The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) $2 million through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program. This grant will fund a pilot program to develop a digital inventory of curb assets and regulations in the Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)... Read more →

A new study from Juniper Research found that MaaS (Mobility‑as‑a‑Service) will generate revenue of $92 billion globally by 2027; up from $20 billion in 2022. Growing by 357% over the period, the main drivers will be the cost and convenience of MaaS solutions and the increased investment into MaaS infrastructure.... Read more →

Volta Trucks, the full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, and Cake, the Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles, are collaborating to decarbonize and decongest last mile deliveries, while also improving service to end customers. The first trial, planned in Q1 2023 in Paris, will be with the H&M... Read more →

bp ventures has invested $6 million in all-electric ride-hailing business Freebee, a Miami-based company that provides free, on-demand transportation to local communities through their mobile app Ride Freebee. bp led the business’ $8-million Series A funding round, with support from Freebee’s current infrastructure capital partner, Tensile Mobility. Freebee’s free-to-the-user trips... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group presented the HMG Smart City master model at the 2022 World Cities Summit in Singapore. The model represents the Group’s vision for smart cities and illustrates how it will empower them with sustainable and smart mobility solutions. The model will serve as a guideline for developing smart... Read more →

Walmart signed a definitive agreement with Canoo to purchase 4,500 all-electric delivery vehicles, beginning with the Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV), with the option to purchase up to 10,000 units. The vehicles will be used to deliver online orders in a sustainable way which will also contribute to Walmart’s goal to... Read more →

India-based global tire-maker Apollo Tyres, which markets its products under the global brands Apollo and Vredestein, will launch its first dedicated micro-mobility tire, the Vredestein Cargo. Developed specifically for electrically assisted cargo bikes used for urban deliveries, the new tire will make its debut at Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany... Read more →

Kia revealed the Niro Plus, its first purpose-built vehicle (PBV). Kia is exploring diverse ways to help people and businesses move beyond traditional automotive, and the company expects its PBV models to be an important part of future mobility. The Kia Niro Plus will be deployed as a general model... Read more →

The LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) launched its Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) Pilot in South Los Angeles—one of the largest programs of its kind in the country, increasing access to transportation options for thousands of Angelenos. The pilot will bring e-bikes, shared EV cars and on-demand EV shuttle service, in... Read more →

GoFor, a North American delivery company committed to carbon-negative last mile services, and ODIN Automotive announced a preferred partnership to deploy ODIN’s electric delivery vehicle ecosystem in the US and Canada starting in Q2 of 2022. ODIN acquired StreetScooter production rights from DHL in January. (Earlier post.) The partnership gives... Read more →

The Mayor of London’s Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF)—a £500-million investment fund to deliver low-carbon, sustainable projects and infrastructure in London—is providing capital to Vehicle-as-a-Service provider Breathe, supported by fintech Zeti’s pay-per-mile platform ZERO, for the deployment of 100 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles to private hire drivers, including Uber, in... Read more →

Pony.ai has received approval to run paid autonomous Robotaxi services in the Beijing Intelligent Networked Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone in southeastern Beijing. With this approval, Pony.ai will be permitted to charge fees for Robotaxi services provided to the public. This represents a significant milestone on the company’s path to commercialization,... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Vans has unveiled the SUSTAINEER (SUSTAINability pionEER) to give an impression of how sustainability in urban delivery operations may look in the future. The fully electric van—based on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter—combines a variety of innovative solutions designed to improve the quality of life in cities; to conserve resources and... Read more →

bp ventures has made its first direct investment in India, investing $13 million in integrated EV ride-hailing and charging company BluSmart. bp ventures led a $25 million Series A round that also saw support from Mayfield India Fund, 9Unicorns and Survam Partners, alongside other existing investors. BluSmart will use the... Read more →

Ricardo has won a national competition to demonstrate the benefits that transport location data can have on urban air quality. The project addresses both the existing vehicle fleet and also extends to long-term improvements in air quality. The award of funding was made by the Geospatial Commission in partnership with... Read more →

Porsche Digital is expanding its product portfolio and is addressing new digital business models in the field of urban mobility with the formation of the new Cyklær e-bike brand. The goal is to build a platform that offers digital services for the cycling experience. For the launch, Porsche Digital is... Read more →

At IAA Mobility 2021 (7-12 September 2021), Hyundai Mobis, the global N° 7 automotive supplier, will unveil the M.Vision X, an AI-included concept car for full autonomous driving, in a European premiere. Hyundai Mobis unveiled the M.Vision X during an event earlier his year at its R&D heDquarters in Korea.... Read more →

Micromobility services Bird and Ford-owned Spin are the latest to integrate with Google Maps for Mobile (GMM). People using Google Maps for efficient and reliable journey planning are now able to discover Spin e-scooters and e-bikes and Bird scooters when given route options for their journeys. Google Maps users are... Read more →

A study by researchers at CU Boulder and Edinburgh Napier University finds that high-density, low-rise environments such as those found in Paris are the optimal urban form when looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their whole life cycle. There is a growing belief that building taller and denser is... Read more →

The BMW Group has presented a number of innovative micromobility solutions to the public in the past, including the BMW Motorrad X2City, the Personal Mover Concept and the BMW Vision E³ Way elevated road concept. BMW Group engineers are now unveiling the electrified bicycle Concept DYNAMIC CARGO and the e-scooter... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has released the Putting People First – Smart Cities and Communities report. The report covers the benefits, goals, challenges, and success factors associated with smart cities and communities (SC&C) and gives a glimpse of the path forward. SC&Cs use advanced information and communications technologies... Read more →

In an open-access study published in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society, Francesco Orsi, of the Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, suggests that widespread adoption of electric vehicles may have a negative impact on land use. Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely regarded as... Read more →

The city of Moscow is planning to bring back river public transport after an absence of 16 years. Water transport first appeared in the city in 1923. In 1960s it was in great demand. In 2006 regular water transport on the Moskva River stopped running—only leisure trips remained. 49 bridges... Read more →

A Henry Ford Health System study published in The Laryngoscope shows that head and neck injuries caused by use of e-scooters have been on the rise since rideshare systems were introduced to the public in late 2017. Kathleen Yaremchuk, M.D., Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck... Read more →

GM’s BrightDrop (earlier post) is collaborating with the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab (UFL), The City of Seattle, and tech and delivery companies, AxleHire, Coaster Cycles and REEF, to launch one of the nation’s first zero operating-emissions, last-mile neighborhood delivery hubs. The delivery hub in Seattle’s Uptown neighborhood is... Read more →

A new paper by an MIT team and colleagues in Singapore, China, Italy and Denmark, drawing on global data, finds that people visit places more frequently when they have to travel shorter distances to get there. By examining cellphone data on four continents, the researchers were able to arrive at... Read more →

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has published findings and data from its inaugural study counting the number of people biking and walking on Los Angeles streets. The count, which took place at 63 intersections over several weekends in 2019, reveals trends in active transportation while observing the demographics... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) will conduct a public hearing on 20 May to consider approving for adoption of the proposed Clean Miles Standard—the first proposed regulation to address environmental requirements for ride-hailing services specifically. (Earlier post.) California’s Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program of 2018 (SB 1014) directs... Read more →

In October 2020, leaders from the auto and tech industries, state officials, academia, think tanks and others, announced the creation of the Commission on the Future of Mobility (CFM) to identify opportunities across transportation and technology silos and propose a fundamentally new vision for transportation policy for people and goods.... Read more →

A team led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers measured real-time and gravimetric PM2.5 concentrations and particle composition from area samples collected in the subways of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York/New Jersey (NYC/NJ); and Washington, District of Columbia. A total of 71 stations across 12... Read more →

Autonomous driving software company Aurora has entered a long-term, global, and strategic collaboration with Toyota and Denso, one of the largest global manufacturers and tier-one automotive suppliers, respectively, to build and globally deploy self-driving cars at scale. This collaboration has two primary goals: To develop and test driverless-capable vehicles equipped... Read more →

Nissan began a field test of new mobility services as part of a partnership to promote future community building in Japan. The partnership agreement between three local governments and eight companies aims to develop new modes of transportation, and to promote the use of renewable energy, in the Hamadori area... Read more →

Kia Corporation has begun to lay the groundwork for its innovative Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) business, partnering with cold chain startup ‘S.lab Asia Inc.’ to break into Singapore’s last-mile delivery market. On January 28, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at launching a pilot project in Singapore using... Read more →

The Future Flight Challenge was created to develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles. Air-One is a world-first fully-operational hub for future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—such as cargo drones and air taxis—to be launched in Coventry (UK) later... Read more →

General Motors has launched a new business, BrightDrop, which will offer an ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software and services to empower delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently. BrightDrop solutions are designed to help businesses lower costs, maximize productivity, improve employee safety and freight security, and support... Read more →

Archer, a manufacturer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have entered into a definitive agreement to enable Archer to benefit from access to FCA’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience. The new partnership will help accelerate Archer’s... Read more →

Israel-based Urban Aeronautics Ltd. reached an agreement to provide four CityHawk VTOL aircraft to Hatzolah Air for emergency medical service (EMS) applications. In addition, Hatzolah Air will become Urban Aeronautics’ official sales representative and distribution channel to other EMS and Rescue organizations worldwide. In August 2020, the two companies signed... Read more →

The world has experienced significant urbanization in recent decades. According to the latest report from the United Nations (UN), the global population in 2018 was 7.6 billion and the urban population was 4.2 billion. By 2050, the global population is expected to soar to 9.7 billion, with 68% of the... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company announced an updated roadmap for its future business Strategy 2025 at the 2020 CEO Investor Day’\ forum held virtually in Seoul. The comprehensive mid- to long-term strategy reinforces Hyundai’s plan to lead the future mobility industry as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. The updated Strategy 2025 roadmap... Read more →

The average distance per trip for rented scooters in the US in 2019 was one mile, according to data from the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Rented bikes (including e-bikes) were generally used for longer trips. Trips made by bike share members averaged 1.5 miles while trips made by... Read more →

The BMW Group and Daimler Mobility AG are transferring the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) business of their joint subsidiary moovel Group GmbH to Mobimeo GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. At the same time, the two shareholders are focusing the moovel Group’s market presence on the existing offering... Read more →

Volkswagen and Uber have launched a pilot project for the utilization of electric vehicles within the sustainable ride hailing service “Uber Green”. The objective of the pilot project is to use a number of year-old e-Golf vehicles which may run into three digits. Volkswagen has already been using the e-Golf... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company is partnering with Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and KT Corp. to accelerate the development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) (earlier post) and work together to conduct test flights. With a memorandum of understanding signed on 18 September, the four parties will... Read more →

Toray Industries concluded an agreement with Lilium GmbH to supply carbon fiber composite materials for the Lilium Jet. (Earlier post.) The Lilium Jet is a five-seater, emissions-free aircraft that can take off and land vertically and is designed to provide high-speed regional connections of up to 300km in under 60... Read more →

Kia Motors Corporation has founded ‘Purple M’, a new start-up designed to offer customized EV mobility services. Purple M is a new joint venture created in partnership between Kia Motors and CODE42.ai, a Korean technology firm pioneering the transition to autonomous Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS). Through this new start-up, Kia and CODE42.ai... Read more →

Mobileye, an Intel Company, and WILLER, one of the largest transportation operators in Japan, Taiwan and the Southeast Asian region, have formed a strategic collaboration to launch an autonomous robotaxi service in Japan and markets across Southeast Asia, including Taiwan. Beginning in Japan, the companies will collaborate on the testing... Read more →

NEVS has presented its new mobility ecosystem: PONS—the first generation of autonomous vehicles with a connected user interface. The self-driving vehicle Sango is the centerpiece of the system. The self-driving vehicle Sango NEVS developed PONS because cities all over the world, clogged by pollution and traffic, want to do whatever... Read more →

Electric cars are becoming an attractive business proposition for high-mileage vehicle operators such as ride-sharer Uber in key EU capitals such as Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Lisbon, a new study by research and campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) has found. Medium-sized battery-electric cars are on average 14% cheaper to... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board will provide up to $22 million in grants to address transportation needs in disadvantaged and low-income communities with clean transportation options under a new $22-million pilot project. The funding, available through the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP), will support the planning and implementation of clean... Read more →

Hyundai Motor will display a 1:8-scale model of its ‘UAM-PBV-Hub’ smart mobility ecosystem (earlier post) in its headquarters lobby until June 12 and at global events afterward. The 1:8-scale model on display is a miniature of the exhibit shown at CES 2020 and includes integration of its Urban Air Mobility... Read more →