Join us in San Diego + CA Bans Gas Cars, Pushes New Mobility

Join us in San Diego + CA Bans Gas Cars, Pushes New Mobility

Fully Charged LIVE is coming to California next month! The Curbivore team will be at the San Diego Convention Center this September 10th and 11th for the world's number one home energy and electric vehicle show.
 
Following on from the 2020 'sellout' show in Austin, Texas, Fully Charged LIVE returns to North America. This two-day event features dozens of eco and electric exhibits, hundreds of electric test drives and rides and over 40 live theater sessions across two theaters hosted by the Fully Charged presenters and well-known YouTube stars. The Home Energy Advice Team will be on hand to provide independent green living guidance, and visitors will be able to get up close to (almost) every electric vehicle available displayed on the 'Electric Avenue'. PLUS there will be an Electric Education Learning Zone for EV enthusiasts of all ages and much more.

Wondering what it's all about? Check out this recent video from the UK event presented by ex-Top Gear journalist Quentin Willson: https://youtu.be/KytD3VmGIec

Buy your tickets here: https://fullycharged.live/us/

Use the code TRANSPORT for 15% off tickets.

HOT INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

California reshapes mobility! This was a huge week for the future of mobility in the Golden State, capped off by a ban on the sale of gas powered vehicles. While the full ban doesn't take place until 2035, interim quotas for ZEVs also apply. Up until now, most EV legislation has been all carrot (price subsidies) or fairly behind the scenes (like the recent ruling that will allow EV submetering, which is a huge win), so it's nice to see the stick come out - expect more states to follow California's lead, and watch the transition accelerate as businesses rush to stay ahead of the curve. A sleight of other pro-sustainability and pedestrian friendly legislation is also awaiting Governor Newsom's signature, including laws that give pedestrians a head start at state highway intersections, a bill that advances e-bikes, free transit for students, and more. Also awaiting Newsom's signature is SB 972, which finally updates the state's antiquated street vending permit system.

LA tries too - slowly... On the local level, LA City Council voted to send a measure to the ballot that would force the city to add pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit improvements to all street reconstruction projects, in accordance with city's existing (but oft ignored) mobility plan. With voters unlikely to see this on their ballots until 2024, it would have been nice to see the council simply pass this on its own...

Delivery developments: Canoo's relocation to Arkansas is paying dividends, as Walmart has agreed to trial the company's modular "lifestyle delivery vehicles." Meanwhile, Uber Eats and Office Depot team up to deliver school supplies (don't eat that crayon!) And NYC announces the trial of a "hub and spoke" last mile strategy, where e-bikes ferry goods the last few blocks from a temporarily stationary cargo truck.

Bigger delivery news: This story's big - literally! Instacart announces the same-day delivery of large items, including home goods, electronics, and even outdoor grills, using the company's existing network of drivers. While it's interesting from a business perspective to watch them go after Amazon and Fedex's turf, there are some big policy questions at play too. It's one thing to regulate (and enforce) rules against a fleet of branded box trucks, it's a far trickier proposition to do that against a million temp workers lugging a flat-screen out of their double-parked hatchback. Cities - take heed...

Has curb management hit the big time? The New York Times profiles some of the industry's most promising players, including our friends at Populus, Vade, and Sidewalk Labs' Pebble. (And in LA, check-out this curb management RFQ...)

Micromobility gossip! Word on the street is that European player Tier is in trouble, with nearly 200 employees axed, expansion efforts halted, and lots of projects on hold. This is hot on the heels of word that Helbiz is struggling too, with its stock looking ripe for delisting as it languishes under a dollar per share, and its anemic forays into ghost kitchens and ...soccer streaming... not showing much growth. Hopefully they manage to pay their employees this month!

Look out Amazon... Chinese ecommerce juggernaut Pinduoduo is coming to town. Expect to see even more delivery vans on the roads, as PDD looks to undercut AZ with lower merchant commissions, its famed group-buying model (convince your whole block to buy that waffle-iron and you all save 10%!) and some questionable labor practices.

On the labor friendly side of things: A new slate of startups looks to empower workers and small businesses in the competitive mobility and delivery fields. On the ridesharing side of things, you've got worker-owned or employee-powered companies like Alto and The Drivers Coopertive. And on the delivery front, look out for new entrant LoCo Co-Ops.

Ghosted by the kitchen: Running a delivery oriented ghost kitchen might not be as glamorous as some entrepreneurs once thought. Disheartening new statistics suggest up to 70% of new kitchen operators close in their first year. (Although keep in mind that 60% of traditional restaurant businesses fail after their first year as well.)

We missed you last week! If you couldn't join in on our Seattle and Santa Monica happy hour fun last week, check out some FOMO-inducing photos below. Want us to come to your town for our next meetup? Reply to this email and let's chat!

A few more links: Hong Kong hopes to save distracted pedestrians with new curb safety features; meet the hard working fleet managers keeping scooters off the sidewalks. Are falling home prices in pandemic boomtowns a leading indicator that coastal metropolises will soon see workers back in office? Maybe they'll head to Minneapolis, where ending SFH zoning is slowly paying dividends. Food delivery runner-up ASAP to start showing up in more searches. DoorDash and Walmart end partnership, while the latter company celebrates one million third party deliveries via its "GoLocal" arm. New "just walk out" powered Tulsa mini-mart suggests an emerging bifurcated world of retailing, where low end / convenience purchases might be largely automated (either in store or via delivery), while high end shopping gets white glove service. Gopuff starts instant worker payouts. GE and Beyond Meat order electric trucks from Einride. New ebike looks street vendor friendly. LA's CicLAvia open street activation a huge success, let's do it more often...

Until next week!
- Jonah Bliss & The Curbivore Crew