Meanwhile, in recent (as in days old) history, the New York International Auto Show came and went. The vehicle reveals, news and crowds weren’t particularly splashy. But there were some notable trends and reveals worth noting.
Our big takeaway? Electric vehicles, trucks, SUVs and EV charging were hallmarks of this year’s New York International Auto Show, and the message is clear: The auto industry is racing toward zero-emission vehicles, but it won’t sacrifice the big, plush, expensive vehicles consumers love (and spend huge sums of money on) in the process.
Speaking of BIG, the 2025 all-electric Ram 1500 REV, which debuted IRL in New York, has an optional 229 kilowatt-hour battery for a targeted 500 miles of range. For those who might be unfamiliar, the size of that battery pack is absolutely bananas. For comparison, the Hummer EV pickup has a 212.7 kWh battery that weighs the same as a small sedan. Battery pack size does not necessarily translate to range. Efficiency matters!
Other highlights:
– For SUVs and EVs, subtlety is out and plundering nature is in
– Everything that stood out to us at the New York International Auto Show
– The Kia EV9’s real killer app could be its software
– Jeep is adding an even cheaper plug-in hybrid to its 4xe lineup
– The 2024 Hyundai Kona will be one of the most affordable cars with over-the-air updates
The micromobility world’s big news this week was in Paris, where residents voted on whether or not to ban shared e-scooters, and the result was a resounding: Yes, get rid of them! Sort of.
Only 7.5 percent of the city’s eligible voting population turned up to vote, and Parisians reported seeing many older folks at the polls. It’s hard to say whether the outcome of the referendum actually reflects the will of the people (especially when we consider how popular e-scooters are in the city), but that doesn’t seem to matter. Dott, Lime and Tier will have to remove their scooters from the streets by September 1.
Sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch the move was largely political. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had initially welcomed e-scooters to the city in 2018, alongside a number of other green transportation initiatives that undoubtedly angered the city’s more conservative residents and politicians.
However, it’s not clear that scooters were actually doing the job of getting people out of cars. In fact, according to a number of studies I’ve reviewed, people were more likely to replace public transit and walking with scooters.
Will this be the end of micromobility in Paris? Sacré bleu! Of course not! Personal e-scooters are not affected by the ban, largely because one of the main issues with shared scooters was clutter. In fact, Pure Electric, a scooter retailer, expects sales in Paris to increase 200 percent.
In other news …
Bird updated some of its tech solutions to become a more attractive city partner. For example, the company is expanding its integration with Google Maps across Canada and Europe. Bird has also added rider age verification and has begun testing camera-equipped e-scooters with computer vision technology to detect sidewalk riding, parking and lanes.
New York City delivery workers agree with new guidelines that ensures people are buying scooters with high quality batteries in order to prevent fires. But they say the legislation needs to be paired with better support from the government. Los Deliveristas Unidos, a collective of food delivery workers, proposed that the city issue a mandated “safety surcharge” tax on delivery app companies that would create a fund to help workers purchase certified batteries.
Niu’s KQi3 Max e-scooter is a fun, powerful ride, but …. Check out my review on why this scooter isn’t the best choice for urban use.
Tenways is bringing its ultra-light urban bike to the US after seeing success in Europe. The company currently offers three models. The CGO600 for $1,799 has a max speed of 16 miles per hour, a range of 43 miles and only weighs 33 pounds. Next up is the CGO600 PRO for $1,899, with a top speed of 20 mph, 53-mile range and weight of 41 lbs. Finally, the CGO800S for $1,999 weighs 51 lbs, can go up to 53 miles and has a top speed of 20 mph.
Uber is now offering Tembici bike-share services on its app in Latin America. Users will be able to book a Tembici bike directly through the Uber app starting first in Recife, Brazil, and then expanding to Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo, before launching in other LATAM cities.
Unagi has launched its newest scooter, the Voyager, for $1,190 to buy or $69 per month to rent. The Voyager boasts 12 to 25 miles of range, a 3-hour charge time, 1000W of power and a weight of 29.6 pounds. The Voyager also comes with Unagi’s mobile app, which helps users calculate remaining range and customizing based on rider weight and terrain. It’s also a good place to remote lock/unlock the scooter and to manage subscriptions.
Vanmoof has had a rough time of it, despite its popularity. The company has experienced funding shortages and challenges scaling, but Vanmoof is working on being EBITDA positive in 2024. How? Raising new funds and increasing the price of its e-bikes.