The Micromobility Revolution Is Crushing Fossil Fuel Dreams – CleanTechnica

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This year’s sharp U-turn in federal energy policy has slowed, not stopped, the transition to a cleaner, healthier energy profile in the US. Exhibit A is the micromobility revolution, where electrification combines with pedal power for a turbo-boost in sustainability. Banishing fuels that pollute the air is just one benefit. The other is shedding the excess load of metals, rare earths, tire materials and other inputs that humans drag along when they go about their daily business in a car.

The Micromobility Revolution Began With Women

The revolutionary nature of micromobility has been in evidence since the first wave of bicycles hit the roads in the late 1800’s. Let’s turn to the Petulama Historian for the juicy bits:

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling,” Susan B. Anthony told New York World reporter Nellie Bly in 1896. “I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

The women’s emancipation angle has also cropped up in CleanTechnica’s e-bike reporting here and there. Condé Nast Traveler provides an additional elaboration on the role of engineering and innovation in the women’s suffrage movement. The earliest bicycles first appeared in the form of the precarious High Wheel (aka Penny-Farthing) configuration. The introduction of a more balanced, skirt-friendly framing presented women with an alternative. They took the ball and ran with it.

Referring to Susan B. Anthony, Condé Nast observed that “her statement reflected a new reality. A bicycle craze was sweeping across the U.S. and elsewhere, thanks to the launch of the Safety Bicycle, the diamond-frame model from which today’s bikes descend.”

“And unlike its vertiginous and risky predecessor, the High Wheel, it was far easier to ride, in turn offering a new freedom to women who had little autonomy over their lives, and few legal rights,” Condé Nast added.

The Micromobility Revolution Needs More Women

Further underscoring the gender-linked nature of the micromobility space, new research indicates that concerns over road safety and sexual harassment continue to discourage young women from riding bicycles.

In the UK, for example, the organization Cycling UK has raised the alarm. “Women make half as many trips by bike as men, and are more likely to be put off cycling by a fear of busy traffic,” the organization states in its “My Ride. Our Right” campaign.

“Women shouldn’t feel forced to choose between a busy road and a dark isolated path. There should be a route that feels safe and welcoming,” Cycling UK adds. “This isn’t just about transport — it’s about equality, opportunity and giving more people the freedom to ride.”

ALSO Is Here To Catalyze The Electric Bike Space For Everyone

Into this picture steps ALSO, a new micromobility startup aiming to loosen the grip of fossil fuels in the US transportation profile. ALSO crossed the CleanTechnica radar last spring, when the US automaker Rivian announced the new company as a spinoff from its EV business.

ALSO has not let the grass grow under its feet. Earlier today the company launched not one but a suite of electric bikes and accessories into the US market, including its new TM-B e-bike, two four-wheeled quads for individual and commercial cargo haulers, and a connected helmet. Here’s the lowdown on the TM-B (note the emphasis on safety, security, and ease of operation):

• Vehicle-grade battery technology with state-of-the-art energy density, safety, and USB-C fast charging up to 240 watts.
• Portal digital touchscreen display with navigation, media, calls, and app integration, activated automatically when the rider approaches.
• Integrated security system that locks the battery, wheels, and frame automatically as the rider walks away, with real-time tamper alerts via the ALSO app.
• Configurable drive mode: The TM-B offers a completely software-defined riding experience that is extremely intuitive and easy to use.

In addition to addressing some of the issues holding women back from the cycling space, ALSO notes that the TM-B is easily adaptable to different body sizes and use cases.  “At the heart of the TM-B is DreamRide, ALSO’s in-house drive system that brings software-defined pedaling to life, delivering an effortless and endlessly customizable riding experience,” ALSO notes.

“ALSO was created to develop technology and products that challenge existing expectations for what is possible in form factors smaller than a car or truck,” emphasized Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe in a press statement.

So…Where Is Tesla?

The Rivian connection looms large in ALSO’s business model. Rivian had an exclusive electric delivery van agreement with Amazon up until this spring, when the agreement concluded and Rivian made its vans available to other shippers. ALSO has followed suit. The company is currently working on a customized pedal-assist e-cargo bike for Amazon’s growing micromobility fleet. If all goes according to plan, thousands of ALSO/Amazon cargo bikes will flood into both the EU and US markets.

Of course, no story about vehicle electrification in the US is complete without a mention of industry leader Tesla. However, a story about micromobility is complete without Tesla. Other stakeholders in the mobility space, including Harley-Davidson and Ford, have leveraged their brand reputation to venture into the e-bike space. Tesla, not so much.

That thing about brand reputation is a deal breaker moving forward, but signs from the past indicate that anyone longing for a Tesla e-bike will have to go without. Tesla CEO and former head of “DOGE” Elon Musk has been teasing the idea of a Tesla e-bike since at least 2018 with little to show.

Who knows, maybe this year will be different. Either way, micromobility stakeholders like ALSO already have a running start. Of particular interest is the potential impact on sales of delivery vans. Electric or not, delivery vans are a liability in tight urban environments, particularly so in city centers where congestion pricing adds to the expense of fielding a full sized vehicle.

If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread.

Photo: The micromobility startup ALSO aims for a pedal-powered revolution with the launch of the new TM-B electric bike and two pedal-assisted quad e-cargo bikes (cropped, courtesy of ALSO via email).