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antirider20-blog · 5 years ago

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The Rise of the Electric Scooter

In an electric car, the (enormous) battery is a major part of the price. If electric car prices are decreasing, battery costs must be decreasing, because it's not like the cost of fabricating rubber, aluminum, glass, and steel into car shapes can decline that much, right?

On an electric scooter, though, the effect of battery price has to be even more dramatic because scooters are such lightweight, compact, and simple machines. They aren't much more than a battery and an electric motor to begin with. for more informaction you can click here.

Zappy-electric-scooter-year-2000

What killed the electric scooter back then is the same thing that killed the electric car of year 2000: terrible lead-acid battery technology. It's too heavy, it lacks power, it doesn't have enough range, it takes too long to charge. These are all different ways of saying the same thing: the battery sucks. It wasn't until Lithium Ion batteries matured that both the electric car and the electric scooter — and pretty much electric everything, if you think about it — became viable. Thus, one way to see if Lithium Ion battery prices are indeed generally dropping independent of all other manufacturing concerns is to examine the cost of electric scooters over the last few years. Let's consider one of the most popular models, the Xiaomi Mi M365:

Xiaomi-mi-m365-price-history

This graph only shows roughly two years, from January 2018 to now; it looks like the original price for the Xiaomi M365 when it hit the US market in early 2017 was around $800. So the price of a popular, common electric scooter has halved in three years. Very good news indeed for electric vehicles of all types! This dramatic drop in electric scooter price from 2016 to 2019 may not be surprising versus the parallel rise of the quasi-legal electric scooter smartphone app rental industry over roughly the same time period, in the form of Bird, Lime, Skip, Spin, Scoot, etc.

Electric-scooter-rentals-bird-lime

Early versions of Bird scooters were actual antirider, slightly modified for rental. Only by late 2018 had they migrated to custom built, ruggedized scooters optimized for the rental market. The rental industries have their own challenges, and ironically have started to pivot to monthly rentals rather than the classic 15 cents per minute. Bird has experimented with its business model in recent months. In early March, the company altered its repair program in Los Angeles, which had relied on gig workers to fix broken scooters. It moved repairs in-house (though scooters are still charged each night by an army of gig workers). Later that month, the company introduced scooters with locks in some markets, in a bid to prevent theft and vandalism. In April, it announced the launch of a more traditional rental program in San Francisco and Barcelona, in which users could pay $25 per month to rent a Xiaomi m365 from the company rather than paying per ride. But this isn't meant to be a blog entry about the viability of scooter rental company business models.

I want to tackle a more fundamental question: are electric scooters the future of transportation?

Even Uber, as screwed up of a company as they still are, knows cars are overkill for a lot of basic transportation needs: We have plenty of scooters here at my house, and the family and I enjoy them greatly, but I have never actually ridden or owned an electric scooter. So I bought one. It is of course the popular, inexpensive, and well reviewed Xiaomi Mi M365.

M365-scooter

Here's a picture of my electric scooter inside my electric car. (I apologize that I didn't have an electric bicycle to park next to it for maximum smugness, but you can bet your sweet electrons I'll work on that next!)

Electric-scooter-in-electric-car

The short version of my review is this electric scooter is incredibly fun, works great, and if you can get it for a practically a no-brainer. I love it, my kids love it, and as long as you're conceptually OK with the look, unlike Elon Musk.https://antirider.com/

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amiv-blog · 5 years ago

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Electric scooters after the storm. Tel Aviv is not quite San Francisco or Guangzhou or even Palo Alto... But the rental / sharing scooter business is here in a big way. Just like the craze for electric bicycles two years ago, now we are seeing too many scooters and scooter companies. These two seem to be the leaders around town. #Israel #urban #Transportation #SharingEconomy #EV #Scooters #TelAviv #Photography (at Givatayim) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6m8Easn6Jy/?igshid=1j0klpxcgm1me

#israel #urban #transportation #sharingeconomy #ev #scooters #telaviv #photography

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theelectricscooters-blog · 5 years ago

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The Rise of the Electric Scooter

In an electric vehicle, the (gigantic) battery is a noteworthy piece of the cost. On the off chance that electric vehicle costs are diminishing, battery costs must diminish, on the grounds that dislike the expense of creating elastic, aluminum, glass, and steel into vehicle shapes can decay that much, isn't that so?

ev-battery-costs

On an electric bike, however, the impact of battery cost must be much increasingly emotional in light of the fact that bikes are such lightweight, minimized, and straightforward machines. They aren't substantially more than a battery and an electric engine in the first place. Keep in mind the Zappy electric bike from twenty years prior?

zappy-electric-bike year-2000

What slaughtered the electric bike in those days is something very similar that killed the electric scooters vehicle of year 2000: horrible lead-corrosive battery innovation. It's excessively overwhelming, it needs control, it needs more range, it takes too long to even consider charging. These are altogether various methods for saying something very similar: the battery sucks. It wasn't until Lithium Ion batteries developed that both the electric vehicle and the electric bike — and practically electric everything, looking at this logically — ended up reasonable.

In this way, one approach to check whether Lithium Ion battery costs are without a doubt commonly dropping autonomous of all other assembling concerns is to look at the expense of electric bikes throughout the most recent couple of years. We should think about one of the most mainstream models, the Xiaomi Mi M365:

xiaomi-mi-m365-value history-2018-2019

This chart just demonstrates approximately two years, from January 2018 to now; it would seem that the first cost for the Xiaomi M365 when it hit the US showcase in mid 2017 was around $800. So the cost of a well known, normal electric bike has split in three years. Awesome news to be sure for electric vehicles of various types!

This sensational drop in electric bike cost from 2016 to 2019 may not be astonishing versus the parallel ascent of the semi legitimate electric bike cell phone application rental industry over generally a similar timespan, as Bird, Lime, Skip, Spin, Scoot, and so on.

electric-bike rentals-feathered creature lime

Early forms of Bird bikes were real Xiaomi M365s, marginally altered for rental. Just by late 2018 had they moved to custom fabricated, ruggedized bikes streamlined for the rental market. The rental ventures have their very own difficulties, and unexpectedly have begun to turn to month to month rentals instead of the great 15 pennies for each moment.

Fledgling has explored different avenues regarding its plan of action lately. Toward the beginning of March, the organization changed its fix program in Los Angeles, which had depended on gig laborers to fix broken bikes. It moved fixes in-house (however bikes are still charged every night by a multitude of gig laborers). Soon thereafter, the organization presented bikes with secures a few markets, in an offer to avoid burglary and vandalism.

In April, it reported the dispatch of an increasingly customary rental program in San Francisco and Barcelona, in which clients could pay $25 every month to lease a Xiaomi m365 from the organization as opposed to paying per ride.

m365-bike

Here's an image of my electric bike inside my electric vehicle. (I am sorry that I didn't have an electric bike to stop beside it for most extreme priggishness, yet you can wager your sweet electrons I'll take a shot at that next!)

electric-bike in-electric-vehicle

The short form of my survey is this electric bike is extraordinarily fun, works incredible, and in the event that you can get it at a cost around $300, for all intents and purposes an easy decision. I adore it, my children cherish it, and insofar as you're reasonably OK with the look, not at all like Elon Musk 🛴💨 then you'll most likely adore it as well.

I found a slick video covering the "after one year" experience of owning the bike, and what you may in the long run keep running into or need to change.

(The primary concern to detract from this video is that pads super suck on tires this little, so be cautioned. I put Slime in my Mi's tires out of a plenitude of alert, however you could likewise go with strong tubeless tires – at the expense of some ride comfort – in case you're truly stressed.)

Saying this doesn't imply that that the electric bike experience is immaculate. There are a few difficulties with electric bikes, beginning with the greatest one: your nearby government has no clue how to control the darn things.

Do you need a cap?

It is safe to say that you are even permitted to legitimately ride them in broad daylight at all outside of private property?

The appropriate responses additionally fluctuate fiercely relying upon where you live, and with no consistency or clear rationale. Here are the ebb and flow electric bike laws in California, for what it's value, which require the rider to have a legitimate driver's permit (not normal for electric bikes) and furthermore deny them from walkways, the two of which I feel are burdensome and superfluous confinements.

One part of those laws I unquestionably concur with, be that as it may, is the 15 mile for each hour speed confinement. That is by the drove lively top speed for a standing grown-up with no extraordinary security gear. Anything quicker begins to get unequivocally … awkward. Think about this beast of a 1165KWh electric bike, with double engines and double suspension that goes up to forty freakin' miles every hour.

That … will be … frightening. Indeed, even the commentator, in full bike security gear, wasn't eager to drive it right to 40 MPH. What's more, I don't accuse him! In any case, since I've demonstrated to you the undisputed Honda Civic everyman spending model of electric bike in the M365, ideally this gives you a sample of the more extensive rising decent variety in these sorts of moderate electric vehicles. On the off chance that you need an extravagance electric bike, a ultralight electric bike, a rough terrain electric bike … everything are conceivable, at a cost.

Another reason the M365 is accessible for so modest is that is successor, the Xiaomi M365 Pro, was as of late discharged, in spite of the fact that it isn't exactly conceivable to acquire in the US at the moment.Having ridden my M365 a reasonable piece, I can affirm all the Pro enhancements are welcome, if gradual: greater battery and circle brake, more power, better show, improved hook instrument, and so on.

xiaomi-mi-m365-versus genius

None of those Pro enhancements, in any case, merit a 2× increment in cost so I'd prescribe staying with the M365 until further notice since its incentive is off the diagrams. Did I notice there's a bluetooth association, and an application, and it is conceivable to hack the M365 firmware? Entirely cool how electric vehicles are innately computerized, would it say it isn't?

Here are a couple of different perceptions in the wake of riding my M365 around a reasonable piece:

If it's not too much trouble be deferential around people on foot. The vast majority of the walkways around here are not occupied by any means, however the people on foot I experienced on the electric bike were certainly more gone crazy than I've seen before when utilizing standard kick bikes (or skateboards) on the walkway, which surprised me. An electric bike has more haul to it, both physically at 26 pounds, and in the 15 mile for every hour speed it can reach – yet additionally rationally as far as what it looks like and how individuals approach it. I prescribe backing off to simply above strolling speed when experiencing people on foot, and if there is a bicycle path accessible, I'd suggest utilizing that.

Slopes work incredible. The kryptonite of conventional kick bikes is slopes, and I'm satisfied to report that even with a hack sizable grown-up, for example, myself riding, I had the option to continue a decent above-strolling speed on most sensible slopes. Where I took a gander at a slope and thought "this presumably should work", it did. That is amazing, considering this isn't the overhauled Pro model with greater battery and all the more dominant engine. On pads and downhills the presentation is heavenly, as you'd anticipate. So, in the event that you are a huge or tall grown-up, or live in an especially uneven territory, hang tight for the Pro model or a comparable.

Transportability is great, however fringe. At ~26 pounds, the Bike Racks for Garage Storage Reviews is sensibly versatile, yet it's not something you a) could truly pull off taking inside a café/store with you to counteract burglary or b) need to bear on your individual for any huge time span. It's not so deft or convenient as a kick bike, however that is a high bar. You'll have to convey a bicycle lock and consider how to bolt your bike on bicycle racks, which ended up being … more geometrically testing than I foreseen because of the little tires, circle brakes, and the motor in the front wheel. They need increasingly clear bolting focuses on the skeleton.

Frankly with you regardless i'm mad about the entire Segway failure. There was such a great amount of promotion some time ago. That strange thing should change the world. Rather, we got … Paul Blart Mall Cop.

paul-blart-segway

A Segway was $5,000 at dispatch in 2001, which is an astounding $7,248 in expansion balanced dollars. Here in 2019, modest $200 to $300 electric bikes are essentially the transformational innovation the Segway should be, right? Are electric bikes the fate of (most) transportation? I don't know, however I do like where we're going, regardless of whether it took us twenty years to arrive.

#best electric scooters

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missolivialouise · 7 years ago

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For too long biking has been viewed skeptically as a white-people thing, a big city thing, an ultra-fit athlete thing, a twenty-something thing, a warm weather thing or an upper-middle class thing. And above all else, it's seen as a guy thing.

But guess what? The times they are a changing. More than 100 million Americans rode a bike in 2014, and bicycles have out-sold cars most years in the US since 2003. A couple other facts that may surprise you:

Latinos bike more than any other racial group, followed by Asians and Native Americans. African-Americans and Caucasians bike at about the same rate.

Most bicyclists are low-income according to census figures — as many as 49 percent of bike commuters make less than $25,000 a year.

As for other misperceptions, keep in mind that Minneapolis (in chilly Minnesota) and Arlington, VA (in suburban DC) rank among America’s top towns for biking. And the one place where bikes account for more than 20 percent of traffic on local streets is Davis, CA (pop: 65,000).

Slowly but surely, more U.S. communities are realizing that the future of mobility is bigger than cars. Biking is seen as an attractive, cost effective, healthy and convenient way to get around. Bike commuting tripled in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Portland and Denver from 1990 to 2012, and doubled in many other cities.

This success is changing what people see as possible for life on two wheels. There’s a new push to make bike-riding more mainstream by creating low-stress routes that conveniently take even inexperienced bicyclists to the places they want to go on networks of protected bike lanes (where riders are safely separated from speeding traffic) and neighborhood greenways (residential streets where bikers and walkers get priority).

But the culture shift in biking is about more than infrastructure. “It’s the transition from a small group of people who strongly identify as bicyclists to a bigger, broader grouping of people who simply ride bikes.” explains Randy Neufeld, a veteran bike activist from Chicago. The music star Beyonce has been known to pedal to some of her own concerts, for example, and the NBA’s Lebron James bikes to his games.

People who don’t ride are perplexed by this boom in biking. But it comes as no surprise to those who do; they know how good it feels to whoosh on a bike, wind in your face, blood pumping to your legs, the landscape unfolding all around. You feel fully alive.

“If you look at the bike infrastructure we had 20 years ago and what we have today, it’s mind-boggling,” says John Burke, president of Trek Bicycles. “But we still have a long way to go to make a bike-friendly America.”

A quick glance at other nations shows what’s possible. Across the Netherlands, 27 percent of all trips are made on bike — double the rate of the 1980s. Even Canadians bike significantly more than Americans. Montreal and Vancouver are arguably the two top cities for bicycling in North America despite freezing temperatures in one and heavy rainfall in the other. Why? The prevalence of protected bike lanes and other 21st century bike facilities.

But the United States is poised to catch up. Here are 10 reasons why the future of biking in America looks bright and promising:

1. Expanding Diversity Among Riders

People of color and riders over 60 are two of the fastest-growing populations of bicyclists. This is a clear sign of bicycling’s shift from an insider club of Lycra-clad hobbyists to a diverse cross-section of Americans who ride for all sorts of reasons — from getting groceries to losing weight to just having fun.

Megan Ramey and her daughter Annika ride on a protected bike lane in Boston. (Credit: Kyle Ramey)

2. Safer Streets for Kids

In 1969, 40 percent of all children walked or biked to school — by 2001, less than 13 percent did. Over the same period, rates of childhood obesity soared. That prompted US Representative James Oberstar of Minnesota to add $1.1 billion to the 2005 Transportation Bill to promote Safe Routes to Schools, a variety of projects and programs in all 50 states to make biking and walking less dangerous and more convenient for students K-12. By 2012 (latest figures available), the number of kids biking and walking to school jumped to 16 percent.

3. More Women Becoming Bike Advocates

Despite biking’s macho man image, almost a third of all bike trips were taken by women, according to 2009 Federal Highway Administration data. That number is very likely to rise in the upcoming count, thanks to streams of women becoming bike advocates — as grassroots activists, transportation professionals and bike industry leaders.

One telling statistic confirms this trend. In 1990, about 10 percent of the crowd at the influential Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place conference were women, remembers Wisconsin bike advocate Kit Keller. At the most recent conference, women outnumbered men in both the audience and among the speakers.

4. Comfortable, Convenient Bike Routes

Expanding access to biking means moving beyond stand-alone bike lanes to connected networks that give bicyclists the same ease of mobility that motorists enjoy on roads and pedestrians on sidewalks. That’s how many European nations have achieved big increases in bike ridership over recent decades. This vision — being jumpstarted in the US by the Big Jump Project — can already be glimpsed in certain neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Indianapolis, Austin, Calgary and Fort Collins, Colorado.

5. Bikes Available When You Want Them

Bikeshare systems — where a rental bike is yours at the swipe of a credit card or click on a smartphone — have swept across America since 2010. 88 million rides were taken on 42,000 bikes in the 55 largest systems last year, evidence that bikeshare is changing how people — including many who do not own a bike — get around town. Meanwhile in some US cities, a new kind of dockless bikeshare, where bicycles are available everywhere on the streets not just at designated stations, is resurrecting biking on a dramatic scale.

A woman shows off her practical, easy to ride electric bike (Source: electricbikeblog.com)

6. Riding Boosts Our Health

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity like bicycling five days a week based on medical studies showing that it reduces your chance of dementia, depression, anxiety, diabetes, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and other health threats by at least 40 percent. Enough said.

7. The Dawn of E-Bikes

This technological innovation — in which riders’ pedaling can be boosted by a rechargeable battery — answers many of the excuses people have for not biking: hills, long distances, sweaty clothes, strong winds, hot weather, cold weather, and not being able to carry things due to weight, says bike activist Randy Neufeld.

8. Curbing Climate Change

Almost daily headlines remind us that climate disruption is a problem we must fix now. Transportation makes up the second biggest source of greenhouse gases. Seventy-two percent of all trips three mile or less are made by motor vehicles today, the vast majority of which could be biked in less than twenty minutes.

9. The Emergence of Bike Planning and Advocacy as a Profession

Thousands of professionally-trained people are now employed by government, private business and nonprofit organizations to improve biking in America’s communities.

10. Better Communities—Even for Those Who Don’t Bike

When National Geographic magazine and the Gallup organization recently rated the 25 happiest cities in the US, the article’s author Dan Buettner noted, “There’s a high correlation between bikeability and happiness.” Even people who never hop on a bike benefit from bike-friendly improvements — a safer environment for walkers and drivers, less traffic and more active neighborhoods and business districts.

When our cities build and support bike infrastructure, they are making some of the most high return investments in their community. The rise in popularity of biking for all sorts of people should signal to our towns that its time to take this mode of transportation seriously and recognize its enormous potential for creating more economically resilient places.

#bikes #transportation #city planning #long post

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worldhotelvideo · 6 years ago

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Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova, Italy (Europe) Hotel. Welcome to Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova, Italy (Europe). Subscribe in http://goo.gl/VQ4MLN Common services available are: wifi available in all areas. golf course (within 3 km) and cycling. In the restaurant section we can enjoy: snack bar, vending machine (snacks), restaurant, breakfast in the room, vending machine (drinks), bar, grocery deliveries, special diet menus (on request) and room service. For your rest the accommodation has massage, spa facilities, spa and wellness centre, sun loungers or beach chairs, sauna, hot tub/jacuzzi, steam room, spa lounge/relaxation area, fitness centre and fitness. With regard to the transfer we have bicycle rental (additional charge), parking garage, car hire, secured parking, electric vehicle charging station, shuttle service, public transport tickets, accessible parking, street parking and shuttle service (additional charge). For reception services we can find luggage storage, currency exchange, newspapers, tour desk, ticket service, safety deposit box, express check-in/check-out and 24-hour front desk. Within the related spaces we will enjoy terrace and shared lounge/tv area and garden. For family leisure we will have babysitting/child services. The cleaning of the facilities will include shoeshine, dry cleaning, daily maid service, ironing service and laundry. If you arrive for business reasons in the accommodation you will have business centre, fax/photocopying and meeting/banquet facilities. We can highlight other services like bridal suite, facilities for disabled guests, air conditioning, non-smoking rooms, allergy-free room, heating, designated smoking area, non-smoking throughout, soundproof rooms, vip room facilities, wheelchair accessible, family rooms and lift [https://youtu.be/O3XV7Xutb0k] Book now cheaper in https://ift.tt/2J330WU You can find more info in https://ift.tt/2KTJJMo We hope you have a pleasant stay in Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova Other hotels in Padova Four Points by Sheraton Padova https://youtu.be/4OYfMczcWdU Majestic Toscanelli https://youtu.be/BNKRXcmjo8M Best Western Hotel Biri https://youtu.be/7Wyv5j1la1Y Hotel Giovanni https://youtu.be/i-dqMh9_n_Q AC Hotel Padova, a Marriott Lifestyle Hotel. https://youtu.be/BU4tkZDh5fY Hotel Grand'Italia https://youtu.be/M7jbWXZcEpQ Other hotels in this channel Royal Park Hotel https://youtu.be/RYyqy6gXlq4 Shoregate Hotels https://youtu.be/8RvdCYoQqI0 Hilton New York Fashion District https://youtu.be/314xq-l3AL0 Hilton Abu Dhabi https://youtu.be/dpYrtbOjQWM Omni San Francisco https://youtu.be/ntIIHXTi6jM Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora https://youtu.be/Rme5--z3ovM Hotel Mediterraneo Carihuela https://youtu.be/32Z0VYFlv94 Ammatara Pura Pool Villa https://youtu.be/eh0b7I2q7Ig Rove Trade Centre https://youtu.be/vFWE22Jt0RE https://youtu.be/vXObvsixRzY Palm Beach Resort & Spa https://youtu.be/WzJzAhXa9rk Hôtel Fitz Roy https://youtu.be/ygcELl6KUm0 Casa Mãe https://youtu.be/j7Rx9lyU5UQ Avonmore Hotel https://youtu.be/EpF1CJqzK5w Chi https://youtu.be/rd9IxedE0M4 In Padova we recommended to visit In the Italy you can visit some of the most recommended places such as Basílica de San Antonio de Padua, Capilla de los Scrovegni, Palazzo della Ragione, Basílica de Santa Justina, Church of the Eremitani, Eremitani Museums, Bo Palace, MUSME and Museo La Specola. We also recommend that you do not miss Zuckermann Palace, Palazzo Angeli, Palazzo Zabarella, Ponte San Lorenzo, Esapolis, Memoria e Luce, We hope you have a pleasant stay in Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova and we hope you enjoy our top 10 of the best hotels in Italy based in Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova Tripadvisor Reviews. All images used in this video are or have been provided by Booking. If you are the owner and do not want this video to appear, simply contact us. You can find us at https://ift.tt/2iPJ6Xr by World Hotel Video

#whv #YouTube

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un-enfant-immature · 4 years ago

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The Station: Summer of the SPAC, Adam Neumann returns and the Nissan Ariya debuts

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every Saturday in your inbox.

Hello and welcome back to The Station, a newsletter dedicated to all the present and future ways people and packages move from Point A to Point B.

The dog days of summer are almost upon us. Technically, we won’t enter this period until July 22. In normal times, vacation season would be well underway and the hit song of the summer would be established and a regular guest at every beach party, barbecue and dance club. That’s not exactly what’s going down this summer. However, we do have ourselves a hit financial instrument of the season. The SPAC, or Special Purpose Acquisition Company, is this summer’s “Seniorita.” Everywhere you turn, there it is.

More on the SPACs and other fun stuff below. Vamos!

Reach out and email me anytime at [email protected] to share thoughts, criticisms, offer up opinions or tips. You can also send a direct message to me at Twitter — @kirstenkorosec.

Micromobbin’

We know that COVID-19 has changed the way we work and move around cities when we do leave our homes. Public transit ridership has dropped in many dense urban areas. And so did shared scooter and bike ridership, although there is evidence that these two modes of transportation are rebounding.

Micromobility company Lime looked at its ridership data the month before the lockdown began and compared it with the month after. Lime CEO Wayne Ting noted in a blog post this week a few emerging trends. People are riding scooters 34% longer and 18% farther; and they’re using them for recreation and to run errands. Lime also discovered that travel is starting in neighborhoods more often than in pre-COVID times.

And bikes, as we’ve noted here before, are back and more popular than ever. Lime said its e-bike rental service has seen record usage, with users taking longer journeys and the bikes being used more frequently. In London, Lime recorded its highest-ever usage in a single day last month, with over 4,000 new users, the company said.

While the survey by Lime might seem self serving, the data has been compelling enough to change how, and more specifically where, it operates. The company has taken the bikes and scooters out of areas typically dominated by tourists and moved them into neighborhoods. It’s also rolled out new flex passes and is finally bringing some of those Jump bikes back to cities.

In other micromobility news …

In the mopeds arena, TechCrunch’s Catherine Shu examines Taiwan-based WeMo and its plans to expand internationally.

Meanwhile, shared electric moped startup Revel received a permit that will allow it to operate in San Francisco, beginning in August. Revel will start with a fleet of 432 mopeds featuring a new paint scheme and a more powerful engine to help riders get up and over the city’s infamously steep hills.

Over in the bikes world, a new brand has emerged called Superstrata that hopes to standout with its 3D printed carbon fiber unibody that is based on precise measurements of each customer. Superstrata told TechCrunch that this translates into more than 250,000 unique combinations

But Superstrata is not just some new bike startup. It’s a new brand under Arevo, the Bay Area-based additive manufacturing startup. Superstrata is meant to demonstrate Arevo’s push into manufacturing as a service and composite additive manufacturing.

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition will hold its two-day summit virtually next month. Registration is $50. While many of the discussions will have a local focus, these are universal issues that cities around the U.S. and beyond face. Expect discussions on slow streets movement, equity, bikeway designs and safety.

Deal of the week

Remember way back in January when it looked like direct listings were the going to be the favored method to bringing a company public? Welp, direct listings are out and SPACs are in.

Electric car maker Fisker has become the latest example of this trend. The company, which just raised $50 million from investors, said it reached an agreement to merge with Spartan Energy Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management Inc. As a result, Fisker will become a public company with a valuation of $2.9 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

Fisker said this will provide the funding it needs to bring its first product, the all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV, to production in late 2022.

The agreement marks the latest company to turn to SPACs in lieu of a traditional IPO process. Online used car marketplace startup Shift Technologies, Velodyne Lidar and Nikola Motor have all gone public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company.

SPACs are not new, even if you’re learning about them for the first time. Would a SPAC by any other name smell as sweet? Why yes, yes it would. These have been around for decades and have gone by different names, including “blind pools” and “clean shell companies.” These blank-check companies — see another name — is a corporation that has no defined business plan or purpose other than to raise money from public markets to acquire a private company.

Other deals that got our attention this week …

Adam Neumann, the controversial co-founder and former CEO of WeWork, is back and investing in the shared economy. This time with a focus on mobility.

Neumann’s family office, 166 2nd Financial Services, invested $10 million into GoTo Global as part of a $19 million Series B round. GoTo Global is a shared mobility company that operates in Israel and Malta and aims to expand into Europe later this year. The company is aiming to cover the entire range of shared vehicles from cars and mopeds to bicycles and electric scooters.

Neumann has a 33% stake in GoTo Global and can appoint one board member on his behalf. Existing shareholder Shagrir Group Vehicle Services, a publicly traded Israeli company, also participated in the round.

Drover, a UK startup that provides access to flexible car subscriptions for private users, raised £20.5 million ($25.7 million) in a round of funding co-led by Target Global, RTP Global (the Russian company formerly known as ru-Net) and Autotech Ventures. New investors Channel 4 Ventures and Rider Global, as well as previous backers Cherry Ventures, BP Ventures, Partech, Version One and Forward Partners also participated. Drover did not disclose its valuation. The company has raised £27.5 million to date.

Chinese electric automaker Li Auto filed for a $100 million IPO and plans to list on the Nasdaq. (missed this filing last Friday). The company recently raised $550 million.

Navistar and self-driving trucks startup TuSimple deepened their two-year relationship and announced plans to develop and begin producing autonomous semi trucks by 2024. Navistar also took an undisclosed stake in TuSimple. The plan is to move away from retrofitting the Navistar International commercial trucks that TuSimple currently uses and instead develop semi trucks specifically designed for autonomous operations.

Self-driving trucks startup Plus.ai is in talks to raise $60 million, The Information reported. The fundraising for the company that is based in China and the U.S., is still under negotiation. Hong Kong-based investment and securities firm Guotai Junan International is expected to lead the round that could value Plus.ai between $600 million to $1 billion.

Skydio raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by Next47. New investors Levitate Capital and NTT DOCOMO Ventures joined the round with existing backers a16z, IVP and Playground. The funding will be used to accelerate product development efforts, expand its go-to-market strategy beyond consumer applications to enterprise and public sector drone technology.

Uber acquired Routematch, an Atlanta-based company that provides software to transit agencies as the ride-hailing company looks to offer more SaaS-related services to cities. Expect more public transit SaaS deals.

Uber did not share terms of the deal. This doesn’t appear to be a minor “acqui-hire,” in which a company is purchased to land a few talented employees. Instead, Uber is making a strategic acquisition for a company that has developed software used by more than 500 transit agencies. The operations of the 170-person company will continue and CEO Pepper Harward will remain.

More Uber news. This time the company is reportedly talking with investors about taking a stake in its Uber Freight division, Bloomberg reported. Discussions are underway to raise $500 million, a round that would give the freight business a standalone valuation of about $4 billion after the deal.

Startup spotlight

The startup spotlight is like a mini version of my “startup editions” newsletter that was sent out earlier this month. I’m not using a scientific method to pick these startups and when I do, it might not even be tied to a particular announcement. Basically, if I see something interesting I will put it here.

Which brings me to Onfleet, a SaaS company that created a platform for last-mile delivery services across a wide array of industries. The software platform handles the logistics of delivery such as route planning, dispatch, real-time tracking, analytics and communications for companies like Imperfect Foods, MedMen and Total Wine & More. As you might suspect, deliveries are hot right now. But that doesn’t mean Onfleet hasn’t had to adjust.

Image Credits: Onfleet

Co-founder and CEO Khaled Naim and I spoke awhile back about how the company has had to change in response to COVID-19. For instance, the company created a contactless signature feature that it rolled out in early May. Now its corporate customers can include a special URL in the SMS notifications that go out to recipients when a driver gets close to their destination. The user, say a person waiting for that wine or beer delivery, is then prompted to sign for the package on their phone. It has been a critical addition for regulated industries such as alcohol, cannabis and pharmaceuticals, where a signature is legally required, Naim said, noting these are significant segments for the company.

Onfleet has seen deliveries explode since March and is now averaging more than one delivery per second throughout the week, with peaks of more than three deliveries per second, Naim said.

Global delivery volume is up with notable spikes in alcohol, cannabis, grocery, pharmacy, prepared meals, meal kits and restaurants. He added that a handful of sectors like catering, laundry and dry cleaning have been hit pretty hard by COVID-19.

There are new segments emerging as well. For instance, seafood distributors and breweries, which once were delivering to restaurants, have shifted to business-to-consumer operations. Pet food deliveries are also up as local pet stores find new opportunities to generate revenue.

“A lot of our customers have been stretched and are trying to serve an increase in demand, while at the same time struggling with a shortage of drivers,” Naim said.

In response, Onfleet created a delivery driver job board to connect drivers with delivery gigs globally. And as global demand has surged, Onfleet had to add four languages to its driver app, including Italian, German, Dutch, and Arabic. French and Spanish have been available for awhile now.

If you have a mobility startup that has adjusted its business model due to COVID-19 or have some interesting data to share, email me. As always, I never promise coverage but I will take a look.

Notable reads and other tidbits

More transportation news! Let’s get to it.

Autonomous vehicles

AutoX, autonomous vehicle startup backed by Alibaba, has been granted a permit in California to begin driverless testing on public roads in a limited area in San Jose.

German lawmakers are preparing legislation that could commercialize driverless vehicle technology by next summer. The landmark legislation, if passed, would provide a long overdue framework that would cover both homologation and road traffic requirements for robotaxis in which the computer controls the vehicle at all times, Automotive News Europe reported.

Nuro posted a blog in Medium about food deserts and the role that autonomous delivery bots will play in providing more healthy options to underserved communities. The company calculated how many homes could theoretically be reached within 30 minutes from all major supermarkets with a self-driving delivery vehicle operating at speeds up to 45 mph. Nuro compared that data to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) data on food desert locations. The startup said it could reach 14 million low-income households in food deserts nationwide, or 70% of the total low-income population in food deserts. (Again, this is all theoretical at this point. I noted here to illustrate potential scale and the company’s ambitions.)

SAFE published a report called Fostering Economic Opportunity through Autonomous Vehicle Technology that aimed to better understand the transportation challenges in low-income communities. The study concluded that about two-thirds of Americans live in neighborhoods that are beyond their means because of largely unseen transportation costs. SAFE, of course, sees autonomous vehicles as a way out. The hypothesizes that AV transportation could reduce household costs by as much as $5,600 per household.

Cities

Berkeley is taking police officers out of traffic enforcement and replacing them with unarmed employees of a newly formed Department of Transportation, per Streetsblog.

Silicon Valley cities San Jose, Cupertino and Santa Clara have been mulling a transit system that would connect its growing airport with major employers and other high-profile destinations along the Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor, an area that includes Apple headquarters. The group asked companies to submit proposals for innovative transit modes. A consultant, who hired to evaluate the proposals from companies that included The Boring Company, BYD and Bombardier, has released its findings. San Jose Mercury News has the breakdown of the top proposals, which included personal pod cars, hyperloop and driverless shuttles.

It’s electric

Dan Brouillette, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, announced $139 million in federal funding for 55 projects that will support advanced vehicle technologies. Six of these innovative projects will be led by teams in Michigan.

BMW struck a long-term deal with Swedish-based Northvolt for $2.3 billion worth of battery cells. The battery cells will be produced in Europe at the Northvolt factory that is under construction in northern Sweden.

Nissan is moving on from the Leaf. The automaker unveiled the Nissan Ariya, an all-electric SUV with an estimated 300 miles of range and a starting price tag of $40,000 that marks the beginning of a four-year plan aiming for growth and profitability. The Nissan Ariya will first be sold in Japan in mid-2021, before heading to dealerships in the U.S. and Canada later in the year, the company said in digital event in Yokohama, Japan.

Image Credits: Nissan

Tesla has secured more than $61 million of tax incentives if it builds a $1.1 billion factory near Austin, Texas. Commissioners in Travis County, home to Austin and the possible next Tesla factory, approved Tuesday property tax breaks worth at least $14.7 million — and potentially more — over 10 years. The incentives are on top of $46.6 million in property tax abatement that the Del Valle School District Board approved earlier this month.

Elon Musk disputed a German court ruling that bans the company from using on its website or other advertising terms like Autopilot or “full potential for autonomous driving.”

Future Cars!

Automakers are rethinking the interior of vehicles, the WSJ reports.

Ford relaunched Bronco after a 24-year hiatus. There was an abundance of coverage on the Bronco 2, Bronco 4 and Bronco Sport — including my story that looked at how the automaker leaned heavily on nostalgia, customization, functional design and technology.

Image credits: Ford

And finally, as autonomous vehicle technology companies continue the slog towards commercially deployed Level 4 trucks and robotaxis, automakers have turned to advanced driver assistance systems. It’s a trend that I first noticed back in late 2018 and into early 2019. Now, it’s at full tilt as automakers race to offer hands-free — but driver engaged — systems. Reuters examines the ramifications and challenges to this pursuit.

See ya’ll next week.

#TechCrunch

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derekdickey · 4 years ago

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Junking JUMP e-bikes, e-scooters draws bike advocates' ire

SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Uber is under fire from cycling advocates about shipping unwanted e-bikes and e-scooters to a scrap yard despite the country amid a bike shortage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this month, Lime acquired Uber's JUMP bike-share line of e-bikes and e-scooters. While Lime took possession of much of the inventory, Uber was left with thousands of bikes and scooters. Advocates say the bikes and scooters could've been donated, with bikes becoming a more popular means of transportation in the age of COVID-19.

A Florida businessman, Cris Moffitt, posted photos and a short video on Twitter on May 22 of the JUMP bikes at the North Carolina scrap yard. He also posted two more seconds-long videos four days later. The videos have garnered between 38,000 and 110,000 views as of Thursday afternoon.

RT to MAKE A CHANGE Hey @JUMPbyUber, why is this happening? TEN semi loads of good bikes trashed⁉️ Let's collaborate on a non-profit to repaint & repurpose these. Give kids transportation to their first jobs@Casey want to help?pic.twitter.com/N8Uv82tr1B

— Cris Moffitt (@CrisMoffitt) May 22, 2020

Moffitt told BRAIN a friend who works in the scrap yard took the videos and photos. He said the battery packs and tires were removed before the bikes and scooters were destroyed.

"I just felt like it was a very unfortunate outcome and maybe I could get it some exposure on Twitter to pressure them to do something better," said Moffitt, who added the inventory should've been donated.

Uber, which did not return BRAIN's request for comment, told NBCNews.com it did not know if donation was an option. The spokesperson said even if new owners were willing to maintain the bikes and scooters, Lime's intellectual property rights might have been violated.

Rudi Riet, a former JUMP employee and cycling advocate, tweeted Tuesday that it's a "gut punch to all of us who put our skin in the game. Shame on Uber for doing this. You had the best bike in the micromobility and bike-share industry, and now it's just ... gone. Friends and former colleagues put years' worth of work into this."

The Bike Share Museum, which acquires retired rental bikes, criticized Uber's decision on its website, writing, "We also can't emphasize enough how disgusting it is for Uber to scrap 20,000 bicycles in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic where bicycles have literally become an object of survival. Heavy as they are, these could be transportation for the many who have been brought to financial ruin during COVID-19."

Kurt Kaminer, founder and curator of the museum, told BRAIN he wasn't surprised.

"Deep down inside, I knew something like this would probably happen, as much as I probably tried not to think of it," Kaminer said. "It is almost standard end-of-life treatment — no matter how premature — for this type of equipment, whether bicycle or electric scooter."

Kaminer said he rode the JUMP e-bike model 5.0 and "took an extra special interest in it." He said he found sets of 5.0 wheels on eBay and began to learn about the scrapping operation that was confirmed by Moffitt's photos and videos.

"At any rate, it doesn't excuse any company that has diverted the raw materials and carbon footprint to bring 20,000 bicycles to the world under the premise of reducing emissions, no less, and then make a last-minute decision to scrap them," he said.

A Lime spokesperson told BRAIN it acquired "tens of thousands of (JUMP) e-bikes — including the spare parts and tools to fix them — and have already begun to deploy them. We have not recycled any of the JUMP e-bikes in our fleet and are committed to scaling and operating them during this critical time. Once the transaction officially closes, we plan to work with Uber to find sustainable ways to donate and re-use any remaining e-bikes in their inventory."

Heard the decision may lie with @limebike instead of @JUMPbyUber. Maybe someone has a contact that can see value in a better outcome? Keep the message going! #CreateChange #SenselessWaste #BikesForKids pic.twitter.com/TeMIpQ1hi3

— Cris Moffitt (@CrisMoffitt) May 27, 2020

Uber sent unwanted e-bikes and e-scooters to a scrap yard.

Batteries were removed before the bikes and scooters were destroyed.

Junking JUMP e-bikes, e-scooters draws bike advocates' ire published first on https://throttlebuff.weebly.com/

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years ago

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E-scooters suddenly appeared everywhere, but now they’re riding into serious trouble

Brussels. San Diego. Bogotá. Walk around any major tourist destination these days, and you’ll see them.

Electric scooters, gliding silently around city center streets, zipping through traffic signals, or abandoned — lying on the street, propped up against trees or, in some cases, dumped in rivers.

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Scooter-sharing systems similar to city bike schemes have sprung up in more than 100 cities worldwide as their popularity has grown.

But this tiny-wheeled transport revolution could be about to end as quickly as it began.

While they’ve attracted admirers for their convenience and fun, they’ve also incurred the wrath of those annoyed at having to leap out of people riding across sidewalks or step over scooters lying in their path.

There are also mounting safety concerns and questions about environmental claims made about using them.

This month, Singapore announced a trial prohibition of e-scooters on sidewalks that could become an all-out ban next year. It took the decision, says Lam Pin Min, senior minister of state for transport, following the death of a cyclist who collided with an e-scooter. Local news reports said one Singapore hospital had reported six deaths of scooter riders in 2019.

Meanwhile in France, a sidewalk scooter ban was enforced in September, three months after a rider was hit by a truck and killed.

In the UK, scooters are also banned from all public roads, sidewalks and cycle lanes — although that hasn’t stopped them being a regular presence on all three.

The UK now insists that retailers including Amazon put safety warnings on packaging, a measure introduced in October, after a YouTube star, Emily Hartridge, was killed riding an e-scooter in London in July.

‘Disproportionately affecting’ those with disabilities

The scooter revolution has been billed as a green way to get around big cities, with rental apps acting in the same way as city bike schemes. You pick them up, pay by the minute and drop them off at your destination.

Where some city bikes often have docking stations — to which the bikes must be returned for the fees to stop — scooters can be picked up or dropped off anywhere.

A picture taken in Paris on July 31, 2018 shows electric scooters of US start-up Bird. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)

And while that may be handy — apps like Lime, Bird and countless local spinoffs have live maps showing users where the nearest scooters are — it’s causing issues for other road users.

Simon Minty, a disability and diversity consultant who presents the Ouch disability podcast for the BBC, was in Brussels this summer when he came across abandoned scooters blocking the sidewalks.

“I predict these two wheeled electric scooters will become very annoying,” he tweeted. “They seem to be abandoned, in the middle of the pavement, everywhere I go. I saw three from the station to my hotel.”

Minty says that a friend who’d been to Paris said the situation in the French capital before the September ban was “exactly the same.”

People with disabilities are “disproportionately affected,” he says. “You’re going to hit these, and you’ll be absolutely stuffed.”

Environmentally friendly — if you’re replacing a car

Proponents of scooters say that they’re environmentally friendly. “Cruise past traffic and cut back on CO2 emissions,” trumpets Bird’s website.

But an August 2019 paper by researchers from North Carolina State University found that they may not be as green as you’d think.

In fact, traveling by scooter has a higher carbon footprint than going by bus or moped — as well as on a bike or on foot, according to Jeremiah Johnson, an associate professor at NCSU who led the research published in the Environmental Research Letters journal.

Instead of looking at scooter carbon footprint per journey, Johnson and his team looked at the entire lifecycle of scooters — crucial because they are notoriously short-lived, he says, with customers mistreating them.

The materials used to make the scooters — an aluminum frame, lithium battery and rubber wheels — all result in an environmental burden, he says. As does the manufacturing.

“They have a really short lifetime, especially in this application of them,” he tells CNN. “Aluminum doesn’t provide much service. They only last several months.”

What’s more, because users can ditch them wherever they like, rental apps pay third parties to round up the scooters every night, grouping them more sensibly for the morning’s customers, he says.

“They receive compensation per scooter, so there’ll be folks doing this as a side hustle, students trying to make money — it’s a prime source of income,” he says.

“It’s very competitive and done in a very short window, and they’re largely driving their personal cars to pick them up. That’s a pretty big share of the impact.”

Lime scooters are taken to warehouses each night by a local operations team, said a spokesperson. Senior director at Bird, Caroline Hazlehurst, said that Bird’s scooters are collected “regularly, but not always every day… How we collect them changes from country to country.”

But she added: “Every town and city throughout the world suffers from the same two problems: too many cars creating congestion which in turn leads to poor air quality.”

Of course, they also need to be charged overnight. And the final thing to take into account is what method of transport they’re replacing.

If you’re scootering to work instead of driving yourself solo, the scooter is a “clear environmental win,” says NCSU’s Johnson. But, he says, many people surveyed in Raleigh, where the university is based, said that pre-scooter, they’d cycle or walk to work.

While many people in the US drive to work — and Johnson is clear that “in moving away from car ownership it’s almost certainly a win for environmental performance” — in European cities, where public transport is the norm, using a scooter is therefore relatively less green, he says.

The upshot?

“Scooters look innocuous but people tend not to think about the unseen cost,” Johnson says.

Hazlehurst says that Bird has changed its scooters from “consumer grade” to a “vastly different” and “rugged” version since they launched. Its “Bird One” model now has a lifetime of around 18 months, she said, while its latest model Bird Two can last two years.

Lime says that its third generation model is “demonstrating a lifespan of more than 12 months.” Its spokesperson says that Johnson’s study “raises important issues” but “doesn’t capture Lime’s approach today.”

“We’ve already taken steps to reduce our environmental impact, including streamlining our charging operations, powering our scooters with 100% renewable energy, offsetting the emissions from fleet vehicles, and establishing a robust repair and reuse program to extend the life cycle of our products,” the spokesperson said.

Where are scooters legal?

Rules on e-scooters vary around the world. In the UK, riding one on a road can net users six penalty points on their driving license. Riding them on the sidewalk, cyclepath or footpath is subject to a £300 ($385) fine.

A report by the UK House of Commons Library in August suggested that things could change in the future, but a spokesperson for the Department for Transport declined to comment, citing rules around the upcoming UK election.

In Paris, while you can ride them on the road, using them on the sidewalk can incur a €135 fine, while dumping them in a doorway, on a crosswalk or in another antisocial place incurs a €35 fine.

“Pavements are only for pedestrians,” mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted in March this year.

Germany approved e-scooter use this year, though not on sidewalks unless in “exceptional” circumstances. Bird’s Caroline Hazlehurst says that “especially in Europe, we’re seeing cities and countries change laws to specifically allow scooters to operate.”

In Sweden, where scooters are classified as bicycles and allowed on sidewalks or footpaths, 241 accidents have been registered this year alone including one death. Tomas Eneroth, the Swedish minister for infrastructure, has called the situation “a mess.”

The law in Spain was changed this year. E-scooters can no longer be used on sidewalks. Additionally, they are banned in Barcelona. Madrid authorities in October refused to grant licenses to ride-sharing companies Bird, Lime and Voi.

In the United States, over 100 cities have e-scooters, and Americans took 38.5 million trips on them, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

Portland, Oregon, is midway through a year-long trial, following a four-month pilot in 2018.

The 2018 program “raised concerns about people riding e-scooters on sidewalks, in violation of state traffic laws, creating conflict with people walking and people with disabilities,” says a statement from the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

The PBOT will “evaluate the program” following the pilot.

It used to be illegal to use the scooters in New York City, but a law change in summer 2019 means that you can use your own, if you have one — although ride-sharing rentals are still banned.

And in LA, authorities this month suspended Uber’s permit to rent e-scooters because of its failure to share ride-tracking data with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Seven other companies are licensed to rent scooters in LA though.

And in San Francisco, the scooter companies were dubbed “spoiled brats” by Aaron Peskin, one of the legislators who voted to clamp down on the companies when they were introduced in 2018.

In April 2019, however, the city granted permits to four companies: Jump, Lime, Spin, and Scoot, the last of which had previously been operating.

San Diego struggles to cope

San Diego has been at the forefront of scooter wars since the machines arrived in February 2018. The city is awash with more than 19,000 scooters, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune — with almost 15,000 complaints about them to the city authorities over the summer, 3,700 scooters impounded for parking violations, and almost 500 riders receiving traffic tickets.

Since April, the city has instated “corrals” — designated parking spots by the roadside for scooters, outlined with paint on the road. Riders can be fined for dumping a scooter on the street in a block that has a corral.

In April, the council introduced new restrictions on scooters, including speed limits in pedestrian-heavy places like Balboa Park, and a parking ban in places with speed limits below 8 mph, including beachfront boardwalks and in Little Italy.

Council member Barbara Bry, a vocal critic of the scooters, called for a moratorium in July, although it has not been approved. In December, the council will debate banning scooters on the beach boardwalks entirely.

“Throughout the city, I continue to see riders using the sidewalk, multiple riders on one scooter, and scooters strewn about the sidewalks, rather than in designated corrals,” she tells CNN.

“San Diego was slow to respond when scooters started showing up on our streets. While it has been inactive, other cities like Portland and Santa Monica have issued requests for proposals that include a fee structure, operational standards, data sharing and insurance requirements.”

She said the City has “let a technology overtake us rather than assist and empower our communities with safe and sustainable micro-mobility options,” and said that “all of downtown is experiencing cluttered sidewalks.”

“The corrals are overflowing with scooters that leak out into the road and automobile parking spaces,” she said.

The mayor of San Diego was not available for comment.

Victims of scooter crashes are cashing in

Catherine Lerer, a personal injury attorney based in Santa Monica, where scooters were introduced to the United States, says that over the past 18 months, she’s spoken to around 400 victims of scooter injuries — both riders and pedestrians. She believes them to be more accident-prone than bikes because of their smaller, more solid wheels and a more precarious center of gravity for users.

“It’s imperative that cities get ahead of any e-scooter rollout, otherwise they will be hamstrung in terms of regulating the scooters and sanctioning the operators,” she tells CNN.

Authorities should ban nighttime use, sidewalk riding and allowing the scooters on roads that have a speed limit of more than 25 mph, she argues in a list of 25 recommendations.

She says authorities should also insist that riders wear helmets, prohibit sidewalk parking, install tech that alerts the companies if a scooter isn’t upright, and fit the devices with lights, reflectors, turn signals, kickstands and identification numbers.

She says the devices should emit noises that can be heard by nearby pedestrians, to help those with disabilities.

For its part, Lime says it is tailoring its scooter roll outs so that they work with specific destinations and urges careful consideration before new legislation is introducted.

“Lime is committed to partnering with cities to build the right shared mobility program for each community,” a spokesperson said.

“We know the positive impact micromobility can have on communities around the globe… and we’re dedicated to collaborating with our city partners to tackle these challenges together.

“We support regulations that promote safety and greater transportation access without stifling innovation or consumer choice.”

Scooter fans still keen

Despite the issues, though, the enthusiasm of scooter fans show no sign of waning — and for some, replacing a putative car journey feels like the right thing to do.

Cyndi Hutchenson, a copywriter from South Florida, commutes via scooter most days — a journey of around 10 minutes. She has a monthly pass, costing $15, which allows her 30 minutes of scootering per day.

“I don’t have a car, and I don’t really want one,” she says. “I live downtown, and everything I want to reach is a relatively cheap Uber Pool away, if it’s outside scooter limits. And I’m new to the city, so I want to get to know it better.

“I’m conscious of the environmental impact difference of riding an electric scooter versus riding in a car every day. I also know that, were I to have a car, I’d be making more unnecessary trips or traveling farther outside my neighborhood for things I can easily have a range of within a scooter ride

“The buses are not convenient (in terms of timing, cleanliness, safety, and payment methods) in my city and don’t even go to my workplace.”

The future of e-scooters

But as cities continue to clamp down, and the accidents mount up, scootering around the globe might not be free and easy forever.

“I don’t want to be a killjoy, they do look a lot of fun,” says Simon Minty. “They’re exciting, new technology, they mean fewer cars on the roads — but people have to realize that there’s responsibility that comes with them.

“It’s not just people with disabilities. Parents with prams, older people — a whole bundle of people will be affected if we have to navigate round these scooters.

“I don’t quite understand how people can just leave them in the street. It just blows my mind a little bit.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/11/22/e-scooters-suddenly-appeared-everywhere-but-now-theyre-riding-into-serious-trouble/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/11/22/e-scooters-suddenly-appeared-everywhere-but-now-theyre-riding-into-serious-trouble/

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bicyclelaw · 5 years ago

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Electric Scooter Accidents In Denver

Over the last two years, Denver sidewalks have been inundated with the latest trend of electric scooters. Since 2017, industry pioneers Lime, Bird, Lyft, and Razor have imported 2,840 electric scooters and 500 dockless bikes through Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Permit Program. According to Denver Public Works, these devices travel over 12,000 miles every day. Touted as an affordable and environmentally friendly mode of short-distance transportation, the question of safety remains largely unanswered. As data continues to develop, it is clear these devices pose a safety risk to the community. Denver’s Law on Operating Electric Scooters on Sidewalks Currently, Denver ordinances allow electric scooters to operate in bike lanes and streets with speed limits of 30MPH or less. If neither is an option, electric scooters can operate on sidewalks, traveling at a speed of 6MPH or less. Feedback from Denver’s Dockless Mobility Pilot Program has caused Denver Public Works to recommend several revisions to Denver’s ordinances regarding electric scooters and bikes. Specifically, the proposed revision would prohibit electric scooters on sidewalks. If approved, riders would be required to obey traffic-control signals and signs applicable to all vehicles. What Risks do Electric Scooters Pose? The convenience and flexibility of electric scooters cause many potential safety risks. Users often ride on sidewalks at maximum speeds. This sets them up for a possible collision with a pedestrian. While such a collision may be less likely to result in serious injury or death, a collision with a pedestrian at 15MPH could send both the rider and the pedestrian to the hospital. If Denver’s new ordinance passes, users of electric scooters will be forced to the streets and bike lanes. This could potentially lead to even greater safety risks. Roadways in Denver are not designed for the new transportation mode. Accordingly, drivers and cyclists are unfamiliar with accounting for electric scooters and bikes in traffic and may be slow to react when a rider navigates through traffic. In addition, scooters can be difficult to spot by drivers on the road, increasing the risk of riders being hit by cars. Laws and rules governing the operation of electric scooters and bikes vary from municipality to municipality. New York City, for example, has banned all devices from operating in city limits, partly because of concerns about adding more mayhem to the city’s already crowded sidewalks. Other cities have entered into exclusive contracts with some companies and not others. San Francisco has banned Bird and Lime from operating in city limits but rivals Scoot and Skip are permitted to operate in San Francisco because of their professed commitment to community engagement and rider-safety training. Washington, D.C., has allowed electric scooters and bikes but the District Department of Transportation capped the top speed of scooters at 10MPH. Faced with legal challenges in other areas and threats of more citywide bans, these companies have become more proactive about safety. For example, Lime recently released an upgraded Gen 3 model with bigger wheels and extra rear brakes. Lime has also given out over 250,000 free helmets to riders and invested more than $3 million in rider education. Bird has similarly given out thousands of helmets and has launched the new Bird Zero models, which offer larger wheels and a lower center of gravity. Bird also announced a plan to launch a Global Safety Advisory Committee focused on both rider and pedestrian safety. Involved in an Accident with an Electric Scooter? While it is impossible to predict when or where an accident will take place, knowing what to do in the event of a crash can help save lives, reduce injuries, and also make the claims process simpler easier. Accidents can be filled with adrenaline and confusion. Drivers should remember the necessary steps after an accident to help protect everyone involved. Get to a Safe Area: Get to a safe area, especially if you were riding in the road at the time of the collision. Check on Anyone Else Involved: Electric scooters and bike may involve the scooter and a motor vehicle, another scooter, a pedestrian, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, or a skateboarder. After moving to a safe area, you should immediately check on anyone else involved in the accident. Call 911: In the event of an accident involving an electric scooter, you should contact 911 to report what happened and to request an ambulance if you are injured. Make sure you provide the reporting officer with an honest and truthful statement of how the accident occurred. Gather Information While you Wait for Police: Make sure to get the information of any other person involved in the collision. This includes taking a picture of their driver’s license and insurance card. If involved in an incident with a motor vehicle, document the make, model, year and license plate of the vehicles involved. It is also important to gather as much evidence as you can at the scene. This includes take down a statement and information of any witness or anyone else involved in the incident. Go to the Hospital: Visit an emergency room if you were injured in an accident involving an electric scooter or bike. If you refuse treatment at the scene and refuse transport to the emergency room, you should see your family doctor within 24 hours of the accident. Even if you do not feel you were seriously injured, it is important to document medical treatment after a crash, particularly if injuries present themselves later down the road. Contact an attorney: In a car, bike, or pedestrian accident, you may have a pretty clear understanding of your rights, how liability works, and whether insurance is going to cover your injuries. As electric scooters and bikes are a relatively new phenomenon, you may be less sure about your rights or liability in the event of an accident. This is why you should contact an experienced Denver personal injury lawyer. Who is Liable in an Electric Scooter Accident? While drivers of vehicles are required to carry liability insurance, electric scooter drivers have no such requirement. Automobile insurance generally does not cover scooter or bicycle rentals. Liability, however, depends on various factors: At-fault rider: If the scooter rider was at fault, s/he can be held financially responsible for your injuries. If the rider has homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, that insurance company might cover your claim. Scooter company: If you have been injured as the result of a malfunctioning scooter, you may be able to file a claim against the scooter company. Product manufacturer: If an inherent defect, such as a manufacturing or design flaw, caused your accident and resulting injuries, you may be able to file a product liability claim against the scooter manufacturer to seek compensation for injuries and damages. At-fault motorist: If you were struck by a negligent motorist, you can file a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance carrier. The driver’s auto insurance carrier should compensate you, particularly if the motorist’s negligence caused the accident and injuries. At-fault pedestrian: If a pedestrian causes a scooter rider’s injuries by stepping into the rider’s path, then the pedestrian’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance might be able to compensate you for your injuries. Negligent business: Scooter riders often have difficulty maneuvering around debris and other dangerous conditions on the roadway. These dangerous conditions may occur because of a business discarding debris or trash outside. In such cases, the at-fault business or their insurance carrier may be liable for your injuries and damages. Government entity: If a dangerous roadway condition such as a pothole, uneven pavement or poor lighting has caused your scooter accident and resulting injuries, you may be able to seek compensation from the city or government entity responsible for maintaining the roadway. It is important to remember that the statute of limitations for claims against government entities is short, so you must file any such claim within six months of the injury date. Contact a Denver Personal Injury Law Firm If you have been hurt while riding an electric scooter in Denver, you may be confused about your legal options and unsure about who will pay for the economic and non-economic harm that you have suffered. At Bowman & Chamberlain, LLC, our Denver electric scooter accident lawyers can help you. We will start by reviewing your case free of charge and walking you through the different routes for pursuing compensation. If you decide to work with us, we will advocate for you on a contingency fee basis and work hard to seek a full and fair settlement amount. Contact the Denver personal injury law firm of Bowman & Chamberlain, LLC, to learn more. Read the full article

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copihelpblog · 5 years ago

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Electric Scooter Accidents In Denver

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heatpeen03-blog · 6 years ago

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Bay Area Caltrain Bike Thefts Relevant to Future Metrolink Designs?

Note: Metropolitan Shuttle, a leader in bus shuttle rentals, regularly sponsors coverage on Streetsblog San Francisco and Streetsblog Los Angeles. Unless noted in the story, Metropolitan Shuttle is not consulted for the content or editorial direction of the sponsored content.

Wei Liu bikes two miles from his home to Caltrain’s Lawrence Station. He puts his bike in the bike car and then sits down for a 15-minute train ride to Palo Alto. He rides his bike another two miles to his job as a solar astrophysicist at the Stanford-Lockheed Institute for Space Research. In June last year, when he went to retrieve his Trek Verve 1 from the bike car, it wasn’t there. In retrospect, Liu is pretty sure he saw the man who stole his bike–because he happened to notice a man get on right behind him carrying a very junky-looking bike.

Liu is convinced the man who got on behind him left the junker and got off at the next stop with his Trek. He believes the man was using a common ploy of grabbing whatever junk bike he can find and following someone with an expensive bike onto the train. Then they leave the junk bike on the train and get off with the high-priced bike of the person they followed. This avoids suspicion, since nobody is likely to notice if someone gets on the bike car with one bike and leaves with another. Wei says Caltrain’s ‘bike car’ arrangement, where cyclist are routinely forced to sit far and out of sight from their steeds, encourages this kind of theft. “The thieves are very smart–they watch you go to the other car.”

Liu’s experience is not isolated.

Having a dedicated bike car–with so little seating relative to the number of bikes, such as on this old-school ‘galley’ car–invites on-board theft, say advocates

“We’ve heard concerns about theft … and have moved to update a lot of our practices to better address the issue,” wrote Dan Lieberman, a spokesman for Caltrain, in an email to Streetsblog. “In the coming months, we’re looking to partner with 529 Garage, which makes it easier to both prevent theft and to recover stolen bikes after the fact. We’re also working with our conductors and the Transit Police to improve our response to thefts, and are looking into providing additional cameras at stations in addition to the cameras that will come equipped on our electric trains.”

529 Garage is a bike registration service, to help police–and bike owners–track down a bike once it’s stolen. But Liu, and other bike riders who use Caltrain, say they’d rather not have their bikes stolen in the first place either by better organizing the cars so they can lock their bikes in place, or by organizing the seating arrangements so all cyclists can sit with their bikes in sight. That’s because if thieves really are carrying junker bikes on and getting off with a more expensive bike, there’s little conductors and Transit Police are going to be able to do to catch them in the act, considering they’d have to monitor every one of the 6,000 bikes brought on board every day to make sure it leaves the train with the proper owner.

Either way, Caltrain and bike advocates are at odds about how common on-board bike thefts have become. Cliff Bargar, who represents San Francisco on Caltrain’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, thinks it’s a much larger problem than Caltrain currently acknowledges. He told Streetsblog that Caltrain police estimated only one bike was stolen from onboard the trains last year. But “I decided to do a deeper dive on Twitter and found that in 2017 there were at least 10 thefts reported.” Further investigations by Caltrain and Bargar pushed that figure even higher. “The estimate of one stolen bike from on board in 2017 was adjusted upwards to 27,” said Bargar of the latest figure. “I’m grateful that Caltrain staff made the effort to investigate this and are still pursuing this issue.”

Pursuing it perhaps, but not seriously enough for Bargar, Liu or other Caltrain riders who reached out to Streetsblog. Drew Winget wrote that he has had two bikes stolen off of Caltrain. “I use my bike every day,” he wrote, and “Caltrain makes it worse because you’re not allowed to secure your own property with a lock” because of the arrangement of Caltrain’s bike cars, which forces cyclists to stack bikes on top of one another.

Bargar added that he was disappointed at a recent meeting with Caltrain’s Director of Rail Operations, Joe Navarro, to hear him downplay the significance of the thefts. “Mr. Navarro responded that 27 bikes were reported stolen and [that] is minimal” as Caltrain handles thousands of bikes every day.

Advocates are afraid designs for the new Electric Multiple Unit trains–due to begin operations in 2022–will make this situation even worse.

An idealistic rendering of the bike car design for the new EMUs, with basically no seating nearby. Image: CalMod

Caltrain’s electric fleet will have bike cars with basically no seats with a view of the bike storage area. Caltrain spokesman Lieberman wrote that the new cars will all have security cameras.

But advocates don’t consider that a viable solution. “We know that security cameras are not a deterrent and even Caltrain’s transit police acknowledges that having seats within view of bikes would help deter and prevent some thefts,” Bargar wrote.

Advocates are offering two solutions. On the existing bike cars, they want seats in the bike car held available for cyclists and not random customers.

“Legally, we can’t prevent people without bikes from sitting in the bike section,” said Lieberman. But Liu thinks much can be accomplished just with some better signage, reminding passengers who don’t have bikes to sit in a different car.

“Caltrain actually has a tiny sign on the bike car hidden in the stair-well leading to the upper deck that reads something like ‘As a courtesy, please allow passengers with bikes to sit in this area of the car,'” wrote Liu in an email to Streetsblog. “This is so hidden that nobody can see it.” He wants to see larger signs, and signs on the back of seats in the bike car.

Astrophysicist Wei Liu argues that this yellow sign, asking non-bikers to sit in a different car, is just too small. Photo: Wei Liu

On the new cars, advocates are hoping bike storage can be more distributed, with seats nearby, so cyclists can maintain eyes on their bikes–something more akin to the layout of the current Bombardier fleet, shown in the lead image. “This layout would be preferred for EMU cars over Caltrain’s current proposal, which has no fixed seats within view of bikes and stacked bikes blocking emergency exit windows,” wrote Shirley Johnson, who formed the group BIKES ONBoard to help advocate for bike space on BART and Caltrain.

Johnson has launched a petition for more bike space and a more secure layout on the new electric trains.

Lieberman said Caltrain is also trying to improve first/last-mile connection options at stations, with better bike parking and with bike- and scooter-share areas, so that fewer riders will need to carry bikes on board in the first place. “We’ve hired a project manager to execute the Bike Parking Management Plan that our Board adopted last year,” he said.

But Liu told Streetsblog that locking a bike at the station and using bike- and scooter-share may never be a practical option for cyclists who need their bikes on both ends of a commute. During the six weeks it took him to replace his Trek, he ended up borrowing his wife’s bike sometimes–and driving directly to work others. When he got his new bike, he covered it with duct tape to try and make it look less attractive to thieves.

Lieberman, meanwhile, is encouraging riders to fill out Caltrain’s Bike Access Survey, which will remain open until this Sunday, November 11.

Source: https://sf.streetsblog.org/2018/11/08/caltrain-bike-car-easy-pickins-for-theives/

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ageloire · 6 years ago

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Scooter-Sharing Is a Big Deal. There's Just One Problem: No One's Heard of It

Everything old is new again.

That's so often the case with fashion, movies, and other key elements of pop culture. And now, it's true of the modes of transportation we use to get around -- in some cities, anyway.

When I was in San Francisco in April, it seemed that -- in nearly an instant -- everyone was talking about electric scooters and the new system of sharing them: scooter-sharing.

My fellow tech reporters were tweeting jokes about their popularity. Abandoned, unreturned scooters were strewn about sidewalks throughout the city, many residents still trying to figure out how they ended up there, or what purpose they even served.

Nevertheless, this mode of transportation -- which many of us haven't considered since before we had driver's licenses -- has been on the minds of Silicon Valley professionals. Among them are investors, who are leading to the valuation of some of the companies behind electric scooters to reach the billions.

But if you haven't heard about this new transportation trend -- despite its popularity -- surely, you're not alone. (That's what our research shows, anyway.) Allow us to enlighten you, and figure out if (or how) scooter-sharing will go mainstream.

Will Scooter-Sharing Be the Next Uber? Maybe, Once People Hear of It

What Is Scooter-Sharing?

The concept of scooter-sharing is comparable to the models of Uber, Zipcar, or city bike rental programs. With scooter-sharing, electric scooters are available to rent for short-term periods, and some of the companies behind them -- like Lime -- offer similar systems for traditional bicycle rentals.

Equally similar to ride-sharing systems like Uber and Lyft, most scooter-sharing also requires an app through which users can unlock a scooter for a ride by scanning a QR code on the handles. Here's what it looks like on Lime (since Lime-S, its scooter-sharing service, isn't available in Boston yet, I was obligated to pretend-scan a plant on my desk.)

Scooter-sharing companies, at least in San Francisco, are currently stuck in what Megan Rose Dickey of TechCrunch calls "a bit of a legal gray area" -- they aren't fully regulated, though they've faced issues in cities like Indianapolis and Honolulu, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is looking to create some sort of legislation that would formalize how these companies operate within the city.

Some companies appear to have rules, however, such as requiring a helmet or a valid driver's license to operate the scooter, the latter of which is a traffic law. (When I downloaded both Lime and Bird, I wasn't asked to provide proof of a valid driver's license, though I also didn't get to the point of fully unlocking a scooter.)

Bird asks users to bring their own helmets, while Lime provides the option to purchase one from the company -- though, again, it's unclear how either verifies that the rider is following that guideline.

The (Un)Awareness of Scooter-Sharing

Several arguments have been made in favor of scooter-sharing permeating the market. It's been advertised as an alternative to automobile use, as Lime's own data indicates that 60% of users said their Lime-S ride replaced a trip that would have otherwise been by car -- personal, rideshare, or taxi.

And while scooter-sharing's relationship with public transportation is up for debate, it appears as though this newer mode of transportation might complement bus or subway systems. That same data from Lime also indicates 40% of users got to or from public transit stations on one of its scooters.

Source: Lime

It's worth mentioning that Lime's survey sample was 7,000 scooter riders in San Francisco -- for context, that's about .08% of the city's population, which has placed a market cap of 1,250 Lime-S scooters (which 93.8% of the company's survey respondents said was too few).

But outside of this tech-centric metropolis, what do people think of scooter-sharing? According to our data, most haven't really heard of it.

This data raises the question: Can scooter-sharing go mainstream, and if it can, how will it get there?

The Sustainability of Scooter-Sharing

Here's the thing about ride-sharing systems that use traditional automobiles: They're complicated.

Lyft, for instance, has communicated an intention of reducing car ownership overall by making its services more widespread. That can have several implications for the environment, city planning, aging populations, and others who drive less for a number of reasons.

But Christina Bonnington of Slate points out a bit of a contraction there: Although "250,000 Lyft users abandoned vehicle ownership in favor of ride-sharing, and half of its users reported driving less frequently now ... the company put 520,000 additional drivers on the streets" in 2017.

How good that is for the environment is up for debate.

That's where the impact of bike- and scooter-sharing programs come in. The scooters run on battery power, eliminating any fossil fuel emissions. As for bicycles -- well, they've been known as one of the eco-friendliest and healthiest modes of transportation for years.

The same could soon be said of traveling by scooter. Lime, for its part, reports that more than 250,000 trips have been taken on its scooters since its San Francisco launch, which translates to an "offset in airborne pollutants ... equivalent to 280,389 lbs CO2 saved."

And while it might not be a vigorous cardiovascular workout, it could be argued that it's still healthier than a mode of transportation where the commuter is largely sitting -- whether that's in a car, bus, or subway train.

But just as many emerging transportation trends before it -- ride-sharing and autonomous vehicles (the second of which is still in it earliest days) -- there are safety concerns to consider alongside the benefits. Scooter riders still need to share the road with cars (riding on sidewalks is discouraged), and as I mentioned earlier, the enforcement of the helmet requirement is ambiguous.

If I had to predict scooter-sharing's viability, I would specifically point out how, historically, transportation and related safety concerns have evolved. Automobiles, for example, didn't always have seatbelts. Once upon a time, helmet laws for traditional bike riders didn't exist. And as for ride-sharing, we're watching it continue to iron out its kinks in real time.

But have a look at the progression of user numbers within the ride-sharing industry since 2016 -- and where it's expected to go by 2022.

Source: Statisa

When Uber first emerged in 2009, it was nearly unheard of -- especially on the east coast. There were few drivers. The idea seemed like a radical novelty. And getting a ride took, if I remember correctly, at least 20 minutes before the car arrived.

At present, scooter-sharing appears to be at a similar point. There appears to be some lack of awareness around it, as well as accessibility -- the service is in its earliest stages and is only available in a limited number of cities.

Despite this lack of awareness, investors have taken note.

Take Lime, for instance, which recently received a direct investment from Alphabet (Google's parent company) -- which is part of a bigger $300 million funding round. That round also includes GV -- Alphabet's investment arm -- which was also an earlier investor in Uber.

Are we seeing a pattern yet?

Whether good or bad, the concept of scooter-sharing raises eyebrows -- and could be here to stay. Let's watch, and see where this new, niche ride takes us.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/scooter-sharing-awareness-data

#Marketing

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un-enfant-immature · 6 years ago

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Skip and Scoot only companies awarded scooter permits in San Francisco

The great San Francisco scooter decision has been made. And Skip and Scoot have claimed the prize.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) issued one-year permits to Skip and Scoot on Thursday, a decision that ends months of waiting for 12 companies that applied to operate within the city. JUMP, which Uber acquired in April, as well as Lyft, Skip, Spin, Lime, Scoot, ofo, Skip, Razor, CycleHop, USSCooter and Ridecell are applied for permits in San Francisco.

The permits will allow a maximum of 625 scooters for each company in the first six months. Scoot and Skip may have the potential to increase their number of scooters in months seven to 12 to a cap of 2,500, at the SFMTA’s sole discretion.

“The SFMTA’s decision is based on the strength of the proposals submitted by the two companies, combined with their experience of owning, operating and maintaining a shared mobility service in the public right-of-way. The agency looked for applications that prioritized the city’s concerns around safety, disabled access, equity and accountability,” the agency said.

The SFMTA noted in its decision that Skip and Scoot had the strongest applications. The agency seemed particularly interested in safety measures these companies planned to take. Scoot, which was been managing a fleet of shared electric mopeds in San Francisco since 2012, proposed mandatory instructional videos for users, helmets included in rentals, and free in-person training.

Scoot also proposed using swappable batteries instead of manually taking the scooters off the street for regular recharging.

“This method could help the city reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled on San Francisco streets, which helps reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions,” the SFMTA said in its decision.

Scoot said it will soon introduce an electric kick-style scooter to its line-up of electric motor scooters and electric bicycles in response to the decision.

Unsurprisingly, the companies that lost out have expressed dismay with the decision.

“Jump both submitted a strong application and has a track record of successfully working with the city on our bike pilot,” an Uber spokesperson wrote in an email. “Granting only two scooter permits unnecessarily limits mobility options in San Francisco, and we plan to follow up with the SFMTA to share our concerns,”

Bird, a scooter startup that has $2 billion valuation, said it will continue to work with San Francisco officials, partners, community organizations, and advocates in hopes of bringing Bird back to the City by the Bay, a spokeswoman said in an email.

Bird, which has a goal of operating in 50 cities globally before the end of the year, noted that residents have sent nearly 30,000 emails to city officials in support of bringing Bird to San Francisco.

The pilot program is the city’s solution to handling the scooter chaos of 2018. Bird, and soon after, Lime and Spin released their fleet of scooters into the city in March without permission. They became an instant hit among city residents seeking out fast and cheap ways to get around town. They also soon became a pariah as scooters inundated sidewalks and right of ways.

The SFMTA put a temporary ban on all scooters in May and initiated a permit process as part of a 24-month pilot program that would allow up to five scooter companies to operate in the city.

Bird, Lime, Lyft and JUMP didn’t complete lose out Thursday. The city of Santa Monica’s Shared Mobility Device Selection Committee officially awarded Bird, Lime, Lyft and JUMP Bikes permits to operate both electric scooters and/or bikes in the city as part of its 16-month pilot program beginning Sept. 17.

#TechCrunch

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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$850,000 Homes in California – The New York Times

Cambria | $849,000

An 1865 house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, on a 0.64-acre lot

Believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited house in San Luis Obispo County, this clapboard cottage is called Music House, after the name of early owners. It is on the east end of Main Street in Cambria, an unincorporated coastal community halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco (about 230 miles each way), and 10 miles south of Hearst Castle. The area has a large quantity of second homes and a notable dearth of chain stores. You can bicycle to Moonstone Beach in less than 15 minutes.

Size: 1,406 square feet

Price per square foot: $604

Indoors: The owners bought the property in 2015 and, working with local contractors and artisans, made improvements to every room. They stripped walls and repainted them in period colors, refinished wood trim, refurbished and rehung old doors they discovered on the property, and updated the plumbing and electrical systems.

The front parlor, which has vintage wood floors, a restored chandelier and walls painted a Victorian eggplant color, connects to a formal dining room with a bead-board ceiling. Beyond the dining room is a kitchen with refinished original cabinetry, butcher-block countertops, tile and bead-board wall surfaces and a farmhouse sink.

A pair of parlor doors with etched-glass panes opens to a main-floor bedroom or study. This room has use of a bathroom with a walk-in shower and a marble sink on a vintage wrought-metal base. Nearby is a laundry area with a stacked washer and dryer. The parlor also leads to a family room that has a trio of large windows facing the street.

A staircase in the family room takes you upstairs, where there are two bedrooms with angled bead-board ceilings, and a bathroom with a skylight and a walk-in shower.

Outdoor space: There is a rocking-chair front porch and two rear patios, one paved in brick and the other in flagstone. The property is terraced and planted with oaks, evergreens and flowering shrubs; a large portion is devoted to native vegetation. A detached garage with a polished concrete floor has a single door but room for two vehicles.

Taxes: $10,613 (estimated)

Contact: Michael Barnes or Leslie Dougherty, Barnes & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, 805-927-1200; sothebysrealty.com

Angels Camp | $850,000

A converted farmhouse with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 16.84-acre lot

Originally part of a sheep farm, this house is in the Sierra foothills, 130 miles east of San Francisco and 75 miles southeast of Sacramento. In 2005, it was bought and renovated by a craftsman and an antiques collector. They passed it along to their daughter, who recently operated it as a short-term rental called La Casa Pavone, or Peacock House.

The home is a mile and a half northeast of Angels Camp, a Gold Rush city in Calaveras County that is best known for its annual frog-jumping competition and has become popular with second-home owners and wine country tourists. Murphys, a village with 17 wineries and tasting rooms, is nine miles northeast.

Size: 1,683 square feet

Price per square foot: $505

Indoors: The main entrance is into a living room with polished wood floors, big windows and a beamed ceiling. All three features continue into the adjacent eat-in kitchen, which has traditional-style brown cabinets, stone countertops, a five-burner GE Monogram gas range and a double farmhouse sink. The ground-floor master bedroom has a sink and claw-foot tub in the main space and, in a private area, a walk-in shower and toilet. There is also a laundry room on this floor.

Upstairs are two additional, A-shaped bedrooms and an area on the landing that could be used as a third sleeping area. The upstairs bathroom off the landing has a claw-foot tub and a pedestal sink.

A root cellar accessible from outside is used to store wine and has a staging area for serving guests.

Outdoor space: The house has a wraparound porch and a raised gravel patio, as well as a large gravel yard with a firepit and log seats next to a barn. The property includes sculpted hedges, a bamboo maze and a small studio building with electricity.

Taxes: $10,625 (estimated)

Contact: Jeff Rasmussen, NextHome Utica Properties, 209-768-9522; jeff-rasmussen.com

Chula Vista | $859,000

A 2004 house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, on a 0.21-acre corner lot

This home is in Rolling Hills Ranch, one of 23 planned neighborhoods in Chula Vista, which are organized around community centers, with nearby parks and swimming pools. It is on the eastern edge of the city, 18 miles southeast of San Diego and 16 miles northeast of Tijuana, Mexico. (Residents often use the Tijuana International Airport, which is only 14 miles away.) The Otay Ranch Town Center, an outdoor shopping mall that includes restaurants, movie theaters and salons, is about four miles southeast.

Size: 2,825 square feet

Price per square foot: $304

Indoors: A previous owner made a large investment in custom woodwork, adding coffered ceilings, open beams, carved mantels, paneled doors and a curving staircase with turned balusters.

The grand entrance has wide wood floorboards that continue through most of the main floor, and a double-height ceiling. Dutch interior doors open to a living room with a coffered ceiling and arched built-in shelves with mirrored backs. A room that was formerly a fifth bedroom was converted into a den with a wall of built-in bookshelves. It is across from a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.

Running along the back of the main floor is a succession of rooms, including a white eat-in kitchen with natural stone countertops and a farm-style center island. The kitchen flows into a family room with dark ceiling beams and a pink stone fireplace and hearth, and French doors opening to a patio. On the other side of the kitchen is a bedroom with an en suite bathroom that has a combined tub and shower.

Upstairs, the master suite has white-painted floorboards and a bathroom with a soaking tub, a walk-in shower and a makeup vanity next to the sink. Two additional bedrooms share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.

Outdoor space: Double-decker porches supported by columns run along the front of the house (one of the upstairs bedrooms has direct access). A pergola tops part of the rear patio, which has ample space for outdoor entertaining. A community park with a playground is across the street.

Taxes: $10,738 (estimated)

Contact: Amanda Roulier, the Werth Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 619-548-1773; elliman.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

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bittenpath-blog · 6 years ago

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48cm:Rick Vosper: E-bikes, part three: new room, new elephants

In part one of this series, we looked at the overall size of the IBD portion of the e-bike market relative to EBD (independent or single-brand e-bike-only retailers) and consumer-direct sales (25-30% apiece to the IBD and EBD by units, the rest to direct). In part two, we dug a little deeper into the EBD market and discussed whether it will ultimately merge with the traditional IBD and IBD brands) or remain autonomous (the answer depends on who you talk to). And now it’s time to unpack the whole What Happens Nextpiece of the equation.

Problem is, there are a couple additional variables in that equation which, in typical bike industry fashion, no one seems to want to talk about.So let’s talk about them anyway. I’m referring to the rise of e-bike share/rental programs financed by companies with functionally limitless budgets, and the introduction of entire new e-bike brands by giant auto and motorcycle companies—as much as fifty times larger than even the biggest bike industry brands. There are a couple additional variables in that equation which, in typical bike industry fashion, no one seems to want to talk about.

Bikeshare was never about bikes ... and that goes double for e-bikeshare

It seems increasingly likely the bikeshare market will leapfrog its pedal-only phase and move directly to e-bikes This is especially true in hilly cities like Seattle or San Francisco in the West or San Boston or Pittsburgh in the East. Ultimately, any discussion of bikeshare becomes, de facto, a discussion of e-bikeshare.

But the bikeshare business is not primarily about bikes (or even e-bikes) as much as it is about gaining and controlling share of vehicular traffic for companies like Lyft and Uber. The latter famously acquired e-bikeshare company Jump a year ago at a rumored $200 million. Lyft acquired bikeshare company Motivate in November, poured $100 million into programs for New York city alone, and announced the addition of more than 600 of Ford's GoBike e-bikes to its fleet a month later.

These businesses are operating under an entirely different set of rules from the traditional bike business. But whether we like it or not, what they do will impact what we do. It’s not a question of whether or when, but one of how and, more importantly, how much.

For purposes of this discussion, let’s set aside the swarming gnat-cloud of practical issues confronting bikeshare initiatives — docked vs dockless, injuries and lawsuits, stolen or abandoned vehicles blocking sidewalks or impeding street traffic, bicycle graveyards, and on and on — and focus purely on the bike-business aspects.

Will bikeshare programs put more Americans on bikes? Almost certainly. Will that translate to increased sales for local bike shops? Not so much, if at all.

The debate goes like this: more people riding and enjoying bikes through bikeshare means more potential bike owners, people who find it more convenient and economical to buy a bike than rent one. Therefore, the rise of bikeshare means more bike sales long-term. But there’s a counter-argument too, which says that, in addition to creating new riders, bikeshare will also pull potential bike owners — people who would normally have bought IBD-quality bikes anyway — away from purchases and into rentals. At the end of the day, it’s anybody’s guess.

Will bikeshare programs put more Americans on bikes? Almost certainly. Will that translate to increased sales for local bike shops? Not so much, if at all.

My opinion is that any gains or losses will be marginal, and that concerns about bikeshare — and specifically, e-bikeshare — are at best a distraction for those of us who actually try to make a living making and selling bikes, electrified or otherwise. But industry doomsayers can take heart from the fact that there’s still plenty of new competition coming up, and aimed straight at the heart of our core business, too.

Welcome our new motor sports overlords

Of much greater importance than bikeshare is the role of auto and motorcycle companies as direct e-bike competitors. Their products will end up going head to head with those from traditional bike companies, not to mention established e-bike-only brands like Pedego or Rad Power. I did a quick count the other day and with a little help from Google, came up with a dozen major car and motorcycle brands who are either already in the e-bike business, claiming they will be any day now, or, like Tesla and Harley-Davidson, teasing the possibility.

I asked e-bike consultant Ed Benjamin of eCycleElectric about car companies and e-bikes.

"I have the good fortune to have four automotive industry clients," he says, although he declines to name specific brands. "And I've learned a bit from them. These guys are willing to put in an enormous R&D investment before they put a product out. It's sort of the opposite of the bicycle world. And the bottom line is, quality of the products is much better than what we're getting the bicycle business.

"(Car companies) bring astonishing resources and quality and value to their bicycle products. But ... they have no idea how to sell bikes." — Ed Benjamin

"Their new vehicles go through two years of testing before they go to market. (Car companies) bring astonishing resources and quality and value to their bicycle products. But...they have no idea how to sell bikes. They are confused about the whole ‘first and last mile’ thing. But they have an enormously powerful potential resource with auto dealers, marketing expertise, and budget. So far their dealers haven't been interested in e-bikes, despite the fact that an electric bike has better selling margin than some small sedans."

Among many others, General Motors wants a piece of the e-bike business. In November, GM announced it would begin two e-bike models consumer-direct in 2019 in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and of course rumors have been flying about a North American presence ever since.

“I see GM as more of a market enhancer than a disrupter, just because it's going to bring more people into bikes, including people who might not be familiar with bike brands today. We're looking for people who live and work in cities, and they're looking for alternatives that work for them and the way they live. I call it being 'transportation agnostic.'”

That’s General Motors’ Hannah Parish, and she is positively bubbly about the positive effects her employer’s e-bikes might have not just for the IBD, but the entire cycling world at large. But Parish isn’t just another corporate shill. She’s global director of GM’s ARĪV group (fancypants crowdsourced spelling and all), and comes to the conversation with heavyweight marketing credentials from the IBD side of the business. These include stints as head of marketing for Specialized Canada and director of marketing for the CSG (Cannondale et al) brand portfolio.

When asked about initial sell-in of GM’s e-bikes in Europe, Parish is upbeat but nonspecific. “So far, so good,” she says diplomatically. “We're very pleased with how our presales have been going.”

The initial model for the Germany and Benelux launch will be consumer-direct, she explains. Assembly when needed (one model, the folding Merge, arrives fully assembled and ready to ride) and service/warranty will be supported by German provider Live Cycle, which has a brick and mortar presence in a number of German cities as well as mobile outreach, according to the Live Cycle website.

But when I press Parish for more information about GM’s sales channel plans, things get very interesting, very quickly.

“We'll have a multichannel approach,” she says. “In April, we've announced we'll be shipping product, first in the e-commerce channel and eventually including the ability to sell into IBDs, large retailers, and national accounts. Of course we're a startup, so we'll add those incremental channels over time. As I like to say, we fish where the fish are."

I note we had a corporate minder with us on our call, a nice woman from GM’s advanced technology communications group. Since there were no howls of outrage following Parish’s last statement, it’s safe to conclude this information is now what corporate types like to call “market-facing.”

Let’s start with the sort of “click and collect” model that goes live for GM this month in parts of Europe, and explore how it might apply to the USA, I suggest. “When we think about the United States, we haven't made the plans yet, so I can't tell you," Parish says. “I wish I could give you something, but I can't speculate.”

Fair enough. But last time I checked, Velofix had fifty-one mobile sites in the USA and eighteen in Canada. And according to Beeline CEO Pete Small, his company’s network of mobile service providers now includes more than 200 participating dealers with 350+ brick and mortar locations in the US. That number includes its Powered By Beeline partners via parent brand Accell.

One or both of these companies could support a whole lot of e-bike sales, which is another way of saying “provide a cost-effective, scalable solution to that thorny ‘last mile’ challenge.”

And it’s by no means the only solution.

Hmm, lessee. Global brand recognition, proven track for reliable with high-quality consumer products. Know any hungry IBD-segment retailers who might be interested in taking on an e-bike line like that? Well … how about the more than half of all US bike shops who don’t currently have their available floor space hamstrung by agreements with Trek, Specialized or Giant, for starters? And then there’s every EBD shop not already locked in with Pedego.

That’s a lot of prospective dealers. And, at least potentially, a staggering number of e-bike sales.

Now take that model and multiply it by more than a dozen nascent e-bike brands, from corporate behemoths like GM, Toyota, BMW and Yamaha to sexy boutique marques like Porsche, Maserati, Ducati and Buell, and you have the power to move markets. Yes, even if only a fraction of these brands end up adopting the model. Not to mention the resources to empowering a currently underserved segment of the retail base, perhaps even toppling the dominant bike industry paradigm.

A possibility that big deserves a special name. I think I’ll call it ... Bike 4.0.

#48cm road bike #Bicycle Retailer and Industry News

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lindamcsherry · 6 years ago

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E-Scooter Injury Investigation Launched By CDC And City Of Austin

Officials from the city of Austin, Texas are collaborating with federal health officials to perform a study on electric scooter accidents and injuries, which will be the first of it’s kind amid the increasing popularity of Lime, Bird and other rental scooters.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the agency will be working with the Austin Public Health and the Austin Transportation Department to perform a study designed to assess the health risks associated with dockless scooters, and evaluate the nature of the scooter-related injuries and incidents in the city.

Three investigators specializing in epidemiological studies are being sent to Austin where they will work with local officials to evaluate data from 37 emergency medical service calls and 68 scooter-related injuries reported over a 60 day period between September 5, 2018 and November 5, 2018.

The study is meant to look at the traveling conditions and causes that lead to the scooter crashes and injuries. The information could be used to better educate riders, city officials, and influence the ordinances and safety practices the city of Austin may adopt, according to the CDC.

Austin consists of approximately 326 square miles, containing almost one million people. Recent data suggests that there are at least 14,000 dockless electric scooters within the city, making it one of the highest scooter-to-citizen ratios across the United States.

In November 2018, the Austin Transportation Department sent a memo ordering Lime reduce its fleet of 5,000 scooters in the city by 1,000. The memo claims Lime violated the city’s agreement by implementing more than 500 scooters in the downtown area.

Since scooter rental services became popular in major cities throughout the U.S. over the past two years, hundreds of electronic scooter injury reports have surfaced, including a number of deaths nationwide. The electric scooters reach up to speeds of 15 miles per hour, which has taken some riders by surprise, causing injuries.

There are growing concerns over the rental scooter injury risks in cities nationwide, as the devices are not as safe as bicycles due to their instability, shorter wheelbases and smaller wheels, which may make riders vulnerable to imperfections in concrete or pavement. Along with roadway imperfections, and other possible hazards, safety officials claim riders are not properly equipped with the right safety gear to protect them.

Several fatalities have been associated with the use of electronic scooters, including a Washington, DC, resident who was dragged more than a dozen yards by an SUV that struck and pinned him and the Lime electric scooter he was riding in 2018. The death of a 24-year old Dallas resident occurred around the same time after he fell off of a scooter on his way home from work.

Recent reports of problems from Austin include a University of Texas baseball team shortstop tearing his Achilles tendon after hitting a pothole, and a local CEO for a nonprofit organization suffering a concussion and breaking a rib after hitting a rock and flipping the scooter.

Multiple electric scooter lawsuits have been filed against the popular scooter brands Lime and Bird, with at least one class-action alleging the manufacturers of negligently putting the scooters out on the streets nationwide without adequate risk warnings, instructions or safety measures.

Some lawsuits also claim the deployment is unlawful, that they suffer from defective designs and are a public nuisance, both due to the risks to riders and pedestrians, and how the scooters are sometimes left strewn about in public places. In April, the city of San Francisco impounded 66 rental e-scooters in one day, because they were left obstructing sidewalks.

The post E-Scooter Injury Investigation Launched By CDC And City Of Austin appeared first on AboutLawsuits.com.

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