Hello and welcome back to The Station, a weekly newsletter specializing in the future (and present) of transportation. I’m host, Kirsten Korosec, senior transportation reporter in TechCrunch.
Everything you is a version of this newsletter, which is emailed every weekend. If you would like to subscribe, go here and click The Station.
The transportation market has witnessed an influx of “disruptors” in the previous 15 years, including car sharing and ride-hailing programs and afterwards shared e-bikes and scooters. Currently autonomous vehicle technology developers and flying automobile startups are currently employed for this name.
COVID-19 could turn out to be the transportation disruptor of the decade. Yesyes I understand — it s early days. However, COVID-19 is already changing the way we get across. Public transit has taken a hit and scooters that were shared are pulled streets off. Meanwhile, e-bike earnings are flourishing and some cities are experimenting with how to give transportation (and even distance ) that we need to move around without spreading the disease.
Shall we explore? Keep reading. Before we dig , here’s yet another friendly reminder to reach out and email me in [email protected] to share thoughts, opinions or tips, or send an immediate message into @kirstenkorosec.
Micromobbin’
Electric bikes are having a minute. While micromobility companies have hauled on bikes and scooters off streets, there is evidence that sales are now increasing. Cities are currently taking action to make this means of transportation accessible.
Here are three examples:
New York’s tentative budget agreement reached April 1 comes with a provision that could legalize throttle-based bikes and scooters.
Lectric eBikes, an Arizona-based startup that started in May 2019, advised TechCrunch it has witnessed a spike in earnings since mid-March. The company sold a mean of 25 bikes a day earlier COVID-19. Each day, by mid-March earnings jumped to approximately 48 bikes. The next week, the company averaged earnings of 55 e-bikes. Lectric marketed 175 bikes the week of March 7th. Weekly revenue hit at 440 A month later.
Portland is attempting to make its shared bike system, known as Biketown, more accessible and a helluva a good deal more affordable . The city has decreased pay-as-you-go programs to a 0.10 one-time sign up fee and then $0.01 a minute. Yes, 1 cent a minute.
Autonomous Shipping
COVID-19 has set a focus on delivery. Progress has been made, although there aren ’ t fleets of delivery robots in the willing.
Starship Technologies established this month that the robot meals delivery agency in Tempe, Ariz., as part of its growth plans following a $40 million funding round announced last August.
Starship Technologies, which was established in 2014 by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has been ramping up solutions that are commercial in the past year, including a strategy to expand by late summer 2021. Now, with the COVID-19 outbreak placing stress on gig market employees and forcing restaurants that are traditional to close, Starship Technologies has the chance to accelerate this growth. The company recently launched in Washington, D.C and Irvine, Calif., also says it plans to roll out into cities in the forthcoming months.
Nuro’s milestone
Meanwhile, Nuro has been granted permission to start driverless analyzing on California’s public roads. Nuro’s low-speed R2 automobile isn’t developed for individuals, only bundles.
Plus it s well-positioned to actually scale in California. Under state legislation, AV businesses can get another license that enables them to operate a ride-hailing service. However they could wont charge a fee.
Nuro may wont charge a delivery fee . By working to launch a commercial delivery company working with the cars, But it may generate revenue.
Other autonomous vehicle news
AutoX has opened an Shanghai Robotaxi Operations Center, following a 2019 arrangement with authorities to deploy vehicles in the Jiading District. The vehicles in the fleet have been constructed at a mill about 93 miles outside of Shanghai.
AutoX, which is creating a complete stack that is self-driving, has operations in California and China. It’s been active in China. The company has been operating a fleet of robotaxis from Shenzhen through a pilot program established in 2019 with BYD. It partnered with Fiat Chrysler to roll out a fleet of robotaxis to get China and other countries in Asia.
The Shanghai operations center marks an escalation of all AutoX’s ambitions. The company plans to unveil a more ride-hailing program that will let consumers in Shanghai ask rides in the operations center.
Trend Watch
Trend Watch is supposed to be a bookmark that we can look back in a couple weeks, months or even years and see whether it actually captured.
I’ll mention two this past week.
Nauto is an automotive tech startup that combines cameras, motion sensors, GPS and AI algorithms to understand and enhance driver behaviour. The company’s platform is utilized in commercial fleets plus some data indicates an uptick in last-mile driving and distracted driving.
Nauto’s distribution and fleets averaged 41 miles driven each busy driving hour in March, a 46% increase in precisely the same month last year.
Meanwhile, distracted driving incidents increased. Nauto explained that its supply and last-mile fleets averaged 1.54 distraction events each busy driving hour in March compared to 0.98 events per hour in the same month last year.
Onto cities. Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf established Saturday the Oakland Slow Streets initiative to assist folks maintain physical distancing. The city has closed down 74 kilometers of streets to through traffic to give people space to recreate.
Streets are available to local people and residents are able to drive home. Police, fire, deliveries and other services that were crucial obtained street closures impact ’ t either.
Other towns are currently experimenting with similar efforts. This may change individuals, including business owners, planners and city officials view the way we should use streets while streets will likely open up after the passes.
From you
Within the past couple of months, I’ve shared comments from subscribers about the way COVID-19 has affected their company or they use transportation. This weekI thought I’Id discuss some advice from Laurie Yoler, a new spouse at Playground Global, board member of Zoox and adviser to multiple companies. She had been an early adviser and former board member in Tesla .
This ’s exactly what she shared:
This is a time of deep reflection. Instead of viewing ‘social distancing’ as a prisonwe could focus on the people what gives us pleasure and reflect on our job and we care for. Examine this time as an chance the individuals around you and to become more compassionate with yourself, and pursue your own curiosity. That doesn’t imply forcing yourself to finish a list of jobs with focus and urgency, but instead utilizing this time to get inventive exploration that is gentle.
If your company is facing a downturn needs to rethink its aims, as so many are, remember you may only succeed by focusing on something at one time. I have five “F’so ” I operate through with entrepreneurs I suggest. Friends and family , then physical facilities, in order. After that, you can proceed to finances, cutting costs and in order to give your company the best chance of survival thinking about your business model. Next, it s all about planning for your future. Scenario planning is essential for all areas of your business. Ask yourself, “can I use this crisis to make the company stronger? ” Lastly, we turn to faith on earth ’s scientists and innovators to find us.
Bear in mind, even amid the devastation there is still space for optimism. This may be a catalyst to its sweeping innovation in health care and schooling we so desperately need. Utilize this time of stillness to animate yourself. Watch inspirational TED conversations, exercise, meditate, and check in with friends and coworkers. ”
— Laurie Yoler
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