike subscription service in Europe. With more than 220,000 subscriptions and growing rapidly, it’s a great discussion on solving the job-to-be-done for biking/micromobility, as well as the challenges and opportunities of operating large service business at scale across 6 (soon to be 7) countries.
Specifically, they cover:
-
The context of the existing bike ownership experience in the Netherlands that gave rise to paying 16 euros a month to rent a bike.
-
The origins of Swapfiets, and the genius marketing decision to use a blue-front wheel to make the bike’s identifiable
-
The operational challenges and economics of the subscription business
-
Who their customers are, and how that’s evolved over time
-
The launch of their new electric bike, and how that’s performing
This week Oliver interviews Dmitri Pivovarov from Bolt Mobility, which is one of the largest ride hailing players in Europe, and has been quietly building a micromobility business which recently announced it was expanding to challenge Tier as the largest micromobility operator in Europe in 2021. Oliver uses this episode to dig into the interplay between ride hailing and micromobility, how Bolt has built the business, and get an update on the overall shared micrombobility market in Europe. It’s a great interview.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The history of Bolt Mobility, and it’s origins as Taxify
-
Clarify that they are indeed, not endorsed by Usain Bolt
-
Talk about the nature of mobility markets, and servicing this demand with either ride hailing or micromobility
-
How the Bolt team sought to approach building the micromobility business, and how they’ve built a very cost-effective operations engine for scaling
-
The unique design points from their new custom hardware
-
The state of the other players in the European market
Today Oliver interviews Horace for a fun review of the parallels between the smartphone revolution and what we’re seeing play out with the growth of lightweight electric vehicles trips. It’s also a hilarious chance to hear Horace talk about how we think about fostering children as a species and ask why the same thinking isn’t applied to how we run organisations and products.
Specifically they dig into:
-
The history of the smartphone industry, and why business model rather than competence dictated the fall of Nokia.
-
Discuss the importance of understanding the framing of job-to-be-done and why that matters for micromobility.
-
Horace points out how the fostering and growth of children is so natural to humans, and asks why it is yet so challenging for companies to foster comparable innovation.
-
Talk about how incumbent car manufacturers will be treating micromobility internally, and how the immune systems of the organisations will struggle to accept such a wide departure from their standard business model.
Micromobility World is our first all-digital event running from Jan 27-29th, 2021. We have some of the biggest names in the worlds of owned and shared micromobility, disruptive innovation, urban design and investing coming together to talk about how to supercharge the Micromobility revolution. Tickets are free, with a VIP tier for curated community participation. Register at Micromobility.io - it’s going to be awesome.
This week Oliver interviews a fellow kiwi, Timothy Allan, CEO of Ubco, about their heavy duty electric motorbikes. While the firm is small - they’ve sold a bit more than a thousand units across NZ, Europe and the US - it ticks a few interesting disruptive innovation boxes, mainly by meeting the customers core needs in very specific ways through improved reliability and then creating new jobs to be done in the form of silent transport and portable power packs that change the basis of competition against other ICE options.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The history of the Ubco brand/motorbikes in 2014/15
-
Why farming environments in New Zealand are the perfect place to test heavy duty micromobility vehicles
-
The value of getting bikes into the hands of customers for real world feedback
-
The importance of quality in componentry in a heavy duty setting
-
The challenges incumbent manufacturers will face transitioning across to electric powertrains
-
How they think about distribution and servicing, and how that impacts the business
-
The story of fundraising for an electric motorbike manufacturer down in the middle of nowhere.
This week Oliver interviews Amir Haleem, the CEO of Helium, about Peoples Network, which promises ubiquitous coverage and data costs of $1/year to connect a Micromobility vehicle. Oliver has been incredibly excited about what they’re up to for a while, and so welcomed the opportunity to sit down and unpack what they’re doing and why it’s transformational.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The history of Helium and the importance of permissionless innovation.
-
What is LoRaWan and why does it matter?
-
Why does Helium use blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies to make their back end system function, and why is that largely irrelevant for customers?
-
How big the network now is, and how quickly it’s building out
-
Why this may well be the new model for how we build out telco networks in the future.
-
Why this is perfectly suited to Micromobility, and what possibilities it unlocks in terms of diagnostics, tracking and other value add services
-
How $1/year data costs are transformational, and how the costs for transponder and hotspot is going to rapidly decline.
-
They review the competition for creating connected Micromobility, comparing data costs, battery performance, coverage and the sort.
If you’re interested in the Helium project, go and check out The Hotspot Podcast
Full disclosure, Helium were kind enough to sponsor earlier podcasts and Oliver has got a few hotspots to learn more about their tech, but mainly, as you can hopefully hear, we just think they’re on to something and building out the best solution for micromobility connectivity that’s available in this space.
This week Oliver interviews Derek Dorresteyn, COO of Damon Motorcycles. Derek previously worked at Boosted and was the CTO at Alta Motorbikes, one of the first electric motorbike manufacturers globally. They do a whistle stop tour of the electric motorbike space, including why it’s so hard, what we’ve collectively learnt and Dereks predictions on the space. Derek has been around the space for a long time and thinking about the challenges longer than most.
Specifically they dig into:
⁃ Derek’s history in motorbike racing and eventually setting up a machine shop business.
⁃ His early forays into electric motorbike after reading the Tesla blog
⁃ The story of Alta Motors, including their raises, development, partnership with Harley Davidson and eventual closure
⁃ His work with Boosted on the products that would come after the Rev
⁃ His reflections on capital raising in the micromobility hardware space from 2010 onwards, and why now it’s easier than ever to raise
⁃ His work now at Damon Motorcycles, and the potential of electric in the hyperbike category
⁃ The possibilities for safety created through electric powertrains and ADAS systems.
⁃ The growth of SPAC’s and the impact that that is having on the space.
Horace rejoins Oliver on the podcast to revisit the original reasons that Horace started looking at micromobility, and identified it as a disruptive innovation. It covers the context of the research that he was doing at the time, and why it meets the theoretical and anecdotal indicators that it’s going to change the way that we think about transport.
Specifically we dig into:
⁃ Horace’s research into the auto market, and why he didn’t think that the shared, electric autonomy that was all hype in 2014-16 was going to deliver on it’s disruptive potential.
⁃ Why only when asking questions that no-one was asking about cars did he start to see the potential for micromobility
⁃ Why a lack of datasets is confirmatory that he was on to something, and why that’s been problematic
⁃ What he think he got right in the original thesis back in 2018, and what he thinks has changed since then
⁃ Horace reviews his own predictions, what he got wrong and what he didn’t see back then.
This is another classic Horace episode.
This week Oliver is joined by Horace for an update and discussion on heavy micromobility, including a recent video interview of Sandy Munro, the automotive engineering guru, and Mark Frohnmayer, CEO of Arcimoto talking about their three wheeled electric auto-cycle. Mark has been a guest on the podcast in the past in episode 46 and Micromobility Industries are big fans of what they’re doing. Finally, they circle back on the age old question of whether Tesla is conforming to disruptive innovation theory.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
How Arcimoto is conforming to the theory of disruptive innovation with the way that it’s approaching the market - underserving, lower end, modularised production, solving for the job to be done - and why it’s the first stock recommendation (other than Apple) that Oliver has ever heard Horace make.
-
The history of overserving the customers in the car market, and why there’s a space under them in the market for heavy micromobility
-
The speed of technological and business model development, and how that ties to the size and speed of the vehicle
-
The recent Battery Day announcements and manufacturing process upgrades from Elon Musk, and whether they’ve changed Horace’s mind that Tesla is a disruptive (rather than sustaining) innovation.
Today Oliver interviews Paul Steely White, head of Policy at Link by Superpedestrian. We had Assaf Bidermaan, the CEO of Superpedestrian on last year to talk about their new scooter, but that was before they launched Link and recently won one of the Seattle scooter permits. The second mover advantage in this space continues to become clearer and it was great to dig into this. Paul has been around the micromobility/bike advocacy traps a long time first at Transportation Alternatives, then Bird and now Link, and like many others we’ve had on, is a bit of an OG of the space. We hope you enjoyed this as much as we did.
-
His background at Transportation Alternatives, Bird and now Superpedestrian
-
How and why Superpedestrian decided to start LINK, and the importance of the feedback cycle in product development
-
What LINK does differently in it’s vehicle including the importance of being able to do granular onboard vehicle maps and how their vehicle intelligence and operations allow them to be profitable with only one ride per day.
-
What he thinks Bird and Lime did wrong.
-
The New York City RFP for scooters and what they’re seeing in the space
-
What he is seeing with LINK and cities now in terms of what they want for their operators
-
The question of infrastructure, and his experience working with Transportation Alternatives and experts like Donald Shoup to change street space allocation.
-
How it helps to be a second mover in the space
-
The emergence of debt in new rounds of scooter funding and how the question of insurance is changing as the industry matures.
In one of his favourite interviews to date, Oliver interviews Cedrick Tandong, CEO of ThreeWheelsUnited, a electric rickshaw or tuktuk financing and operations company based in Bangalore, India. With over 3000 tuktuks on the road, partnerships with the largest local manufacturers, Uber partnership and more, Cedrick and the team have found the sweet spot for Micromobility in what is a fascinating local niche.
Specifically they dig into:
-
What is ThreeWheelsUnited and the multiple sides of the business - vehicle supply, financing, tech platform for payments and operations.
-
Cedricks background and how he ended up going from Cameroon to France to India.
-
How the unit economics are playing out with new electric tuktuks vs. existing models.
-
How to build out a low-cost recharging infrastructure for these vehicles.
-
The challenges and joys of working in India as a foreigner
-
The story of fundraising for a vehicle financing and tech startup - how that's gone, what they’re looking for and how they managed to get Techstars and Asian Development Bank money.
-
The climate impact that they’re having.
Micromobility data standards are the rails new micromobility juggernauts will be built on.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Sam Herr, Executive Director of North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA), and Heidi Gennin, Shared Mobility Product Manager at Mobility Data, about the Generalized Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS) data format.
Admittedly, it sounds dry, and yet, it’s a fascinating episode, with Heidi and Sam doing a great job explaining both what it is and why something as simple as a data format can supercharge the development of non-car transportation in our cities.
Specifically they dig into:
What is a Data format and why does it matter?
What is the GBFS and how does it connect to NABSA, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the GTFS.
How does the GBFS relate to the Mobility Data Specification?
Which countries around the world use the data standards for their bike shares, and why this is a rapidly growing space
What challenges they face in developing a global data standard
How they’re thinking about future open vehicle protocols, including ride hailing and car share.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Horace’s upcoming keynote “Micromobility’s Moment” on the 10th of September at 12-1pm EST. It’s going to be amazing - an instant classic, with thundering narrative arcs backed up with detailed data about the State of the Micromobility World not just both before and after COVID, but in the wider context of our transport systems and a better world. Tickets are $20, and you can register here.
Exciting episode today with Oliver interviewing Raoul Stöckle, CEO of Bond. Horace and Oliver originally interviewed Corinne Vogel, their COO on as one of the first interviews in 2018 when the company was Smide, but with the recent announcement of a partnership with FreeNow and launches in a number of new cities in Europe, it was time to have them on again to discuss how their approach of high end shared Micromobility is going and why it’s different.
Specifically:
-
The Bond model of high end Micromobility and why they chose that strategy
-
How and why they decided to go for custom vehicles, and what that has entailed
-
The operational efficiencies they’ve been able to unlock with smart incentives, swappable batteries and faster vehicles
-
Why how far a customer is willing to walk determines a huge amount in terms of capital costs, and why that’s tied to a vehicles speed.
-
What the impact of COVID has been on the business
-
The high percentage of users who have integrated the service into their commute
-
Why they charge on a per-km, not per minute, basis
In the meantime, be sure to check out Horace’s upcoming keynote “Micromobility’s Moment” on the 10th of September at 12-1pm EST. It’s going to be amazing - an instant classic, with thundering narrative arcs backed up with detailed data about the State of the Micromobility World not just both before and after COVID, but in the wider context of our transport systems and a better world. Tickets are $20, and you can register here: https://vi.to/hubs/micromobility
This week Oliver interviews David Hyman, CEO of Unagi Scooters about their new subscription service, Unagi All Access, as well as a wider discussion about the state of owned micromobility and the vehicles therein. It’s a great conversation - David’s got a great perspective on the industry, backed up with studies commissioned from the Haas Business School about the opportunity for scooters beyond just renting them via shared schemes like Lime and Bird. Hope you enjoy!
Specifically, they dig into:
-
A quick review of Unagi scooters and their history as a premium ‘iPhone of scooters’ brand
-
Why Unagi has chosen to pursue a subscription model and who that will open them up to
-
What an end-to-end subscription needs to include
-
Why subscriptions may offer one of the cheapest daily transport options for most people
-
Why they have so many musicians and celebrities riding their scooters, and why Andrew Yang is a fan
-
Why David can’t wait to give Annie Hildago, mayor of Paris, a scooter (anyone know her and want to help?!)
-
Who David most respects in the Micromobility game
Apologies about the audio - we had an issue and needed to go to backup.
For those tuning in new, you might also enjoy this earlier conversation with David about the history of Unagi and premium scooters.
Also, as mentioned in the news, Mina Nada and the Bolt Bikes (now Zooma) team have raised an $11m Series A. Check the interview we did with them out here.
This week Horace returns with Oliver for a great discussion about why what we measure in micromobility, and transport in general, matters so much. They also dig into the recent announcement of the T50 supercar from Gordon Murray, and explain why they, two micromobiltiy nerds, got so excited about a preposterously expensive car.
Specifically they dig into:
The history of the rise and fall of infrastructures
Why what we measure about transport - be it track length, unit sales, passenger kilometres or trips - determine how we think about planning, infrastructure spending, and all of these second order effects.
The open question about Micromobility measurement, and what is up for consideration
The origins of the Micromobility podcast, and it’s connections to Gordon Murray
Why Oliver and Horace have both bought cars that Gordon Murray has recommended.
The intangibility of maniacal focus on user experience, and why that matters as much in micromobility as it does in cars.
Check out the launch of the T.50 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKQ6uUUmsw
This week Oliver interviews Henri Moissinac and Maxim Romain, co-founders of Dott. Dott are interesting - they’ve done things differently since they launched, kept their head down and stayed relatively unknown in wider micromobility circles. That is until they won the tender for Paris and Lyon recently, and asserted themselves as a player to really be taken seriously in the Pan-European micromobility landscape.
In this interview they talk about:
-
The origins of Dott, and Roman and Henri’s history together at Ofo
-
The landscape to date for both funding and city tenders, and why Dott’s slow and steady approach has really helped them develop into a profitable business.
-
Their plans for an Ebike, and how they’re thinking about hardware in general
-
The importance of operational excellence, having internal employees and systems for learning.
-
Why they have pursued a largely large-city-only approach
-
What factors contribute to successful city permits
-
Henri makes an impassioned argument for why Micromobility’s success is inevitable
-
Bonus - Henri talks about his experience at the Micromobility Conference in Berlin and how it felt to him like the early days of mobile
This week Oliver interviews Skye Duncan, a fellow Kiwi who has gone on to lead the Global Designing Cities Initiative at the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Skye is a wealth of knowledge about how infrastructure and space allocation decisions get made on streets around the world, and how micromobility can impacts those habitats to achieve transport outcomes. It was a great conversation - they both really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too.
Specifically they dig into:
-
Skye’s background and journey from New Zealand, via Columbia and working with Mayor Bloomberg to heading the Global Designing Cities Initiative at NACTO.
-
What the Global Design Guide for Cities is trying to achieve.
-
What micromobility/electric bikes/scooters offer to cities around the world, and how this intersects with he growth in urban populations that we’re seeing.
-
Why the problem of parking, and parking entitlement, are such a big issue.
-
What micromobility operators should be thinking about when talking to city planners and contextualising micromobility in the transport mix.
-
how Skye encourages advocates of new micromobility vehicles to discuss them and their infrastructure.
This week we releasing a recent conversation between Oliver and Doug Gordon from the popular War on Cars podcast that we did as a Micromobility Membership (TripleM) webinar. Philosophically aligned, Oliver and Doug talk about COVID, urbanism and the intersection of infrastructure and technology. This was a fun conversation.
Specifically they dig into:
-
What we’re seeing globally and in NYC in response to the COVID epidemic.
-
How much (or not) COVID is an opportunity to further the micromobility agenda, both with local and national level programmes for infrastructure
-
Oliver reveals some of the details of the research he’s been doing on modelling mode shift potential for Micromobility
-
The impact that Citibike has had on New York
-
Where the origins of sneakers came from, and how they gained such notoriety during the 1980 transit strike in New York
-
Why bike parking is the next big opportunity for infrastructure builds
-
Why micromobility helps in transport deserts that exist, even in places like New York.
-
General questions from the audience about ebikes, cargo, electric vehicles and more!
Also, next week Oliver will be hosting a webinar with the team from Helium talking about their new global long range, low-power and low cost wireless network. You might think data connections to micromobility sounds boring but nothing could be further from the truth. How we keep micromobility connected reliably and cheaply is one of the biggest issues still to solve. Helium are one of the most exciting projects out there. It’ll be relevant to investors, hardware people and operators interested in what the bleeding edge is. Come and join us on Tuesday, 4th of August at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific. Sign up at micromobility.io
This week Oliver interviews Laura Fox, Lyft's General Manager for Citi Bike in New York. Laura has an incredible background with stints in Qatar, working on Mexico cities planning regulations, time at Sidewalk Labs, and as editor for one of the best books on urban planning and economics we’ve found, Order by Design by Alain Bertaud, all of which is discussed, before digging in to the nitty gritty details of Citibike in NYC.
This was a great episode - Laura is an amazing thinker and you’ll get a lot out of listening to her.
Specifically we dig into:
-
an explanation of the Citibike setup - its coverage, size (15k bikes!!), characteristics and relationship to the NYC DOT.
-
How and why they price as the product as affordabiy as they do.
-
a discussion about the docked system and the benefits/challenges of this vs the more common dockless system ie. bike valets, load balancing with large numbers locked up and how they create ’capacity valves’.
-
the impact of electrification on the fleet - how the early data from bikes show both 2-3x utilisation, but also longer duration and distance trip durations.
-
A wider discussion about micromobility and its intersection with urban form, infrastructure and other planning requirements
-
How they think about discussions over kerbside allocation, the challenges of of competing with car parking and the data/storytelling needed to counter this.
-
where Laura sees the future going with regards to MaaS, how she think about Lyft's play in that space and who has the power to be the forcing function to promote widespread adoption.
-
How COVID-19 has impacted their operations, and the changes in ridership demographics and usage that they’re seeing.
The book that we mention is called Order without Design, and can be found on Amazon here [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BSYX83S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1]. Would also encourage you to check out Devon Zuegel’s great podcast with Alain and his wife Marie-Agnes about their lives as nomadic urban planners/economists here [https://devonzuegel.com/tag/order-without-design-podcast].
Something a bit different this week. Horace and Oliver host Anders Brownworth, co-host of the Critical Path, to talk about crypto, blockchains and markets for trust. Anders’ background working in telecom, finance and then crypto (developing USDC and now working at the Federal Reserve) give him a unique perspective. As Horace, Oliver and he break down what programmable trust can mean for markets, government and society.
This came out of a discussion following a Micromobility podcast recording talking about Apple was functioning as an arbiter of trust with all its new key and payment building blocks, and how ‘trust’ carries a market premium, which gave way to a wider conversation about how trust can be priced.
For those of you who aren’t that familar with the workings of Bitcoin/blockchain, Anders Brownworth has done a 101 video here (with more than 1 million views!) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_160oMzblY8
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The history of money, and why trust-minimised stores of value are so valuable.
-
Markets for trust and how companies like Google or Uber are potentially threatened by distributed marketplaces/clearinghouses.
-
How the overall valuation of Bitcoin is the NPV of all future trust that will be accumulated to the protocol.
-
Why having immutable records is so important for the functioning of democracies.
-
What areas of blockchains both Anders and Oliver are most excited about.
Finally, as mentioned in the news - here is the excellent NYT article on the reallocation of streetspace in New York, “I’ve seen a future without cars and it’s amazing” - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/opinion/sunday/ban-cars-manhattan-cities.html
This week Oliver interviews Andrew Salzberg, former head of Transportation Policy at Uber, and now a Loeb Fellow at Harvard about his work in radically decarbonising transport. Oliver worked with Andrew at Uber, and he’s been thinking about the intersection between climate, transportation and technology longer than most. It’s a great conversation touching on the challenge ahead and opportunities that abound.
Specifically, they dig into:
his work at TfL, the World Bank and Uber and then now, focussing on decarbonising transport.
the challenges and opportunities for decarbonising the transport sector, and where Micromobility might be able to help
how can these modelling exercises actually get integrated into decision making processes and funded, and who in the US is talking about it.
The intersection of landuse change, PT, EV’s and Micromobility and others, and how the conversation can be ‘unsiloed’
Why Andrew doesn’t think that decarbonization is inevitable, but how the renewable energy sector offers instructive examples of how tech can change the conversation.
The opportunity for ‘policy feedback’ in further accelerating and ratcheting up new technologies to reduce emissions
how EVTOLS/‘flying cars’ represent an asymmetric risk to overall decarbonisation efforts
Editor note: Andrew’s audio got lost towards the end, so we reverted to the backup. Apologies.
This week, Oliver interviews Chris Yu, Chief Product & Innovation Officer and Ian Kenny, global marketing for the Turbo e-bike brand at Specialized. They talk about how incumbent bike manufacturers are thinking of electrification, how that’s changing how the company is thinking about the job-to-be-done for their customers and what role companies like Specialized can play in the discussion to push Micromobility forward.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
what differentiates the Specialized brand in terms of positioning, company ownership structure and customer type.
-
how their full stack approach, paired with their scale, compares to the rest of the bike industry.
-
How Specialized think about the Innovators Dilemma, and what framing they use to encourage self disruption within the firm to ensure that they can meet evolving customer needs and wants.
-
for design, what are the variables that matter for customers? They talk about the Levo family of bikes, and the learnings that can be ported over to other sectors.
-
How they’re thinking about urban or local transport, including a discussion on the competition such as Vanmoof.
-
How the business model to service the ‘consumption of miles’ might change the structure of how Specialized
-
The journey that Specialized made in e-bikes, including its first efforts as early as 2010.
-
How they’re seeing the supply-chain base change as the industry matures around ebikes/electrification.
This week Horace joins Oliver to talk about the news that Segway has ended production of the PT and the new announcements from Apple and how they pertain to Micromobility. They also trial a news segment at the beginning of the show.
Specifically they dig into:
-
What didn’t work about the Segway, and comparable failures in history
-
The risks of over engineering products without feedback or specifically only asking for feedback from B2B customers when trying to build a general appeal product.
-
The innovations required to take the promise of the Segway to what we see today
-
The pathway for adoption, and the risks involved in ‘crossing the chasm’ between early adopters and the early majority.
-
The new announcements from Apple and how they might be deployed in the Micromobility industry including AppleKey and the forthcoming Apple tile/data network.
-
How to think about Apple’s efforts in Micromobility from a phone, wearables and accessories perspective
-
Whether the ‘platform-ization’ of Micromobility will happen in the vehicle or be captured at the phone level.
If you like the latest news, check out the Micromobility Newsletter at micromobility.io - Luke, our editor and conference lead, is an utter master at finding the best and latest, and we also have a job board for jobs in the space. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Let us know what you think of the episode @asymco and @oliverbruce!
This week Oliver interviews Jake Sion, COO of Transit. We talk micromobility, mobility as a service and the interplay between the two as well as the wider mobility landscape and how software can infuse intelligence into it. After last weeks’ discussion on Adwords, Google maps and mobility, it’s a topical discussion.
Specifically, they cover:
-
Transit - what they do, services they integrate with, number of cities, and who they consider their customers.
-
How Jake sees the landscape for mobility as a service developing
-
The Transit UI starts with the question ’where are you going?’. They talk through that design decision and why it isn’t actually the primary use case for Transit.
-
They talk through data standardisation such as MDS and GBFS, why it matters, why it's such a political battleground and the importance of a non-profit organisation called Mobility Data in setting standards for interoperability.
-
The state payments and how Jake sees it developing.
-
Why the forcing function for mobility-as-a-service is unllkely to be driven by technology.
-
How micromobility plays into the discussion about mobility as a service.
-
They talk about funding for the mobility-as-a-service space and the long term viability of the business model.
This week Horace joins Oliver for a discussion about ebikes and the state of micromobility, including which potential other potential players might want to get into the industry. This leads to a discussion about the job-to-be-done of maps, and Horace’s dystopian warning that they will end up as the browser of the mobile era.
Specifically they dig into:
-
How e-bike sales have been doing during COVID
-
The current structure of the industry for standard bikes and ebikes, including where the margins are
-
How this mom-and-pop style industry parallels the early days of the PC industry
-
A discussion about the Taiwanese ‘golden book’ for bikes
-
Why distribution is one of the great unsolved aspects of e-bikes
-
Whether micromobility best parallels the computer industry or the early auto industry, and what implications are there for either framing
-
Which players are likely to get into building the next generation of e-bikes, and why Amazon, Google or Apple are all potential contenders.
-
Why maps are so important, and why they might be the software layer that may start to drive the next Micromobility wave
-
The worry that Horace has about an Adwords approach being directed to Google Maps in the mobility routing, and the incentives that stem from distraction as we move from A to B
-
How and why micromobility operators should be aiming to participate in the forthcoming mobility-as-a-service layers
-
The implications of what software enabled transport will enable.
The Micromobility Industries blogpost outlining e-bike recommendations -https://micromobility.io/blog/2020/6/1/best-ebikes
This week we share a recent TripleM webinar where Oliver interviews Ryan Rzepecki. Ryan was the founder of Jump which sold to Uber and as of a few weeks ago, was sold to Lime. Ryan is a wealth of knowledge and understands this space inside and out. It’s a great discussion.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The Social Bike / Jump journey story including how it started, pivoted and what Ryan learnt along the way
-
The behind the scenes story
-
The highlights, lowlights and things people were not so privy to.
-
A discussion of why design was so important and how that came through in the scooters and bikes.
-
What Ryan thinks of the industry today, and why he believes it still so early.
-
What his favourite Micromobility products are.
-
His opinion of blitzscaling and the impact that had on Jump.
-
A discussion of how the fundraising environment changed over time.
-
Where he’s bullish on the industry overall, and their next steps.
-
Why the Jump hardware team was the best in the business.
If you like this, you’ll like our Micromobility Membership, or Triple M. We do exclusive calls like this on a regular basis. We’ve had Kara Swisher and Felix Salmon, the founders of Spin, the head of Segway’s business development and head of Lime Joe Kraus on the current state of the industry, along with webinars on things like insurance and city data.
We have a Slack channel to talk with the others like you with an interest in building the future plus you get discounts on the Micromobility Conference, swag and more, all for $100 a year.
Check it out at micromobility.io
Today Oliver interviews Taco Carlier, CEO of Vanmoof, about the recently released S3/X3 bikes and the company’s recent venture fundraise. They’re one of the largest and fastest growing urban bike manufacturers globally, and this was a great discussion about the state of the industry in these tough COVID times.
Specifically they dig into:
-
A summary of Vanmoof for those that haven't had a chance to listen to the last podcast, including their brand and design strategy, as well as basic facts about the company.
-
How they’re looking at COVID, including a discussion about sales, supply chains, how they’re seeing cities react, and how ridership has been changing.
-
An extensive discussion on the new S3/X3 which has been reviewed exceptionally well, including deep dives on the components, the pricing, the design, end-to-end service packages, sales channels, powertrain and theft protection, and what the driving considerations were for each.
-
A discussion on the venture capital market vis-a-vis their recent 12.5m Euro raise, and how he’s thinking about the funding opportunities and challenges for both shared and owned companies in the space?
Taco is a legend in the space - excited to share this one!
Thanks to our sponsors for the episode - Onyx Motorbikes - some of the coolest, most beautiful micromobility designs out! Check them out at onyxmotorbikes.com
This week Oliver interviews Ben Bear, Chief Business Officer at Spin, the micromobility company backed by Ford and which operate in 65 markets across the US. They dig into their service and how they’re different from others in the industry. It’s a great discussion - Spin really come across as a the tortoise in an industry of hares. With micromobility adoption being a long term prospect their focus on sustainability for what will inevitably be a decades long play is an interesting counter to others in the industry.
Specifically:
-
Spin’s approach in COVID-19
-
The difference that Spin has in market, including:
—Their use of Swiftmile charging stations (Swiftmile) from a tendering and business operations perspective.
—the efforts to integrate into MaaS
-
Why being backed by Ford makes them more resilient and able to focus on longer-term planning and outcomes, and why this is attractive to cities. - How has he seen the regulatory environment change in the time that they’ve been operating.
-
How do they see the owned and leased micromobility business model competing in the ‘market for miles’, and whether they have plans to expand into these area leveraging Spin’s brand or Ford’s distribution.
-
Their efforts at lobbying for better street infrastructure in the cities that they operate.
Thanks also to our sponsor for the episode, Populus.ai. Populus are building digital tools that assist government agencies to manage their curbs, streets and sidewalks with access to intelligent data and analytics tools. Last week, they announced their Open Streets Initiative to provide cities with digital solutions to identify and communicate slow and safe street policies. Oakland, California recently announced that 74 miles of streets would be closed to through vehicle traffic in order to make it safer for pedestrians, and small sustainable modes to travel for essential trips and create more room for social distancing. Populus works with cities around the world, from Buenos Aires to Baltimore - to help build trust between operators and regulators to see shared mobility become the big success that we think it can be. They run webinars and produce some of the best editorial content about the impact of micromobility on cities in the US that we’ve seen - if you’re looking to educate yourself better on the space, and/or are looking for tools to build trust with your local government to help take shared micromobility to the next level, check them out.
Horace and Oliver have a great discussion on the philosophical underpinnings of price signals going back to Freidrich Hayek and how price works to coordinate activity in society.
They discuss how micromobility suffers from market manipulation for its infrastructure and manufacturing and how road space allocation is currently misaligned to how it’s valued as real estate.
It’s Horace at his best - philosophical, paring theory to reality, and giving us all new frameworks to think about how the world works and will change.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
The concept of using price signals to allocate resources in society proposed by Freidrich Hayek, where that came from as a concept, where it has been applied (free market vs. centrally planned economies), and why it’s interesting in the context of oil prices.
-
Why black/grey markets exist everywhere
-
Where it has and hasn’t used for road space allocation, and why that matters
-
What the impact on micromobility would be if road space could be more effectively priced.
-
Why minimum car parking is an unpriced externality, and how it came to be.
-
The geostrategic investment in the auto sector coming out of WW2, and why that has had an impact on city infrastructure
-
Sunk cost fallacies and the choice of what we continue to invest in in society.
-
Why clear price signals for real estate used for infrastructure would accelerate the adoption of micromobility.
-
A discussion about the use of economics in urban planning, including a short discussion of the excellent book Order without Design by Alain Bertaud.
Thanks also to our sponsor for the episode, Populus.ai. Populus are building digital tools that assist government agencies to manage their curbs, streets and sidewalks with access to intelligent data and analytics tools. Last week, they announced their Open Streets Initiative to provide cities with digital solutions to identify and communicate slow and safe street policies. Oakland, California recently announced that 74 miles of streets would be closed to through vehicle traffic in order to make it safer for pedestrians, and small sustainable modes to travel for essential trips and create more room for social distancing. Populus works with cities around the world, from Buenos Aires to Baltimore - to help build trust between operators and regulators to see shared mobility become the big success that we think it can be. They run webinars and produce some of the best editorial content about the impact of micromobility on cities in the US that we’ve seen - if you’re looking to educate yourself better on the space, and/or are looking for tools to build trust with your local government to help take shared micromobility to the next level, check them out.
On this episode of the Micromobility Podcast, we publish an episode from the recent Micromobility Membership call where we had Axios Reporter Felix Salmon interview Kara Swisher, Editor at Recode about her pledge to go car-free for a year, and her thoughts about the development of the micromobility space. It’s a great discussion.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
Her choice to get rid of a car, and how that’s gone over the last year.
-
The challenges of using Micromobility with a young child, and what options she’s considering
-
‘I like to write about directional stuff and I think car ownership is over eventually.’ And how she thinks about autonomy and micromobility in that context.
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The inevitability of new urban transport modes as cities evolve and grow.
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Why e-bikes are attractive in the suburbs.
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In the discussion about COVID-induced changes to urban design how much does it happen at a local level vs. state vs. national?
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The technology of security for bikes and other micromobility vehicles.
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How Kara thinks about the rebound of transit and car use, and how it’ll accelerate trends that were already happening.
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Why Uber and Lyft enable the convenience of a car without the headache.
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How the modularity of Micromobility competes against the incumbent car manufacturers.
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Urban form in the majority of the US isn’t like SF, NYC or DC, which were all designed pre-car. Where is the capitalist incentive to reengineer the the majority of the US (and world’s) cities away from the car?
-
Why Kara thinks cars aren’t actually as sticky as everything thinks they are.
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How do cities work with micromobility operators and whether Kara thinks that cities will end up subsidising them.
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Why Kara would start with a network of tunnels if she started to rebuild a city from scratch.
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Why Kara doesn’t think that the speed of streetscape adaptation is actually that slow.
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A discussion with Horace about the nature of software in both micromobility and automotive vehicles.
-
A discussion about universal basic mobility, and why Kara is for it.
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Why Kara is pro congestion pricing.
Transcript of the call is available here: https://micromobility.io/blog/2020/5/3/kara-swisher-felix-salmon-end-of-car-ownership
If you like this discussion, you can get regular access to this by signing up to TripleM here. For $100/year you get access to exclusive calls with Horace and guests, discounts on conference tickets and access to the Slack community building the future of micromobility. Get your first month free when you sign up now.
This week, Oliver interviews micromobility industry veteran Tarani Duncan about her journey and views on the development of the micromobility industry. She’s a fount of knowledge, and this was a really fun discussion on the history of the space.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Her childhood and study in New Orleans, and how that led her to studying transport
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Her early days in operations fixing the early NYC Citibike system
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Joining the team at Social Bicycles, which became Jump, including a discussion about social incentives and the acquisition by Uber.
-
Her experience at Mapbox building routing software for some of the largest delivery companies in the world - Joining Shared as the first operations lead
-
A discussion about the wide range of companies she’s advising in the space, including OurStreets, Tortoise, Karmic and DataContours
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Why she’s the first member of the Human Scooting Association
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The low hanging fruit for the shared industry
-
Why micromobility matters to her, and why she’s still very bullish on the space.
This week Oliver interviews Tony Ho, VP of Global Business Development for Segway/Ninebot. As the largest Micromobility hardware player globally across a whole heap of different verticals, Tony has a unique perspective on the space and how it’s developing. He’s a Clayton Christensen disciple as well - having studied at Harvard under him, so we get to unpack the theory against the practice of disruptive innovation and why Tony is excited about this space. It’s a great discussion.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
Segway’s wide range of products, and how it conforms to our thesis that micromobility is not just scooters, but a whole range of sub-500kg vehicles.
-
We talk through how their operations have been affected by Coronavirus in the last 3 months
-
We talk about how the collapse of the international shared Micromobility industry has impacted the company strategy?
-
Why Tony sees micromobility as disruptive vs. other modes of transport, and how it conforms to disruptive innovation theory per Clay Christensen’s theory.
-
How does Segway of thinking of itself positioned alongside auto OEM's
-
How Segway is thinking about retail vs. shared
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Where does Tony think the major growth potential is in terms of vehicle type and markets
-
We talk through robotics and what has become of the Loomo robot and T60 autonomous scooters
-
We talk about Segway's performance in the shared space, how they lost their early lead and how they’re responding to it.
-
How Tony thinks about Segways contribution to a possible Wall-e style dystopian future.
-
How does Segway think about infrastructure when developing new products, and does this nudge them towards advocacy for better/new bike lanes for your products
-
As the majority of the world doesn’t have much visibility over micromobility in China, Tony shares insights from there about vehicles, regulation etc
-
We talk about Segway’s plan to go public and how someone who is interested in getting a copy of their financials from their filing would go about that.
This week Horace joins Oliver to talk about the work of Nassim Taleb - namely, antifragility and asymmetric risk - and what connections there are to disruptive innovation theory and Micromobility. Oliver has wanted to record this episode for a while and it doesn’t disappoint.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Taleb’s work and background, explaining concepts such as Black Swans, antifragility, Fat Tony, Skin in the Game, Extremistan vs Mediocristan and intellectual-yet-idiots
-
The attraction and danger of polemical thinking
-
The importance of understanding if you’re dealing with bounded or unbounded risk probabilities
-
How traditional MBA education has increased fragility in enterprises, right at the same time that they’re increasingly trapped by the innovators dilemma, how these two concepts are tied and why Apple’s paranoia from it’s near death experience parallel the investment strategy outlined by Taleb.
-
The role of job-to-be-done and the anti-fragility of the restaurant space.
-
The connections between antifragility and disruptive innovation theory
-
How micromobility’s characteristics of having a clear and easy job-to-be-done, relative simplicity, light weight, low cost and flexible production make it suited to taking ‘hits’ to its business model and thus, more likely to be resilient as a phenomenon.
This week Oliver interviews David Levinson, professor at the University of Sydney and popular blogger at transportist.org. David is not new to the world of talking about transport and disruptive innovation, having joined Horace on Asymcar many years ago. He brings a tempered view to the benefits and challenges of micromobility, including around infrastructure and the decision making timeframes that it typically has.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
David’s background and research into toll roads, travel behaviour and urban form.
-
Whether David considers micromobilty a substantial new innovation in transport.
-
Constraints around deployment of larger vehicle fleets.
-
The challenges around parking, NIMBY-ism and political will in reallocating street space.
-
Comparable histories of new vehicle technologies making it into cities.
-
The intersection of political capital/structures and the likelihood of rollouts of specific transport infrastructure
-
The fundamental challenges with micromobility infrastructure - heft, vehicle density and decision-making timeframes
-
Examples of cities that have more proactively built infrastructure for micromobility, and historical examples of how companies have garnered community support to lobby for new infrastructure.
It’s a great episode, if nothing else because it lays out the challenges/opportunities to widespread adoption of micromobility in sober terms.
This week Oliver interviews Mina Nada, CEO of Bolt Bikes, about their business leasing ebikes to delivery gig workers like UberEATS/Deliveroo/DoorDash in the UK, US and Australia. Given everything happening right now with COVID19 and the explosion in delivery based meal consumptions, this is a great interview.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
Mina’s background at Bain, Deliveroo and Mobike, and how that prepared him for Bolt Bikes.
-
The unit economics of their business, including 6 month paybacks, 3 year cycles and 66% residual value for depreciated bikes.
-
How most markets are still allowing takeaway and delivery during COVID19 lockdowns.
-
How couriers calculate the costs and tradeoffs of leasing vs owning their own vehicles (ie. bikes, ebikes vs mopeds) and why the end-to-end and flexible nature of access positions Bolt well to solve the job to be done.
-
Their plans for expansion and vertical integration into their own Bolt hardware
-
A discussion about ebikes and the future of the fleet, including e-mopeds and the newly released Arcimoto delivery vehicle.
-
Bolt’s ability to raise debt capital to fund expansion
-
Why they plan to double down on B2B rentals, and not focus at all on B2C.
It was a great discussion - well worth listening to!
This week, Horace joins Oliver for a discussion about the impact of COVID19 on the world of micromobility, as well as taking questions from Twitter.
Specifically, we cover:
-
Horace discusses the work of Nassim Taleb on anti fragility and tail risks, and how that applies to micromobility’s low-end disruption
-
Why financial stress, shorter distances being travelled in quarantine areas and the low-cost nature of micromobility position it to do well in the face of this crisis.
-
Examining this pandemic in the face of historical challenges like WW2 and earlier pandemics
-
The impacts and opportunities faced by shared micromobility operators in the meantime.
-
How brands can be ‘made’ in moments of crisis.
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Whether the early movement for ‘emergency bike lanes’ to facilitate physically isolated movement will take hold, and how that could spread around the globe.
NOTE: Apologies in advance for the audio quality. Things are moving very quickly, and even though we recorded this on Saturday, lots has changed since then. It’s not quite up the standards that we’d normally want, but we prioritised shipping it out sooner given how fast everything is moving.
This week, Oliver interviews Michael Granoff, partner at Maniv Mobility, an early stage investment firm specialising in transport technologies including micromobility. Michael has been around the mobility space a long time, and we had a great discussion about the boom and bust nature of new transport tech.
Specifically, we talk about:
-
Michael’s background, his journey through energy security and getting into electrification of mobility, involvement with Better Place, and subsequent founding of Maniv Mobility
-
How his thesis has changed over time from electric, to autonomous to micromobility
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Discussion about their existing investments, including Phantom Auto, Bolt Bikes and one of our most popular episodes to date: Revel, and what was compelling about each.
-
How to accelerate the development of infrastructure suited to micromobility.
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What he agrees and disagrees about with Horace’s thesis.
-
Which city is the leader for micromobility and why New York is still undoing the mess from Robert Moses, the Power Broker who ran infrastructure from the 1920s-1960s in the USA.
Note that this was recorded pre-the COVID19 outbreak. I’m looking forward to having him back on at some point in the future to discuss the impacts.
This week Horace joins Oliver to riff on a recent mental model for thinking about the job to be done of micromobility, involving escalators, elevators and stairs. It’s Horace at his best - conceptual, funny, insightful as always.
Specifically we cover:
-
Which customers pick escalators vs elevators vs stairs, and what insight that might provide to the job to be done of micromobility.
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The importance of ‘earning’ an experience
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Why Horace thinks that customers who climb escalators are the best customers.
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The importance of escalators in the architecture that they enabled.
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How the impact of regulation will impact on vehicle design.
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The importance of design and brand in solving the job to be done beyond simply A to B travel.
-
Horace’s travel tip for Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
This week Oliver interviews journalist David Zipper again (following his appearance on Episode 32) about the latest in the war over mobility data that is being played out between cities and shared micromobility operators.
David Zipper is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where he examines the interplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies.
From 2013 to 2017 David was the Managing Director for Smart Cities and Mobility at 1776, a global entrepreneurial hub with over 1,300 member startups and is still a Partner in the 1776 Seed Fund and consults with startups including Optibus, Tortoise, and TransitScreen to help shape their regulatory strategies.
David has written a number of articles in Slate, CityLab, Fast Company and The Atlantic covering, among other things, the rise and ongoing saga of the Mobility Data Specification which we see as one of the building blocks to supercharge micromobility’s growth, and underpin the future operating systems for mobility in our cities.
In this episode, we dig into:
-
A recap of the Mobility Data Specifications, and why it is significant to cities and why micromobility is really the thin edge of the wedge when it comes to important data from shared mobility operators.
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The latest in the battle over real-time data requirements vs privacy advocates, and the players on each side.
-
More details on the Uber <> LADOT stoush.
-
The development of the Open Mobility Foundation in the last 6 months, how taking the standard out of the LADOT has impacted adoption/development and the politics of the board members.
-
The impact of Europe’s massive growth in micromobility, their pursuit of differing standards, and whether MDS has any value to add there.
-
Why the slow progress on these standards has created gaps that are being filled by startups, including Iomob and Token Transit. (Disclosure: Oliver and David advise them respectively)
SHOW NOTES
CityLab Daily: A City Sick of Tech Disrupters Becomes One by Laura Bliss
This week Oliver interviews Colin Roche from Swiftmile. Shared scooters cluttering up the streets is one of these things that have largely been discounted in the hype of the recent explosion of these new vehicles. The Swiftmile team build scooter parking infrastructure and in this episode with Colin, Oliver’s initial skepticism is assuaged as he learns of the importance of the work that they’re doing in the ecosystem. This conversation really enlightening, and I really hope that you do to.
Specifically we dig into:
-
the history of Swiftmile and how they got into making ‘the gas stations of the future’
-
How they pivoted after the initial scooter explosion
-
The benefits of agnostic charger infrastructure to both cities and operators
-
How and where this infrastructure is being deployed
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Why scooter parking is an important part of the puzzle to social acceptance
-
How they’re monetizing their offerings
Cheers!
This week we have a timely episode with Horace being interviewed by Katie Zandbergen on The Disruptive Voice - a podcast produced by The Forum for Growth & Innovation at Harvard business School a few days after the passing of Clay Christensen.
Horace strikes a reflective tone - it’s a great episode that goes into the core of why micromobility is really disruptive assessed against the theory that Clay proposed. For those who are more into the theoretical, this is a wonderful episode.
Specifically, they cover:
The impact that Clay had on how Horace viewed the world.
How Horace ended up finding micromobility through this efforts to study disruptive innovation in the auto sector by rethinking through the job that the car was hired to do into trips rather than vehicles, and how that need could be better served by the performance of smaller form factor vehicles.
Why micromobility lends itself to the benefits of software platforms allowing it to iterate faster vs incumbent producers of vehicles.
Horace runs through the paradox of mobility - we use overserving big vehicles for small trips.
Why Horace believes that this market will move towards a franchised model of shared systems, and how this market will develop as the technology and operations improve.
Why micromobility will serve as a bottom up disruption in the majority of the rapidly urbanising African and Indian cities.
Why parking and land use allocation in many cities will change away from parking to better, more economically valuable forms of transport with the rise of micromobility.
Why Horace is involved with Bond Mobility, and his rationale behind the premium end of Micromobility.
Why Horace dedicates all of his work in Micromobility to Clay’s influence.
Also, for those of you who are fans of Clay, you’ll know that he holds a special place in our heart here. He’s obviously been a massive influence on Horace and Oliver and how they see the world. If you want to hear one of the best interviews Horace has ever done, we recommend going to check out the interview he did with Clayton on the Critical Path (#36) back in 2012, discussing the book ‘How Will You Measure Your Life’. It’s a poignant listen, and a beautiful embodiment of a teacher-student relationship.
This week, Oliver interviews Kevin Talbot (@Talbot), a General Partner at Relay Ventures, a VC firm based between the Bay Area and Toronto, who are investors in Bird, Populus and Bird Canada, among others. It is a great interview with Kevin about how they’re thinking about micromobility investments and the wider context of venture capital in this Softbank dominated world.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
how you got into VC/joined Relay Ventures
-
His thesis at the firm and why they're interested in micromobility.
-
How they work with their portfolio companies, including former podcast guests Regina Clewlow from Populus.
-
How the landscape for micromobility has changed from the early days of their investment in Bird
-
including business models, regulatory landscapes and supply chains.
-
We talk about the Bird Canada venture - what it is, why it was formed, the market for micromobility in Canada and where they're seeing early traction.
-
How capital formation in the micromobility sector is interacting with cities, and whether he think this will ever be anything other than messy.
-
How their firm is thinking through owned vs. shared, and hardware vs. software investments.
-
What you'd recommend to entrepreneurs getting into the micromobility space
-
Bonus: his take on micromobility autonomy, and the promise and challenges in this space.
It's a great interview!
This week Oliver interviews Sanjay Dastoor, one of the founders of Boosted Boards and subsequently Skip, who operate a shared scooter service in DC. Sanjay has been around this space longer than pretty much anyone, and has a wealth of insight and experience that were a joy to unpack.
Unfortunately, the audio cut a little for Sanjay right at the beginning but we kick off right where it picks up.
Specifically we cover:
-
Sanjay's journey as a Micromobility OG starting Boosted Boards and then on to Skip - his original motivations, how your thinking has evolved, and lessons learned about what works and doesn’t.
-
How he's thinking about the current shared scooter space in terms of business models and regulatory response, as well as a discussion about Skip’s foray into subscription models
-
We dig into the challenges that Skip have faced in San Francisco and the bidding processes. We talk about what if anything could have improved it, and why Sanjay sympathizes with the city officials for the outcomes.
-
We talk about vehicle design, and the opportunities and challenges for shared vehicle design and what he thinks is coming
-
How Sanjay thinks through shared vs. leased vs. rented vehicles and reflects on what works and doesn't
-
We discuss where and why legacy regulations will result in highly specific solutions for different geographies.
-
We talk through capital efficiency in operations, why it’s important, and what creative destruction in this space looks like
-
Sanjay's thoughts/critiques on Horace’s thesis around micromobility, including the interplay between hardware and operating systems
This week, Horace joins Oliver on the podcast to talk about hype cycles, capital formation and transport funding patterns historically, and what we can learn from them about the micromobility space now.
Specifically:
-
The parallels between the hype cycles for MP3 players, the internet and personal computers vs. micromobility.
-
The perils of ‘being early’ in large scale technology adoptions.
-
The history of funding for the auto, railway and canal sectors transport systems, and parallels to micromobility and the infrastructure required.
-
Why pioneers for traditional transport innovations largely end up with arrows in their back.
-
Why we’re unlikely to see large scale infrastructure deployments like we used to in democratic countries.
This week, Oliver interviews Joe Kraus, President of Lime.
Lime are the largest players in the shared micromobility space globally, and this episode has been a long time coming. It was awesome to get Joe on to talk about their history and plans, the state of the industry and business model, regulation, the challenge of climate change and where micromobility can assist. Joe is an awesome guest, and in a world of hype, keeps a very level head about the potential of this space.
This episode is well suited to investors, operators and regulators interested in hearing about why the opportunity Lime/the wider industry offers is far more than just a few scooters on the street.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Lime’s history coming out of 2016 Chinese bikeshare bubble, the move into scooters and rapid growth of that business.
-
Google Ventures investment and how Joe came to be involved.
-
Joe’s thoughts on business model evolution and how the market will shake out in the short/medium term, especially around a global player vs local competitors.
-
We dig into regulation, and whether there are parallels to other global/local companies and traditional public transport funding/operation models.
-
We discuss Lime's policy/operations challenges, using the example of Auckland, New Zealand, where wheel locking issue/death on a scooter lost them the licence in the following round.
-
We talk about how the binary nature of the businesses ability to operate impacts the structure they have for operations/policy teams to ensure they have sufficient local agency to be responsive.
-
We talk about the missing gap of a micromobility industry association in terms of advocacy, research and lobbying and what needs to happen to make this a reality.
-
We talk about how Lime is working to avoid the mistakes that Mobike and Ofo made in the Chinese bikeshare bubble, and Joe’s plans to ensure that Lime stays afloat and relevant for the long term.
-
We discuss the Call to the Industry that Joe made in Berlin regarding safety, climate and equity of access, and dig in on climate change, and what Lime can/is doing to help push that conversation forward.
-
We talk about Lime’s plans to reach the next few billion riders, especially in the developing world, and what is needed to make that a reality.
It’s one of our best interviews to date - highly recommend checking it out.
Joe will also be speaking at the upcoming the Micromobility America summit coming up April 22-23 in Richmond in the Bay Area. It’ll be an amazing event - we will have industry leaders from all over the world there speaking about the best new ideas in this burgeoning industry. Check out the website (micromobility.io) to get tickets.
This week, Oliver interviews Emily Castor Warren, one of the first employees at Lyft and then Lime in the policy space. We have an amazing conversation about the history of rideshare and micromobility, especially as it pertains to regulation, and where operators are getting it right and wrong. Emily is currently working with Fontinalis, a VC firm investing the future of mobility. She has some of the deepest experience in the weeds with regulating new mobility, and yet at the same time able to see the massive wider vision of possibility for this. It’s a great interview.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Her experience as one of the first employees at Lyft, her interest in ride hailing and how she saw the conversation re: cities and technology shift over the 5.5 years she was at Lyft.
-
Her view on the quickly shifting regulatory landscape of micromobility, and what the likely predictable outcomes are 12-24 months from now re: particular business models.
-
Her post-Lime life working with VC at Fontinalis and how they, and the wider industry, are thinking about the policy and regulatory implications of their investments.
-
What areas she’s excited to see technology disrupt in the transport/mobility space and why
-
Where the upcoming challenges for micromobility are coming from in the regulatory space including enforcement, new vehicle types, micromobility autonomy (she’s less bullish than Oliver!), speed of infrastructure adaptation and more.
-
What she’d recommend entrepreneurs think about when looking to build companies in the mobility/transport space.
In today’s episode Oliver interviews Assaf Biderman, CEO of SuperPedestrian, about his background founding the MIT Senseable Cities Lab and then Superpedestrian. Assaf has been thinking about micromobility longer than most anyone we’ve had on the podcast - this was a fun and very illuminating interview.
This conversation convinced Oliver that the ‘intelligence’ that can be infused into micromobility devices has far deeper implications than first thought, especially for driving down operational costs and improving vehicle longevity.
Specifically we dig into:
-
The context for why micromobility is such a boon compared to the other transport options that cities can consider for moving people.
-
His history founding the Senseable Cities Lab and their early work
-
How that led to founding SuperPedestrian, and the early lessons with the amazing Copenhagen Wheel
-
The pivot they've made into scooters, the important variables for the next generation of scooter hardware and why they believe that these need
-
Why Assaf believes that Superpedestrian's intelligent 'nervous system' combines with mechanical improvements will drop operational costs by over 50% for operators.
-
The implications of their approach on thinking of their product as a 'computing platform' and why they see their model as a hardware + SaaS business.
-
Their supply chain structure and costs, and why their entirely proprietary approach can actually make componentry cheaper.
-
Their recent $20m raise, and what they're planning to do with the money.
It's one of the densest and most interesting discussions to date - hope you enjoy!
In today’s episode, Taco Carlier, CEO of Vanmoof joins Oliver to talk about building beautiful e-bikes, the role of design and how to get the next billion people on bikes in our cities across the world. It’s a great discussion with someone who’s been in the space for a long time (Vanmoof was founded 10 years ago!). Taco is also the first Dutch guest we have had, and so we also dig into Amsterdam and it’s transport system.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
Vanmoof’s story from the early stages through to today, including how being based in Amsterdam influenced the company.
-
The company's mission 'to build the next billion bikes' - how does this permeate the company and what they choose to focus on.
-
We run through their business operations - the design/sales/ops in Amsterdam, manufacturing in Taiwan, where they have their company stores and metrics from their business.
-
The move Vanmoof have made into micromobility/electrified and the lessons learnt there from a product/hardware experience.
-
We unpack how customers are using the vehicles, including this quote: "Normal bike commuters travel an average of 3km to work, but with an e-bike that figure jumps to 20km. It opens up biking to a much wider demographic of city-dwellers, creating an enormous new opportunity. Almost 70% of people who purchased the S2 & X2 are now using the Electrified as their primary mode of transport."
-
Taco’s design inspirations, why they only have two bike types, and who he considered competition.
-
How they protect themselves from the traditional ‘red ocean’ dynamics of the Bike hardware industry, with it’s low margins and barriers to entry. We explore what are the things that have kept them out of that trap.
-
We discuss the subscription model, and the postponed launch of the upcoming electric models on that business model, including why and how is it higher margin and what they think about the 'job to be done' in this business model?
-
We unpack the primary barriers to adoption of higher end e-bikes and why that underpinned their ‘Bike Hunters’ model.
-
Their experience with fundraising - why they chose to go for a crowdfunded round in the last raise, who they look to for funding, and why they’ve pursued a hybrid financing model.
It’s a great interview!
Show notes:
-
Vanmoof.com
-
The Vanmoof Youtube Channel (including the ‘Bike Hunters in Morocco’ video)
-
The story of David, the guy who bought a Vanmoof bike off the top of the car in the car dealership.
In today’s episode, Felix Jakobsen and Enrico Howe from Unu Motors join Oliver to talk about the Global Scooter Sharing Market Report (for clarity, we’re talking mopeds), a recent publication on the state of the shared moped market globally. It’s a great discussion about the expansion of a space that often gets overlooked compared to it’s more well funded kick scooter cousin.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
The history of Unu Motors, and how they came to be tracking the shared moped market.
-
The crazy + 164% in moped numbers over the last year, where that growth has taken place, and where they see it coming from in the future.
-
The Indian micromobility market, and why it’s uniquely different compared to other markets.
-
The KPI’s that they track (fleet utilisation, usage duration, fleet availability)
-
How they see business models evolving, and what are the adjacent verticals that could potentially get into this space
-
The regulatory approaches that they see around the world, and what that implies for users, operators and regulators.
-
The funding environment and why they think there is still far more capital to be deployed in this space
-
Why this sector is more capital efficient than other micromobility sectors
If you’re interested in reading the report, please check it out here.
On today’s podcast, Oliver interviews Bharath Devanathan, SVP, Growth at Bounce Mobility, about their moped sharing business in India. They recently raised a $150m round to expand their operations across India. It’s an amazing conversation - one of the best so far about the potential of shared micromobility to change transport systems for good in fast growing and highly constrained urban environments in the developing world.
Specifically we dig into:
-
The history of how Bharath came to Bounce, and the story of how it morphed into moped sharing.
-
The biggest operational challenges that they have in Bangalore and other cities they operate in
-
How the governments in the cities they operate in India regulate and view them, including incredible statistics about how much they’re contributing to first/last mile connections in Bangalore
-
The rise of Micromobility in the context of the overburdened transport systems in Indian metropolises that need to more 10m+ people a day
-
Their plans for growth across India
-
We dig into their KPI’s and how the perform relative to international benchmarks for moped sharing
-
Their expansion into electric moped sharing and the unique challenges that they’ve faced in user education
I found this an amazing interview, that validated Horace’s thesis that the biggest growth in Micromobility will come in developing markets.
On today’s podcast, Oliver interviews Sam Baker, COO of Wunder Mobility, about their software platform that underpins a number of carshare, carpool, Micromobility and other services players in Europe, and is about to expand to the US.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Wunder’s early success in carpooling, and how their strategy differed from Oliver’s experience watching commuting products being built at Uber.
-
Sam’s thesis around ‘digitizing the 99%’ of transport operators, so that they can connect in to the forthcoming Mobility As a Service platforms
-
Why Sam disagrees that there will be ‘one app to rule them all’, and instead that the future of Mobility As A Service will involve lots of interoperable components.
-
What traditional fleet operators can bring to the new world of venture capital funded mobility
-
His take on data standardisation for mobility operators
-
The potential for examples of full end to end Mobility as a Service platform such as the one that Sixt has rolled out in Europe to replace car ownership.
I found this a great interview - Wunder hadn’t been on my radar, but they are now.
Today, Horace and Oliver talk about the newly released SAE Micromobility Standards, the Cybertruck announcement and Horace’s latest thoughts on the boondoggle of autonomy.
Specifically, they dig into:
-
Why the new SAE Micromobility standards matter, what they’re competing against and why definitions like this default to lowest common denominators.
-
The Cybertruck announcement, including discussion about what appears to be a new type of body manufacturing, and the implications of the radical design. Plus, Horace admits to liking it, even if he doesn’t think that the entire category of trucks should exist.
-
We dig into why Horace believes that autonomy for cars is such a boondoggle, and the implications for wider mobility technology investment and talent.
If you’re interested in hearing Horace and Oliver talk in more detail about these issues on exclusive calls plus get discounts on the Micromobility Conference, swag and more, sign up to Triple M here: https://micromobility.io/triple-m
Show notes:
-
SAE Micromobility Standards [https://www.sae.org/news/press-room/2019/11/sae-international-publishes-industry’s-first-standard-for-classification-and-definition-of-powered-micromobility-vehicles]
-
Cybertruck Coefficient of Drag modelling [https://electrek.co/2019/11/25/tesla-cybertruck-aerodynamics-cfd-rendering/]
-
Scooter supply chains with Michal Naka and Stephen Lambe [https://medium.com/mimomusings/on-the-origin-of-scooters-76f6a28d49d]
Today on the podcast, Oliver interviews William Henderson, CEO of Ride Report about micromobility data and mobility-as-a-service systems. Ride Report is the reporting dashboard for over 50 cities globally for their dockless shared micromobility operations, and William's team work very closely with regulators and operators globally to build trust among all the different parties. William also has a great historical context for urban transportation and what has/hasn't worked in the past. It's a great conversation!
Specifically we dig into:
-
William's background at Square and how that skillset led him to start Ride Report.
-
The role of data in building trust among operators and regulators, and why that needs to sit with a third party
-
A run through of the Mobility Data Specification - an introduction for those unfamiliar, why it works and is problematic and why Uber is suing LADOT.
-
The necessity of good quality data in building open mobility systems, and which cities are doing it well.
-
The history of how bike share and public transport emerged and developed and the parallels to micromobility systems today.
-
Which cities are adopting best practice for regulating shared scooters/bikes around the world, which ones are not doing it well and why.
-
Why scooter/micromobility parking on street corners is a smart idea that serves multiple purposes.
-
The parallels between payments systems vs. the interoperable mobility-as-a-service ecosystem.
Things referenced in the discussion:
-
LA Department of Transport
-
Mobility Data Specification
-
Open Mobility Foundation
Thanks also to this week’s sponsor Twilio IoT.
Shared micromobiltiy is a deceptively hard business. Keep losing your connections to those vehicles and soon you’ll be out of business. That’s where Twilio IoT comes in - providing SIMs and a cellular connectivity platform to seamlessly connect in 180+ countries. Twilio helps companies like Lime, Skip, Spin and Beam to cost effectively scale faster, deploy further, and optimize their supply chain. Twilio is also the leader for SMS and phone verification APIs to reduce fraud and improve user experience.
Are you looking for the right global cellular connectivity partner to scale with? Twilio is offering free SIMs and test credit to Micromobility Podcast listeners for a limited time.
Visit here to find out more.
In this episode, Horace and Oliver talk though the flood of news post-Berlin, and how the micromobility is being circulated around by the giants of automotive and large tech, as they work out how to best participate.
We also explore:
-
the parallels between feature phone experimentation and the extensive discussions over form factor experimentation we’re seeing in lightweight electric vehicles (ie. the rise of the Scoot/Bird Cruiser)
-
why that has the potential to lead to unifying operating systems that unite the fragmentation, and who the most likely contenders are to lead this.
-
How implausible the rise of social media influencers seemed when looking at phones in the early 2000’s, and why and how micromobility could also drive such a change
-
The potential and risks that we have of ‘squandering abundance’ when the cost of movement trends towards zero
-
How movement towards a transport ‘experience’ requires multiple layers of integrations, and what those will need to be
-
Why just winning the ‘utility’ argument isn’t enough for Horace
It’s a great conceptual episode and follow up to how Horace’s thinking is evolving.
In today’s episode, Oliver interviews Mark Frohnmayer, CEO of Arcimoto, a new 1100lb+ electric trike that has just gone into production in Eugene, Oregon. Arcimoto is aiming to a hit a US$12k production price point for a vehicle with 70+ miles of range and able to conform to all roading infrastructure, including highways. We unpack why this is a disruptive solution to the market.
Specifically we dig into:
-
The origin story for Arcimoto and why Mark launched the company
-
The specifics of the vehicle, including their design tradeoffs and benefits and what ‘rockstar parking’ means
-
Their planned routes to market, including rentals and enterprise customers
-
The challenges of getting to production, and where they’ve learnt lessons
-
How and why they’re interested in adding autonomy to their design platform
-
Why their manufacturing strategy is disruptive compared to existing vehicle manufacturing techniques today
-
Their plans for expansion globally
-
What the capital markets have been like for them as they went from concept to production
Thanks to this week’s sponsor Particle. Particle provides an end-to-end IoT platform, from device management to connectivity to hardware for connecting micromobility vehicles to networks and reducing complexity as operations scale. For operators that I’ve talked to, they’re a godsend in the world of highly complex and competitive operations.
Visit Particle.io/micromobility to learn more and request a free IoT development kit. All podcast listeners will also receive a free consultation. Visit Particle.io/micromobility today.
In this episode, Oliver interviews David Hyman, CEO of Unagi Scooters about the market for premium, lightweight owned micromobility. David’s background is in software and marketing, having previously been the CEO of Beats by Dre. Unagi has really nailed the owned scooter brand experience, and it’s a great discussion.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Features and tradeoffs that they made in order to deliver the best ownership experience
-
The origin story for the Unagi Scooter
-
The overall market potential for the space and how they’re thinking about it
-
The importance of quality and signalling for something that is personally owned, and how that differs from shared services
-
What he sees happening for the micromobility space, both owned and shared, in the coming few years
-
Their recent raise of $3m, who it came from and what they intend to do with it.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor Particle. Particle provides an end-to-end IoT platform, from device management to connectivity to hardware for connecting micromobility vehicles to networks and reducing complexity as operations scale. For operators that I’ve talked to, they’re a godsend in the world of highly complex and competitive operations.
Visit Particle.io/micromobility to learn more and request a free IoT development kit. All podcast listeners will also receive a free consultation. Visit Particle.io/micromobility today.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Dmitry Shevelenko, CEO of Tortoise, an autonomous scooter software company about the potential of self driving scooters in clearing clutter, improving economics and unlocking the suburbs for shared micromobility.
Specifically we dig into:
-
Dmitry's background at Uber leading business development in micromobility, and how that led him to coming across his co-founder.
-
The promise and potential of self rebalancing micromobility networks, and how that is appealing to operators and regulators.
-
Why they're pursuing a horizontal strategy in the space, and why that's required based on the industry structure.
-
Why the simplicity of the tech stack/operations, low cost and high levels of vehicle replacement make this a well suited space for the rapid iteration of the tech space.
-
What the discussions with regulators has been like, and the key considerations that they have.
-
The competitive landscape for autonomous micromobility and where Dmitry sees the threats in the space.
-
Their go to market strategy using teleops first, moving towards increased levels of autonomy over time.
-
What are the KPI's that are important for them, especially around operations.
-
What is the funding environment like now that scooter companies are in the trough of disillusionment, and how investors are thinking about the bet on them.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor Particle. Particle provides an end-to-end IoT platform, from device management to connectivity to hardware for connecting micromobility vehicles to networks and reducing complexity as operations scale. For operators that I’ve talked to, they’re a godsend in the world of highly complex and competitive operations.
Visit Particle.io/micromobility to learn more and request a free IoT development kit. All podcast listeners will also receive a free consultation. Visit Particle.io/micromobility today.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Frank Reig, CEO of Revel, an e-moped sharing system in NYC/DC that has just announced a $27.6m raise to expand to 10 new cities.
It’s a fascinating interview as shared e-mopeds have a number of key operational improvements over the more popular kick scooter/electric bike shared systems that we’ve seen.
Specifically we discuss:
-
Their recent raise and plans for the next 12-18 months.
-
Their origin story from Frank’s experiences in Argentina and his background in the electric vehicle space
-
The financial, infrastructural and operational advantages of using e-mopeds over normal kick scooters, and how that drives them to consider themselves more like a parallel to the carshare industry than the kick scooter industry.
-
Their fleets in NYC and DC, and the experiences they’ve had working with regulators in both.
-
How they deal with parking, and why they believe that is part of Revel’s ‘special sauce’.
-
A deeper dive on both their vehicle longevity and their swappable battery advantages.
-
Why they’re able to finance all their vehicle, and how that improves the capital efficiency of the operations.
-
How they think about competition, especially from larger players.
-
How their full time labor model changes regulatory conversations with cities.
-
How their vehicle type lends itself to longer trips, and the role that they play as a transport option in a suburb with relatively low connectivity options.
-
How they’re able to end up being a cheaper operator than both Bird and Lime in some markets.
-
How they were able to learn from Scoot and it’s lessons from San Francisco
Reflections on their safety and insurance practices
- Other form factors that would make sense for them to expand into in the future
Thanks to this week’s sponsor Particle. Particle provides an end-to-end IoT platform, from device management to connectivity to hardware for connecting micromobility vehicles to networks and reducing complexity as operations scale. For operators that I’ve talked to, they’re a godsend in the world of highly complex and competitive operations.
Visit Particle.io/micromobility to learn more and request a free IoT development kit. All podcast listeners will also receive a free consultation. Visit Particle.io/micromobility today.
In this episode, Horace and Oliver host a live podcast recording at The Drivery, an incubator in Berlin in front of an audience. They discuss the upcoming Micromobility Europe conference, disruption of the German car industry and what will disrupt micromobility itself in the future. It was a great conversation!
This week we discuss:
-
Germany’s micromobility explosion and why it’s different from other countries
-
Why we chose Berlin for the Micromobility Conference in Berlin
-
Why the intellectual interest in micromobility from the car OEM’s is a textbook disruption response
-
How automakers will eventually be forced to flee cities
-
What can we see coming along that will disrupt Micromobility in the future
-
What would businesses built on micromobility platforms look like?
-
What form factors we see emerging for colder climates
-
What the impact of new motors will be on vehicles
-
Why a marketplace for rides is coming, and what the impacts of these low cost rides will be.
“A bit transfer cost has gone to zero. When a human transfer cost goes to zero, then what?’
Thanks to this week’s sponsor Particle. Particle provides an end-to-end IoT platform, from device management to connectivity to hardware for connecting micromobility vehicles to networks and reducing complexity as operations scale. For operators that I’ve talked to, they’re a godsend in the world of highly complex and competitive operations.
Visit Particle.io/micromobility to learn more and request a free IoT development kit. All podcast listeners will also receive a free consultation. Visit Particle.io/micromobility today.
In this episode, Oliver and Horace talk about cost-per-mile calculations for micromobility, and the implications of the recent blogpost that Horace published on the Micromobility.io blog.
In short - what happens when the marginal cost per additional km collapses towards zero with Micromobility. We think there are lots of lessons we can take from the telecom industry.
Specifically, we cover:
-
The cost-per-mile calculations from New York for both Citi-Bike and taxis and how they compare to private owned cars
-
The comparison of shared vs. owned micromobility, and why Horace is far more bullish than Oliver on shared platforms
-
The jobs-to-be-done of shared vs owned micromobility, and why they’re in many ways different markets
-
What new behaviours and business opportunities we’re seeing emerge on shared platforms and why scooter trains validate our early thesis about why micromobility is disruptive.
-
Why Lime and Bird are likely to become the equivalent of Vodafone or Verizon over time
-
A discussion about whether the social layer for micromobility transport will sit on the vehicle or on the phone of the user.
It’s a great discussion with lots of sparring. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it!
In this episode, Oliver interviews Martin Mignot, a general partner at Index Ventures and panelist on our ‘Capital in Micromobility’ panel at the upcoming Micromobility Europe conference in Berlin. Index Ventures were early investors in Bird, and have a long history of investing in the micro and macro mobility space over the last 15 years.
Specifically, we dig into:
-
His thesis around investing in mobility companies, and why the smartphone/internet has proved so transformational
-
Index’s investment in Bird, and why their focus on design and brand differentiates them starkly from the competition
-
His investment in Cowboy, his bullishness on high end owned micromobility, and how software/hardware integration can create outsized value.
-
The evolving funding landscape for shared scooters, and how he sees that progressing over the two years.
-
Why Paris has been a model laboratory for how the market for shared operations will develop over time.
-
How the pointy end of micromobility tech has started to hit the hard concrete of infrastructure, and how it’s increasingly dragging him into debates about infrastructure.
It’s a really fun interview - one of our best so far! Well worth a listen.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Jeff Russakow, CEO of Boosted Boards, makers of the famous electric skateboards and now scooter. Boosted focuses on vehicle-grade owned micromobility, which provides a refreshing counter to the hype around shared models. It’s one of our best episodes to date—highly recommend checking it out!
Specifically we cover:
-
the origins of the company, and how it proves out Horace’s early thesis on the disruptive potential of modularised componentry.
-
Jeff’s history with lightweight electric vehicles and his eventual coming to Boosted
-
How they think through their role as manufacturing ‘vehicle grade’ vehicles in the micromobility space, and how this differentiates them from other manufacturers
-
how their customers use their products - hint: 82% of their customers use them for their commute.
-
How they think through shared services vs. the owned micromobility market, solving the job-to-be-done of travel and why they’re doubling down on personally owned vehicles
-
Why they consider their competition the car and not other scooter or board manufacturers.
-
How they think about safety, why shared scooters have given a lot of people the wrong impression about what micromobility safety can be, and the standards that they build their vehicles to.
-
How they think about infrastructure for these lightweight vehicles, and where the opportunities are for regulators to harness the benefits.
-
The challenges that they’ve faced scaling to being a global, growth stage electric vehicle company.
-
How the venture capital community have viewed them vs the hyped space of shared micromobility.
-
Hints at their product pipeline and what they find interesting.
Key quotes:
“What are your options? You can buy a vehicle like ours and you're down to two dollars a day for unlimited mileage and no parking. You can pay $2 a mile for scooter or car share, or you can take your car - it's 40/50 cents a mile between insurance and depreciation and then parking could be $30 a day. So quite literally buying a premium scooter is the cheapest thing you can do.”
“It’s been fun for us with the scooter shares because somebody is spending a billion dollars of somebody else's money to put free demos on every street corner on the planet and educate people to the value of these vehicles. There's a bunch of people say, ‘this is great.’ I'm going to use sharing and that's awesome, and then there's a bunch of people who say I like this so much, I’m going to buy one. If they want a vehicle grade one, there's only one. So we're in an interesting market spot.”
In this episode, Horace and Oliver run over Horace’s insights from his recent research using UN data into city-level potential for micromobility markets globally. We run through the most interesting growth trends in 1800+ cities.
Specifically we look at:
-
Contextualising the rapid growth in car-based urbanisation as part of a 5000 year trend
-
Why Africa is one of the most interesting potential markets between now and 2035.
-
The cities positioned for both the fastest growth and largest increase.
-
How the low-income demographics of new migrants to these emerging mega-cities necessitates the need for cheap micromobility transport
-
Why we should look at auto-ownership rates to understand the 'low-end' potential of micromobility.
-
The likely business models we'll see emerge with the confluence of autonomy, networking and new propulsion options.
-
How these vehicles will beat the current incumbents of petrol powered scooters in Asia
The things mentioned in the episode are:
-
The blogpost that Horace has written on the micromobility markets by city. https://micromobility.io/blog/2019/8/16/cities-of-tomorrow
-
The talk by Jeremy Grantham re: the majority of increase in global population coming from Africa between now and 2100 - https://youtu.be/cPCblFpqrkI?t=1635
As requested, if anyone has a suggestion for an interview guest for micromobility in India or Africa, please message me on Twitter @oliverbruce. Thanks!
In this episode, Oliver interviews Lawrence Leuschner, CEO and co-founder of Tier, one of Europe’s largest scooter operators with over 6 million cumulative rides to date.
Specifically, we cover:
-
Lawrence’s background as a successful entrepreneur and his motivations for starting Tier
-
the landscape for micromobility adoption in Europe, and why Europe is better placed to adsorb these transport innovations
-
we unpack the reasoning behind their unique operational model and more recent moves into custom hardware
-
reviews of regulations and data standards across Europe, lessons from Paris and why he thinks Germany is the most promising micromobility market
-
capital efficiency of operations, and how/why European operators differ from Lime and Bird
-
current and future integrations with public transport systems, and where this is most likely to occur.
All in all, a fascinating interview!
In this episode, Horace and Oliver discuss Donald Shoup’s work, The High Cost of Free Parking, and why micromobility offers such a compelling counter to the dominant mindset that has existed around parking for the last 70 years.
Specifically, we cover:
-
The financial and spatial impact of parking minimums in the US
-
The Catch-22 of parking legislation - parking creates sprawled landscapes that increases the need for them to move around.
-
The importance of pricing parking appropriately
-
The odd behaviour that our misplacing of car parks has created in Japan and the US
-
The logical use case for autonomy in RV’s if we can’t better price/allocate roadspace
-
Why micromobility offers such a fundamental rethink of space allocation and parking requirements
In this episode, Oliver interviews Sampo Heitanen, CEO of MaaS Global/Whim on their mobility as a service subscription model they have in Helsinki and a number of other markets.
Specifically we cover:
-
How MaaS Global came to be started
-
The unique context of Helsinki’s regulatory environment and the enabling factors that made it a great first market
-
The challenges and opportunities of scaling mobility as a service offerings - ticketing, API’s, regulatory barriers and walled gardens
-
The importance of docked and dockless micromobility in driving down the costs of the subscription model
-
Their customer demographics and how this has driven their choices around subscription packages
-
How he thinks about Uber’s walled garden efforts in the mobility as a service space
-
The role of governments/regulators in encouraging mobility as a service offerings
It’s a great conversation about the shift of business models to mobility-as-a-service subscriptions, underpinned by micromobility.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Tiffany Chu (@tchu88), co-founder and COO at Remix to discuss the role of software in helping cities plan for better use of their streets and help them harness the benefits of micromobility.
Specifically we cover:
-
The story of Remix and how they came to found it.
-
The predominant use cases for cities in utilising their software, and how this helps break down silos within city governments.
-
The challenges she sees with the rapid growth of micromobility and cities ability to absorb these new vehicles.
-
How she sees us more rapidly deploying new micromobility friendly infrastructure, and how that pares with the existing political processes in a lot of places
-
An explanation of MDS and why it’s valuable for city officials
-
What they’re planning to do with their recent Series B raise
-
What she would recommend for entrepreneurs thinking of working with governments.
Unfortunately we lost a bit of the better quality audio halfway through so have to revert to the backup recording. Apologies.
Also, as mentioned in the episode, check out the great Slate article on the MDS debate from David Zipper: https://slate.com/business/2019/04/scooter-data-cities-mds-uber-lyft-los-angeles.html
In this episode, Oliver and Horace discuss a recent trip that Horace made around Continental Europe and reflect on the changing dynamics of shared micromobility business models. Specifically:
-
The core product, regulatory and operational challenges that are constraining shared memo companies
-
The differences between being anti-car and pro-micromobility
-
The parallels in this market to the mistakes made by the Chinese bikeshare operators, and more historically, the clean tech boom of the late ‘00s.
-
Why Bird launching the Cruiser was predictable, what the likely next steps will be in terms of product design and how this tracks the early years of the phone industry
-
An update on Horace’s blogpost ‘The Three Eras of Micromobility’
-
The three categories of operators we’ve seen emerge: Independent Mega’s (Bird, Lime), Corporate Parent backed (Jump, Motivate) and Independent Minors (Voi, Tier, Bolt, Circ, etc etc.) and how the capital constraints of each impact their ability to innovate.
-
How micromobility is not going to be a winner-take-all market
The article on the Three Eras of Micromobility: https://micromobility.io/blog/2019/4/29/the-three-eras-of-micromobility
This week Oliver interviews journalist David Zipper about the quietly brewing war over mobility data that is being played out between cities and shared micromobility operators.
David is a Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund and a Partner in the 1776 Venture Fund, where he oversees investments in smart cities and mobility ventures. Following his tenure as director of NYC Business Solutions in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration in New York City he served as director of Business Development and Strategy for two mayors in Washington, D.C.
David has written a number of articles in Slate, Fast Company and The Atlantic covering, among other things, the rise of the Mobility Data Specification which we see as one of the building blocks to supercharge micromobility’s growth, and underpin the future operating systems for mobility in our cities.
In this episode, we dig into:
-
What is the Mobility Data Specifications, and why are they significant?
-
Who are the major players arguing for or against MDS?
-
What are the implications of widespread adoption of standards in this space?
-
What will happen in the event of the preemption bill AB1112 passing in the California Senate, stripping cities of the right to collect the data that MDS provides, including the city that is leading the development of it.
It’s a fascinating conversation about the politics playing out at the local and state levels as cities build new solutions. For a more detailed read, check out the article from Slate that David wrote: https://slate.com/business/2019/04/scooter-data-cities-mds-uber-lyft-los-angeles.html
Unfortunately the good quality audio on David’s side got cut off around the 30 minute mark, so we default to the Skype recording.
As always, let us know what you think on Twitter: @oliverbruce or @davidzipper
In this episode, we release the content from a recent MM Meetup call with Horace where he unpacks What makes Micromobility Disruptive?.
This was recorded from a call for our paid subscribers via the Substack newsletter, and grants exclusive access to Horace to ask questions on a monthly basis. It helps support the work that Horace, myself, James, Chase and Luke do to generate content for you guys, and grants you exclusive benefits like discounts to Summits, exclusive swag, early access to content and a community of other micromobility enthusiasts. See more details below.
On the call, they cover:
-
How the current phase of scooters are similar to the Motorola Razr of the mid-late 2000s.
-
How dependent on infrastructure is Micromobility’s success? What can we learn from the deployment of both cellular and autonomotive infrastructure development?
-
The difference between adoption and disruption. Why adoption will come regardless, and what about disruption is predictable? How can we use language to track adoption?
-
What is micromobility actually disrupting? Why is it hard to convince others to see the market for something that is additive.
-
What segments are existing OEM’s not serving with their car products, and what opportunities does this present to micromobility providers? How is this causing them to flee the low end?
-
How disruptive are traditional electric vehicles? How is this different?
-
Micromobility deserts - what will happen in exurban areas? How does this track with the trend of urbanisation?
-
Christensen says that automobiles weren’t disruptive themselves, but the Model T was. Horace explains why.
In this episode, Oliver interviews Nick Lovett (@nicklovettnz), Transport Policy Planner at the Christchurch City Council in New Zealand. Nick runs the scooter trial with Lime, and has recently expanded the programme to Beam (Singapore) and Flamingo (a local competitor). As noted in earlier episodes, Christchurch has been widely praised for his progressive stance embracing micromobility. In this episode, we dig into the wider lessons both entrepreneurs and regulators can take from Christchurch’s example.
Specifically, we cover:
-
The primary things that entrepreneurs need to understand when dealing with regulators
-
How regulators like Nick are thinking about the rise of business models like Lime and the new leading programme from Bird
-
The challenges with having cities adapt quickly to new transport modes, and what entrepreneurs need to watch out for.
-
What regulators are balancing while seeking to embrace micromobility in their cities.
Subscribe at micromobility.substack.com
In this episode, we publish the Software for Micromobility panel from the Micromobility California Summit.
In this panel, Stacey Randecker Bartlett (Co-Host, The Flying Car) hosts a conversation with William Henderson (CEO, Ride Report), Tiffany Chu (COO, Remix), Alex Kirn (CEO, INVERS), Jake Sion (COO, Transit App), Victor Pontis (CEO, ScooterMap) about how software is enabling and empowering micromobility to be adopted into cities.
Specifically they cover:
-
Whether they see the emergence of one app to rule them all.
-
How software is integrating these services into a multimodal solution that can replace the job to be done of cars.
-
How software enables the remote fleet management for shared assets.
-
The software that cities are adopting to manage both shared fleets, as well as planning for their roadspace.
-
What cities are starting to learn when they’re empowered with software.
-
How MDS is working and not working for cities and operators.
-
The challenges around privacy in software and open data standards.
-
Their take on the potential for autonomous micromobility.
Be sure to get your tickets to Micromobility Europe (Berlin, 1st October), as well as sign up to the MM Newsletter at micromobility.io
Subscribe at micromobility.substack.com
In this episode, Horace and Oliver discuss Horace's visit to Christchurch, New Zealand for the ITSNZ T-Tech 19 conference. For those that don't know, Christchurch suffered a massive earthquake in 2011, levelling most of downtown and killing 181 people. The city has been rebuilt with great cycle/micromobility infrastructure, which has led to Lime Scooters and cycling as a modal being incredibly popular in the city.
In this episode, we unpack:
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why the concentration of political power in cities makes them more likely to be able to quickly adapt to micromobility changes
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how the earthquake parallels the expected increase in volatility in environment we're likely to see from climate change, and how this benefits micromobility.
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how sunk costs in infrastructure can and will hinder the adoption of micromobility, and why this is a mistake.
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How the conformability of small vehicles allows them to permeate further into the city substrate in a way that larger vehicles cannot
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How transport changes how we relate to cities, and the possibilities that we see with them.
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How asset-light models suit an experience driven culture, and how this is a reflection of new forms of status.
Be sure to check out micromobility.io for all the latest, sign up to our newsletter, and get tickets for Micromobility Europe which is happening on October 1st. Please also rate the show - it helps us get recommended to others.
Cheers and let us know what you think on Twitter - @oliverbruce and @asymco
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In this episode, we publish a panel discussion from the Micromobility California Summit in January.
Derrick Ko (CEO, Spin), Michael Keating (CEO, Scoot), Sanjay Dastoor (CEO, Skip) and Sergio Romo (CEO, Grin) are interviewed by Cory Weinberg from The Information.
They cover:
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the scooter landscape as it was in January, and lessons learnt so far
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the challenges they've faced ins scaling, and what they foresee ahead
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what they see changing the scooter landscape, and how they interact with cities.
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which competitor company they'd love to see under the hood of
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How OEM's such as Ford are thinking about the space.
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How each of them think about capital raising, and the different approaches taken.
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In this episode, Horace and Oliver unpack the Uber S-1 filing, noting, among other things:
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The parallels between Uber's assessment of total addressable market and that which we've talked about on the Micromobility podcast.
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The economics of short trips, and how these skew towards Micromobility vs Uber's existing rideshare business.
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The strategy that makes the most sense for Uber to scale micromobility over the short to mid term.
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We discuss the recent Barclays Bank report on micromobility that also further validates Horace's and Uber's analysis of the market potential.
We also discuss the Micromobility book, the Micromobility Membership and the upcoming Micromobility Summit in Europe on October 1st. For details on all of this, please head to micromobility.io
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New to micromobility? This episode is for you. Been with us all year? There is still plenty of depth and breadth being addressed. In this special episode, Horace and Oliver revisit many of the ideas of the first 20+. It is a great episode for both solidifying one’s understanding and introducing one’s friends and family.
Specifically, they cover:
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How Horace came to micromobility and why it was so initially captivating
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The primary requirement of the micromobility definition (500kg) and the secondary requirements — motor and utility
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Recent growth in global production ability and the China bikeshare bubble
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The push and pull of micromobility
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How success in disruption requires humility for both sides
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The various pain points of modern transportation and how micromobility addresses them
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Jobs to be done and the markets for micromobility
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How the sharing economy allows us to no longer buy for the extremely rare use cases (six sigma)
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Applying our intuitive sense for jobs to be done in computing to transportation
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The significance of the lognormal distribution for car trips
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The evolution rate of micromobility vehicles, which is orders of magnitude greater than that of automobility.
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A few predictions
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The adoption curve and the disruption principle
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Efficiency gains of various modes and environmental impact of micromobility
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The exponential growth of scooter companies in 2018
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The maintenance needs and vehicle design needs of shared vehicles
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In this episode, Oliver and Horace discuss the Micromobility FAQ's and their significance.
Specifically, they cover:
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how it's categorised and why this is important
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whether autonomous cars will make Micromobility irrelevant
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Infrastructure and why and how this is an important question
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How should we think about measuring success.
The sponsor of the episode is Joyride, a software platform that lets you launch your own bike or scooter share system under your brand, with full consumer facing apps, and backend fleet management and integrations. Check them out at Joyride.city
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In this episode, Horace and Oliver discuss the new Micromobility book that is up on Kickstarter. This is the first book from Horace in the space, and outlines why and how micromobility will take over the world. Get your copy here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2092675260/micromobility-the-first-year?ref=27ap2v.
Next up, Oliver and Michal discuss the latest news including the first Bird Platform launch globally in New Zealand, Voi's recent raise and Jump's latest data from Sacramento.
Finally, we release the Venture Capital panel from the recent Micromobility Summit in California. We have Greg Lindsay, Director of Strategy, LA CoMotion moderate a panel with Julie Lien (Founding Partner, Urban Innovation Fund), Reilly Brennan (Founding Partner, Trucks.vc) and Damir Becirovic (Principal, Index Ventures).
In this episode, Horace and Oliver discuss vehicle standards and classifications based on Horace's recent discussions with the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Specifically, the cover:
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What are automotive standards, why are they important, and how does this change how we look at the world?
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The history of the term 'microcomputing' and how the significance of this faded away over time, and what parallels we might be able to see with mobility.
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How is the SAE thinking about classifying micromobility vehicles, and what are the likely implications of this
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What variables regulators should be thinking about when looking at vehicles, and which they should avoid (hint: speed)
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What value the German system for classifying low-powered electric vehicles could offer globally
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The parallels to Horace's time at Nokia, and how he foresaw the rise of the battle of iOS and Android.
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On today’s episode, Oliver runs over recent news in the scooter/micromobility space with Michal Naka (@michalnaka) and we release the government regulator panel from the recent Micromobility California Summit talking about the experiences from LA, Portland, Oakland and Claremont in regulating scooter operators.
In the news section, we discuss:
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The emergence of Grin in South America, and what this means for scooters in LatAm.
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Lime’s recent $310m raise and how this reflects the consolidation of the rest of the industry.
Next, we have the panel from the recent Summit where Katie Fehrenbacher from Greenbiz hosts a panel with:
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Seleta Reynolds from the LADOT
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Ryan Russo from Oakland DOT
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Briana Orr who managed Portland’s Shared Electric Scooter Pilot
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Julie Medero, Chair of the Traffic and Transportation Commission from the City of Claremont
They cover:
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How cities are viewing the rise of micromobility operations as a means of providing access to low-cost mobility and benefitting their citizens.
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What cities have learnt from the rise of Uber/Lyft and how that is influencing their regulatory stances with new operators and business models.
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How they’re using their ability to regulate to influence data standards and how this will affect operators/entrepreneurs in this space.
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The variables that they, as regulators, need to consider as part of rollouts.
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How cities are thinking about infrastructure and deployment, and the challenges that they face in rolling out safe infrastructure for micromobility.
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On today’s episode we do a very quick recap of the inaugural 2019 Micromobility Summit and then turn our attention to talk through what early stage investment in micromobility looks like with Reilly Brennan of Trucks Venture Capital (@reillybrennan).
He is a founding general partner at Trucks (trucks.vc), a seed-stage venture capital fund for entrepreneurs changing the future of transportation. Reilly holds a teaching appointment at Stanford University and is influential newsletter Future of Transportation is a radar for what’s happening in transportation. Prior to Trucks, Reilly was Executive Director for Stanford’s automotive research program, Revs. He is very well known in the transport technology space.
In this episode we discuss:
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Trucks VC and how it’s adjusted it’s thinking about micromobility in its search for the companies that will power the future of transportation.
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How he thinks about the evolution of the supply chain in the micromobility sector, and who will be looking to get involved.
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Where he sees parallels between the existing early stages of micromobility and the autonomous vehicle space a few years ago.
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What opportunities he is looking for in the space, and his thesis of where value will accrue.
We also discuss the new Micromobility VC syndicate on AngelList that will be syndicating interesting deals in the micromobility space out to early stage investors. If you are an accredited investor and would like to hear about the deals that Horace, Oliver and others are coming across and backing, please find us on AngelList and apply.
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On today’s show we have Boyd Cohen, CEO of Iomob, to discuss building a marketplace operating system for city transportation, and what is enabled having all modes of transport interoperable and discoverable.
Specifically, we dig into:
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What the benefits to customers and operators are for an open marketplace for mobility.
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Why micromobility is specifically well suited to open marketplaces/interoperability.
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Why Boyd doesn’t think the current scooter/micromobility operators will survive in their current form.
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The benefits and pitfalls of having system wide integrations for all transport options.
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How this will scale in the face of competition from Uber, Google Maps and others.
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In this episode, we have Steve Anderson (@Rashomon2) as a guest on the podcast. Steve has a long history in motorcycle safety and engineering forensics, and more recently has been working on low powered electric vehicles. He will be speaking at the upcoming Micromobility Summit in California on the 31st of January.
We cover:
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The role of vehicle design, infrastructure and speed in micromobility safety.
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The coming emergence of different form factors, including cabin motorcycles and enclosed cargo trikes
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Different avoidance and damage mitigation options for micromobility.
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Helmets — their impact and how their role in micromobility. Be sure to check out the Danish airbag helmet, the Hovding.
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The role of fun and joy in micromobility’s appeal.
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On today’s show, Horace and Oliver talk through the challenges that vandalism poses to the shared micromobility model.
Specifically we cover:
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The core drivers of vandalism of such fleets, and how this compares to historical parallels.
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The implications for capex vs. opex
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The calculations that operators are making to ensure that the services still function well.
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On today’s episode, Horace and Oliver dig deep into the evolution of business models in transport, and how micromobility lays the foundation for the next great shift of interoperable, efficient, low-cost transport services powered by blockchain. I think we just hit peak hype words, but bear with us!
We cover:
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How the car was the first great bundling of transport ‘jobs-to-be-done’ into a single option — kickstarting the first major productization of transport.
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The emergence of Uber, and the shift of trips from pre-paid product to service.
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The dynamics of vehicle fleets, and why scooter/e-bike fleets are likely to move off-balance sheet for most large operators in the near future.
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How multimodality, especially that underpinned by micromobility, lends itself to open transport systems, and how this will give rise to token marketplaces for trips (similar to Bitcoin developer Mike Hearn’s tradenet proposal ).
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The impact that decentralized token marketplaces will have on cities.
It’s a conceptually dense episode as we explore the Productization-Servitization-Securitization-Tokenization (Pro-Se-Sec-To Framework?).
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On today’s episode, Oliver talks with Regina Clewlow (@reginaclewlow), CEO of Populus.ai about her insights gained from building micromobility data dashboards for city officials. We discuss what matters to cities, and why the rise of micromobility data will drive the changes in streetscapes across the world.
We also discuss:
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The new data standards emerging for operators in cities, and how this will help both operators and cities better manage fleets, and cities to develop more appropriate infrastructure.
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The new partnership they’ve developed with Lime to monitor their LimePod car sharing in Seattle, and how that lays the foundation for fixing the tragedy of the commons problems with scooter parking.
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The report that Populus has produced for DC looking at equity of access to dockless mobility services vs more traditional docked services and why this matters to cities.
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In this episode we discuss the recent Bird Platform announcement, why this was predictable given the dynamics of the market, and how franchising might evolve in the future.
We also cover:
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Dediu’s Law: Horace’s thesis that we’ll see 10x growth annually for the next 5–6 years in micromobility trip numbers.
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How challenges related to social technologies like local bureaucracy/current scooter caps will be overcome.
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The VeloMetro/Veemo shared covered trike system that has emerged in Vancouver and whether this is likely to catch on.
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On today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr Chris Cherry (@drchrischerry), Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee and Director of Light Electric Vehicle Education and Research (LEVER) Initiative, an international academic/industry research consortium on lightweight and low speed EV’s about the environmental and social implications of micromobility.
We discuss:
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How China’s electric micromobility sector has grown to lead the world, and how Chris and his colleagues have worked to understand it.
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The framework that they use to understand the benefits that lightweight electric utility vehicles offer users — notably low cost, point to point, low emission transport.
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The emission and energy use of micromobility vehicles compared to other options.
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How to think about whether micromobility is additive or substitutive trips vs. incumbent modes of transport.
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What the role of fun plays in micromobility adoption.
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Which cities will benefit the most from the ride of micromobility and why.
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In today’s episode, we’re joined by Twitter micromobility celebrity Michal Naka (@michalnaka), to talk about scooters, how they’re evolving in hardware and their interactions with cities and what the future might look like. It’s a packed episode.
Specifically we cover:
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How Michal ended up in micromobility through his skepticism of autonomous cars. (5:50->)
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How the most valuable miles travelled are likely to be addressed by micromobility and not autonomous. (9:20->)
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The history of the scooter supply chain.(13:00->)
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The tradeoff that companies are making between opex and capex. (25:50->)
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What future evolutions we’re likely to see in (29:30->)
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How cities are responding to these new business models, and what we’re likely to see in the future. (33:46->)
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How the diffusion theory applies to scooters and their evolution. (40:30->)
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On today’s episode Horace and Oliver are joined by Winston Kwon, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Social Innovation at the University of Edinburgh Business School. We discuss mobility poverty, why it matters and the role that micromobility could play in improving access to opportunities.
We also touch on:
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The concept of Universal Basic Mobility (as put forward by Alex Roy) and how micromobility might enable it
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The importance of social inclusion — and how transport, specifically cars, impact it.
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How the homogeneity of suburbs is accelerating their infrastructural decline.
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Which cities/built environments will benefit the most from micromobility and which will be the most negatively impacted.
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Horace revises his estimates for the Total Addressable Market for Micromobility globally.
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In today’s episode we unpack more about the latest data on micromobility adoption, what this implies for the total addressable market of micromobility and then run over the details of the upcoming Micromobility California event.
Specifically, we touch on:
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The speed of adoption curves for scooters compared to other technology platforms in the past.
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The environmental impacts that we might be able to imply from using lightweight electric vehicles
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Who will be attending the Micromobility California event, as well as who might find it interesting.
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The details on who will be presenting.
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In today’s show, we examine the role of platforms in micromobility’s rise, and what role they might play in furthering adoption.
Specifically, we cover:
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What an entry into the micromobility space might look like for Apple, and how their experience in interface stepchanges puts them at a unique advantage
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How autonomous cars are analogous to wormholes vs. a more tactile engaging experience of the world with micromobility.
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What a platform built on a micromobiltiy fleet might look like, and what it might enable, and what names we might give to these experiences in the same way that cars have crusing, drivethrus and cinemas.
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The stage of the market, and the parallels to the Playstation vs Xbox argument
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How the network effects of micromobility sharing platforms are inverse to the traditional car infrastructure
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Horace introduces his new research paper looking at modal shifts with the introduction of e-mobility in a cities transport mix.
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Micromobility has an addressable market of more than $1.4 trillion dollars annually in the US alone, a figure that makes it more valuable than longer distance transport addressable by cars ($1.1 trillion).
That’s the message in this episode where we run through the talk ‘When Micromobility Attacks’ that Horace gave at the recent Micromobility Summit in Copenhagen. Be sure to check out the slides — have also included the relevant ones below.
We look at:
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How US trip data typically exhibits log-normal distributions (and an explanation of what this means!)
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How many of the 2 trillion vehicle trips taken in the US annually would potentially be served by micromobility
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How Marchetti’s constant (one hour of travel a day) relates to micromobility’s benefits- how adoption of micromobility would impact car demand, and why this is relevant to automakers- why these high volume, short trips are actually more valuable than average car trips on a dollar basis.
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How time spent traveling will actually drive adoption of micromobility in highly congested cities.
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Why 3 times more time is spent on short trips than longer trips in vehicles, and the implications for micromobility
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The impacts this explosion in micromobility might have on carbon emissions and how we can measure that
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In this episode, we look at the history of the Dutch cycle infrastructure, the symbiotic tension that we'll see between micromobility and autonomous vehicles, and the intangible quality of cities with vibrant micromobility ecosystems.
We also cover:
- the recent spate of news re: the dawning scooter wars (Bird, Lime, Jump)
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San Francisco's highway history
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the cost comparisons for cycling infrastructure vs. car infrastructure, especially when compared to modal share vs. land-use in European cities.
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How the rollout of cycling infrastructure parallels (or doesn't) the rollout of cellular infrastructure in both the US and Europe.
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the creative tension that will exist between micromobility vehicles vs. autonomous cars (walkable neighborhoods vs. exurbia sprawl)
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the 'experience' factor of micromobility, and the unquantifiable value of the thrill of riding a scooter/e-bike vs. passive A-B transport and how this is influenced by the European vs. American views of the world.
On today's episode Horace and Oliver are joined by Corinne Vogel, head of operations at Smide bikeshare based in Zurich, Switzerland. Smide is a high-end e-bike share system, with speed pedelec bikes that travel up to 30mph/45kph. It's using a completely different approach to the rapid blanket approach from e-scooter rollouts we're seeing elsewhere. It's a fascinating discussion.
Specifically, we touch on:
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Who and what their customers are, why they choose Smide over other options and how this parallels to iPhone market positioning.
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The importance of having good relationships with cities (and how they're loved by the governments they work with)
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Their unique crowdlending model for financing the launch of new cities
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How they deploy user incentives to help load-balance the network, and the importance of having vehicles that go >70km / 50miles per charge
As always, let us know what you think on Twitter at @asymco or @oliverbruce. Thanks!
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