Micromobbin'
The Micromobility America (MMA) conference was held this past week, bringing together (in person no less) the top thinkers, companies and investors in the industry. Here were some of the highlights and major themes:
Product launches
Both Unagi Scooters and Cowboy launched new products onstage at MMA. Unagi’s high-end $2,440 smart scooter, the Model Eleven, is very tech-advanced, with features like audible directions and GPS tracking powered by Google, remote kill in the case of theft and even an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensor. The bluetooth speakers allow riders to play their own music or podcasts as well as hear turn-by-turn directions. And since it’s an Unagi, it’s just as lightweight as you’d expect it to be, with a smooth ride on top of a dual suspension system.
I’m particularly interested in the ADAS system since I recently wrote about this trend. The company says it’s the first two-wheeled device in the world with an integrated ADAS system that detects objects in the periphery and warns of impending collisions or dangers with audio and visual on the display. Users can disable it if they choose.
“Unagi chose to build these sensors into the scooter because improving safety is a big priority and crucial to the future of micromobility as a category that can replace cars in cities,” a spokesperson from Unagi told TechCrunch. “Unagi is aiming to leverage future technologies to eventually control motor and brake, but for now, the ADAS only warns of collisions.”
While the Model Eleven is pretty pricey for a scooter, a financing option will be available once it launches, and Unagi’s subscription model will become available down the line, according to the company.
Cowboy’s launch of its slim-looking Cowboy 4 was also talk of the town at MMA. Customers have the option of choosing the aluminum frame to be step-through, which instantly makes it more accessible. An integrated “cockpit” is exclusively available on the C4, which is basically a built-in Quad Lock to securely mount a smartphone so the rider can access real-time information like GPS or fitness data through the Cowboy app. Once docked, phones can actually be charged using the bike’s internal battery.
The ebike can go up to 15 miles per hour and ride for about 43 miles on a single charge. It’s not the fastest bike or best battery on the market, but she is a beauty. Along with this launch, Cowboy has also pointed to its large and ever expanding network of mobile ambassadors offering free repairs across seven countries, with nationwide coverage in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.
Micromobility moves beyond scooters and bikes
“We have a huge variety of products and form factors now,” Horace Dediu, an analyst, one of the hosts of MMA and the person who coined the term ‘micromobility,’ told TechCrunch. “We have everything from monowheels like OneWheel, scooters with two wheels and three wheels. We have Arcimoto, we have bikes, we have motorcycles. We even have a very small automobile that’s basically a car.”
“But that’s what micromobility is all about,” he continued. “It’s not just one thing, one form factor. We need more kinds of form factors and there’s more coming. It feels like the eraly days of the personal computer or mobile phone era. Experiments are running and startups are trying things out, so it’s super exciting.”
Exhibit A: Andrew Yang riding a OneWheel.
Coming out of the pandemic swinging
“The pandemic actually really helped everybody to rethink their business model and make sure they focus on the efficiencies, so the mindset coming out of the pandemic is that it beat a lot of sense into people that you really have to run a sustainable business,” Tony Ho, VP of global business development at Segway-Ninebot, told TechCrunch. “Almost everybody here sees us coming out of the pandemic very strong, that’s the general feeling.”
One way that feeling is manifesting for micromobility operators is in taking a look at cost of ownership and operational efficiencies, says Ho. Labor for charging vehicles and maintaining them is a huge part of getting the unit economics right, which is why we’re seeing a range of different tech working to address the problem and help operators run their fleets better, from scooters that you can summon to you or that can be teleoperated to move out of the way to scooters that have cameras built in to ensure safe rider behavior.
Reframing micromobility
When Ed Neidermeyer, director of communication of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education and co-host with our own Kirsten Korosec on the Autonocast podcast, first attended the MMA event two years ago, it was mostly a bubble of VCs, hardware startups and sharing companies. The public sector did not make much of an appearance, and it was probably still annoyed with companies for doing the VC thing and blitz-scaling to the point of annoyance and public hazard. Now, there’s been a systemic, cultural shift, which was reflected in the attendance at the event, says Neidermeyer.
“The fact that you had a presidential candidate (Andrew Yang) as a keynote speaker gives the event a cultural positioning and helps you frame it as, this is not just companies selling a device,” Neidermeyer told TechCrunch. “[Yang’s] presence effectively reflected this sort of broader reframing of micromobility as a system or as an alternate vision for mobility in cities.I think the space has matured a lot. There’s a lot less of that kind of VC bubble feel and much more like, how do we have a long term conversation about this.”
Working together
Shared micromobility operators were onstage celebrating how much ridership has increased post-Covid due to the reduction of public transit use. Jesse Fittipaldi, chief strategy officer at compact electric utility vehicle company Arcimoto, said when micromobility first appeared on the scene, there were a lot of skeptics. Now that it’s become more mainstream, companies are seeing their numbers increase in ways they never thought would happen.
“I think hope is alive,” Fittipaldi told TechCrunch. “I think that the people need to be educated right now, and there are people here working to do that. The legislators, operators, venture capitalists and the banks, the software developers, all of the things that actually make these systems work — I see them here. I see them learning and transferring knowledge, and that’s key for where we are right now.”
Others news from the week …
Bird integrates local operators into the app
Shared micromobility operator Bird announced the integration of local bikeshare providers into the Bird app so that multiple multimodal mobility options can all be seen in one place. The integration, which utilizes a General Bikeshare Feed Specification, an open source feed for public bikeshare companies, is now live in Oslo, Austin, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Milwaukee. Featured operators include Oslo City Bike, Metrobike Austin, Metro Bike, SA Bikeshare and Bublr Bikes Milwaukee.
The launch is part of Bird’s Smart Bikeshare Program first announced in June when the company also announced its new shared e-bikes. The integration allows more visibility for local operators and is completely cost free to them and to cities. Riders searching for vehicles in the Bird app will also be able to see nearby public bike stations with available bikes, and they can tap the icon to be taken to the local app to start the rental process.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210923005548/en/Helbiz-Partners-with-Drover-AI-to-Bring-Artificial-Intelligence-to-Scooter-Sharing
Fresh funds
New Zealand-based electric utility bike company Ubco announced an additional $10 million investment from TPK Holdings, a previous investor who will now be leading the startup’s Series B. As part of the strategic investment, TPK, a Taiwanese electric components manufacturing company, will use its vast network to help Ubco secure parts and supplies for its flagship 2X2 bike more easily and cheaply. In the future, TPK will provide dedicated manufacturing support for Ubco’s new FRX1, a recreational off-road bike, and a four wheel utility vehicle.
Smart commercial scooter and bike parking and charging provider Bikeep closed a $3 million investment round which it will use to build up a partnership network with local companies to bring Bikeep stations to cities in the U.S., according to the company. British Columbia’s TransLink provides an example of what Bikeep looks like in the real world. It’s got smart locking systems as well as Bikeep’s IoT to create an on-demand bike locker program where cyclists can buy daily or monthly passes through the app.
Quadricycles, coming to a city near you
Eli Electric Vehicles, a compact EV manufacturer, has announced the start of production of its flagship Eli Zero. It’s a tiny wee thing, made in the quadricycle fashion, complete with two seats and about 160 liters worth of storage in the trunk. The plan is to roll out small batches of the small electric vehicle across 10 European countries over the next few months. Starting price is about $11,999.
New two-wheel swag
Rad Power Bikes, one of the most well-funded e-bike companies in North America, unveiled the RadCity 5 Plus, the next generation of its commuter ebike. The bike has a bit of an upgrade on its last model, with the ability to climb hills 40% faster and 11% more range. The more range is due to the new tires which include hydraulic disc brakes and longer-lasting ceramic pads for more stopping power and control. The bike also has a high-step and a step-thru frame and can accommodate riders from 4’8″ to 6’5″. It’s available for pre-order online now in the U.S. and Canada for $1,799 and will be coming to Europe in the winter.
The founders of London-based e-bike company Analog Motion have launched a new brand of e-bikes called nothng (intentional lowercase and spelling error). The bike’s whole shtick is that less is more. The minimalist bike is an electric fixie that does come with head and tail lights, at least, but is generally going for fewer parts and less maintenance. It can reach a top speed of 20 miles per hour in the U.S., 16 miles per hour in Europe. The company is funding the bike with Indiegogo, and has already reached 559% of its funding goal. Assuming the bike makes it to production, backers who have paid the £905 ($1,233) pre-order price should get their bikes by Spring 2022. By the way, that £905 is apparently 40% off the recommended retail price, which means when it comes to market this very simple bike will end up costing around £1,500 ($2,050).
Harley Davidson’s bike arm, Serial 1, is selling a limited edition of its first e-bike, the MOSH/TRIBUTE. It’s a vintage prototype that pays homage to HD’s Americana vibes, but it’s got all the tech you’d expect from a bike being released in 2021, including a powerful motor that reaches top speeds of 20 miles per hour and a removable, semi-integrated battery that can go up to 105 miles. Serial 1 is just releasing 650 units, half in the U.S. and half in Europe, with delivery expected for late Q4 this year.
Specialized has introduced its next-gen e-bikes, the Turbo Vado, Turbo Como and Turbo Tero. The bikes are meant to be smooth and comfortable, with the ability to improve functionality over time via over-the-air software updates and tech that addresses safety and theft specifically. The Vado 5.0 is ideal for city riders. The Como 5.0 has a comfortable step-through design and an upright position for more comfort. It’s available for pre-order. And the Tero 5.0 is built for all-terrain exploration and utility trips. All three bikes cost $5,000.
Early stage NYC-based Pave Motors has announced its Pave Bike, an e-moped that has the look and feel of an e-bike (kind of) with the small engine of motorcycle, is available for pre-order. The company recently successfully sold a limited supply of a first batch, and now is gearing up for more production. But this isn’t just any bike, folks. Apparently, Pave Bikes are connected to a private blockchain network that “enhances security by leveraging non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to unlock the Pave Bike, and enables secure sharing through smart rental contracts,” according to Pave.
Each rider gets an NFT which they can access on the Pave+ app that gives them access to their bike without an internet connection. This also lets users share their bikes with friends or as a side hustle for payment. Neat, huh? The moped itself can hit a max speed of 30 miles per hour and offers 50 miles of range per charge. Pricing starts at $3,900 or $108 per month, and pre-orders can be submitted with a $100 deposit. The moped is expected to begin shipping at the start of next year.
— Rebecca Bellan
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