International
World Micromobility News: Articles of interest to our readers pertaining to the latest news, views and trends overseas.
We cover countries leading the way in micromobility in terms of manufacturing, policy and global influence.
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Lime to Invest $64 Million Into Ebike Share as it Eyes Float
Market leading Lime is getting back to its roots. The scooter company formerly known as LimeBike announced in late February 2021 that it will invest US$50 million (A$64 million) to grow its shared electric bicycle network, including adding a new model of bike and doubling the number of cities in which it operates.
Lime got its start with shared bikes, only to quickly pivot after Bird first introduced the concept of dockless electric scooters in 2017. The company dropped the ‘bike’ from its name and started phasing out its bikes in 2019. But the following year, Lime acquired bike-share company Jump from Uber, and suddenly, bikes were back on the menu.
What a Difference a Decade Makes!
Toronto is the largest city in Canada with a greater urban area population of over five million. Rob Ford was Mayor of Toronto from December 2010 to 2014. During this time he was one of the most vehement and outspoken opponents of cycling in any major city in the western world.
Ford spoke out against cyclists sharing roads with motorists, which he said were, “…built for buses, cars, and trucks, not for people on bikes.” As councillor, Ford opposed the installation of bike lanes on University Avenue and Jarvis Street.
German Climate Package Earmarks $1.38 Billion for Cycling
Germany’s federal government has announced that will be investing 900 million Euro (A$1.38 billion) into cycling as part of its national climate protection programme. The largest portion will be funded through a €660 million (A$1 billion) ‘City and Country-side’ (‘Stadt und Land’) program, which was officially published on 25 January by the Federal Ministry of Transportation. The investments in both urban and rural infrastructure are intended to help unleash the potential of cycling for climate-friendly transportation across the country.
Major Scooter Companies Launch Industry Coalition
E-scooter operators have come together to form a new coalition, Micromobility for Europe (MMfE), which launched officially on 2nd February 2021.
Comprised of eight founding members, Bird, Bolt, Dott, FreeNow, Lime, Tier, Voi, and Wind, the coalition aims to contribute to the development of a coherent policy framework in Europe that will ensure micromobility solutions flourish in European cities and support the rapid transition to zero-emission urban mobility.
Over 900% Return On Investment in Active Travel
A new research paper by a trio of leading transport academics has found an economic benefit to the tune of £724 million has been recognised on £80 million in active travel investment.
Authored by University of Westminster Professor of Transport Rachel Aldred, Dr James Woodcock and Dr Anna Goodman, the paper is titled: ‘Major investment in active travel in outer London: impacts on travel behaviour, physical activity and health.’
Chinese Bikeshare Company Looks Set to Raise $1.3 Billion
Qingju, which is the bike sharing unit of Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing as raised US$600 million (A780 million) in its Series B round of financing and is set to raise a further US$400 million (A$520 million) in loans, according to the financial media site Deal Street Asia.
A Didi spokesperson said, “Didi Bike (Qingju) has recently completed a Series B fundraising round. With the new investment, we will continue to improve mid and short distance travel in cities, by providing efficient, safe and reliable bike sharing services to the users.
Spin, Segway, Self Driving Scooters Here Now
The developers claim that this new technology could lead to a 10x increase in the number of rides per scooter per day due to two key improvements. San Francisco / California / USA Take a look at this self driving scooter, launched on Thursday 28th January at the Micromobility World Conference by three collaborating companies,…
Clip On Ebike Power Within Seconds
Brooklyn / New York / USA Despite the boom in ebike sales over recent years, there are still far more non-ebikes on the road than ebikes. E-bike conversion kits have been around for many years. But they are relatively expensive and labour intensive to install. There have been some attempts to make conversion simpler such…
Bird Develops Skid Detection System
Skid detection is an important safety and compliance feature that has the potential to deliver significant security benefits to both riders and communities. Ryan Fujiu – Chief Product Officer, Bird. Los Angeles / California / USA Major scooter-share company Bird has developed a skid detection system to help encourage safe and compliant e-scooter riding. Skidding…
Now, Even Lego Has a Cargo Bike!
Billund / Denmark In a sign of the times, Lego’s new City Shopping Street pack, released on 1st January 2021 features a bike shop with a mountain bike, road bike and a cargo bike. There’s also a blue bike lane marked along the Lego street, albeit rather too narrow compared to the roadway! The collection…