Scooter and Bike Share Schemes Are Growing Fast Across Australia

Map of Australia info graphic

The summary map that you can see at the top of this page was recently published by Zipidi, which is a consultancy run by Stephen Coulter and Krystyna Weston.When it comes to the status of the industry and government regulations, regarding micromobility in general and particularly in relation to shared e-scooter fleets, there are a…

Study Concludes That Quality Bikes Are Also Cheaper in the Long Run

Bike mechanic workshop

Sixty five years ago the Australian Consumers’ Association (ACA) was founded as a not for profit consumer advocacy organisation. Shortly afterwards they founded Choice magazine which soon gained a huge subscription base and continues to this day. According to Wikipedia, the ACA had over 80 staff as of 2019. Choice does not accept any advertising…

Parisians Vote to Triple SUV and 4×4 Parking Fees

SUV parked on street

Paris, France Parisians have voted to triple parking costs for sports utility vehicles (SUVs), as the city aims to tackle air pollution and climate breakdown by targeting rich drivers in heavy, large and polluting cars. In a referendum held on Sunday 4th February 2024, which was closely watched by other capital cities, 54.6% voted in…

Everything Electric Show Organisers Embrace Micromobility

Above wide shot of expo

Sydney Showgrounds, NSW Everything Electric returned for their second annual Australian expo, held from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th February 2024 at the Sydney Showgrounds. Last year, the event was branded the Fully Charged Show, matching the name of the YouTube channel founded by British actor Robert Llewellyn in 2010 that now has over one…

Product News Briefs: Cake Crumbles While VanMoof Revives

two e-scooters on product display

Innovative Light Electric Vehicle Brand Cake Files for Bankruptcy Electric motorcycle startup Cake filed for bankruptcy February 1, Cake CEO Stefan Ytterborn has confirmed. We previously reported about some of Cake’s light electric vehicle products here and here.More recently, in October 2023 we announced here that Sydney-headquartered Deus Ex Machina had agreed to become the…

E-Bike Battery Forum Focuses on Fire Risks and Recycling

Five presenters on stage

Adelaide, SA E-Bikes have transformed both the Australian and global bicycle industries in terms of making them larger and, at least potentially, more profitable than ever before. But two serious challenges are threatening to derail this growth. Of these, fire is the most acute right now. The second, battery recycling, is only just entering many…

Infrastructure Briefs: UK Bans Toyota Advertisement on Environmental Grounds

A screenshot of an advertisement with utes driving and the word BANNED printed in red

UK Bans Toyota Hilux Advertisement Toyota was running an advertising campaign in the UK that was like so many that we’ve all seen before. An ‘army’ of Toyota Hilux pickup trucks (or utes as we might call them here) were shown careening through the wilderness while a voiceover describes the scene as “one of nature’s…

Hard Times for Some Bike and Scooter Share Companies

screenshot of price reduction on ecommerce site

It appears that there is a consolidation happening, or ‘culling’ if you prefer a more brutal description, in the global bike and scooter share market. Bird’s global struggles have impacted it’s Australian operations, which as we reported here appear to have ceased, although the company has not responded to our request for confirmation. But since…

Strong Demand So Far for Tasmanian E-Bike Subsidies

Bicycle store shop front

Hobart, Tasmania As we previously reported here, late last year Tasmania became the first Australian state to announce an e-bike subsidy program. There are many subsidy programs already underway or completed elsewhere in the world including Europe and the USA. They consistent pattern has been strong and immediate uptake and based on the following information,…

City of Adelaide Votes to Subsidise E-Bike Purchases

Above view of the City of Adelaide

Adelaide, SA On Tuesday, 30th January 2024 the City of Adelaide became the first government in mainland Australia to commit to subsidising the purchase of e-bikes and electric-assisted as well as unassisted cargo bikes for its residents and business operators. Australian cycling organisations, including Bike SA, have long lobbied all levels of government for just…