A driver shortage spurs AV ambitions
We’re sharing mostly good news this week. Amtrak is making its app more user-friendly, Waymo keeps expanding, Dance is making waves with its electric bike and moped subscription model, while India’s electric two-wheeler market is ballooning despite some policy setbacks. Meanwhile, a global driver shortage is pushing the demand for autonomous trucking and Uber’s former CEO says the company erred by ditching self-driving cars. Across the pond, Joby Aviation’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic promises a future of electric air taxis in the UK. With cheaper EVs still out of reach for most Americans, the push for affordable, sustainable transport options continues to face roadblocks.
We're also just 6 weeks away from CoMotion MIAMI '25, New Reality, New Opportunities. Join mobility’s most influential innovators and thought-leaders. Snag your pass now and secure Early Bird savings.
What you need to know
Better late than never for Amtrak: America’s notoriously clunky passenger rail service makes some long-overdue improvements to its app, making it easier to track train status and schedule changes directly on the reservation screen within 24 hours of a trip. Additionally, a new "My Trips" tab enables users to easily view and manage active, upcoming, and past trips.
Another Waymo expansion: The Alphabet-owned robotaxi service is now available 24/7 to a select group of customers in a 27-square mile area of the Silicon Valley that includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos and parts of Sunnyvale. Waymo, which already offers universal 24/7 service in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix, has also recently begun offering rides in Austin through a partnership with Uber, and plans to expand the partnership to Atlanta later this year.
Dance, dance mobility revolution: Berlin-based electric mobility subscription company Dance, raises €12 million in equity and debt funding, bringing its total funding to over €79 million. Started in 2020 by the founders of Soundcloud, Dance offers subscription-based access to electric bikes and mopeds in Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. The young company already boasts more than 10,000 customers and 80 corporate clients and seeks to achieve EBITA profitability this year.
Northvolt files for bankruptcy: The Swedish battery-maker, Europe’s great hope for a domestic battery supplier, has failed to secure the financial backing necessary to “continue in its current form.”
Toll Story: New York City's Congestion Pricing, Two Months In
<iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2057107424&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-958076637" title="Fast Forward, Podcast by CoMotion" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fast Forward, Podcast by CoMotion</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-958076637/toll-story-new-york-citys-congestion-pricing-two-months-in" title="Toll Story: New York City's Congestion Pricing, Two Months In" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Toll Story: New York City's Congestion Pricing, Two Months In</a></div>In the latest episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Lewis Lehe, Assistant Professor in the Transportation Systems Group of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Just, to discuss congestion pricing's consequences, two months later. Has the toll worked in reducing congestion downtown? How might we measure that? And beyond simply reducing congestion, are there other benefits to this policy? This conversation explores answers to those questions, and probes further about the purpose of ambitious policies like this one.
Just 6 weeks to go!
Mobility’s most influential innovators and thought-leaders will be coming to the Magic City on April 29-30 for CoMotion MIAMI ‘25.
Hear from Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, maritime mobility pioneer REGENT CEO & Co-Founder, Billy Thalheimer, HNTB Senior Vice President, Beth Kigel, and Miami-Dade Innovation Authority President & CEO, Leigh-Ann Buchanan, and many more. Check out the latest confirmed speakers.
Public and private sector leaders will explore hot topics: Autonomy & the Urban Experience, Next-Gen Maritime Mobility and Logistics, Emerging Funding Models for Investment, Policy Reform for New Mobility, and many more.
Start planning your participation to the most insightful mobility gathering anywhere.
A driver shortage spurs AV trucking demand: Fleet operators are struggling to find workers to drive trucks: the E.U. is short 200,000 drivers while the U.S. is short 80,000. The labor crunch makes the prospect of autonomous trucks even more attractive, not only in long-haul trucking but in dangerous industries such as mining and quarrying, where companies are eager to reduce liability risks. By 2035, projects McKinsey, autonomous heavy-duty trucking will generate $616 billion in revenue globally.
Uber regrets: Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick says the company was wrong to ditch its autonomous driving unit, Aurora, in 2020. Kalanick, who was CEO from 2009-17 and left the board in 2019, says Uber was poised to surpass Waymo’s AV capabilities. Now the company is once again involved in driverless ride-hailing, but via a partnership where Waymo vehicles are hailed through its app in Austin and Atlanta.
Electric two-wheelers surge in India: Sales of electric two-wheel vehicles grew 33% in 2024 in India to 1.14 million. Four domestic manufacturers account for over 80% of the sales: Ola Eletric, TVS Motor Company, Bajaj Auto, and Ather Energy. New startup Ultraviolette, however, is also making a big play, with a planned $100 million investment and a goal of reaching 100,000 sales in four years. The electrification of two-wheel transportation has been a major environmental goal of the Indian government, which put in place generous subsidies in 2019 but significantly reduced them in 2023, prompting EV adoption to slip.
Finnish government wants end to drunk scootering: The Finnish government proposes new regulations for micromobility, including subjecting scooter and e-bike users to the same blood alcohol limits as motorists. Good move, say we.
Joby partners with Virgin: Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic join forces to introduce electric air taxi services in the UK, aiming to provide short-range flights connecting hubs like Heathrow and Manchester airports with regional cities. Passengers will be able to book these air taxi flights directly through Virgin’s platforms. Joby signed a similar deal with Delta, which owns 50% of Virgin, in the U.S. It's not yet clear when the service will become available in the UK, though.
Will America ever get a cheap EV? Volkswagen is developing an entry-level electric vehicle priced around $21,000. However, this model is currently intended for the European market, and there are no plans to release it in the U.S. Meanwhile, there appears to be no sign of a $25,000 Tesla coming soon, despite Elon Musk’s repeated promises. GM said it will recommence production of the Chevy Bolt this year, but even that will be priced closer to $30,000.
Partner Content
Modernizing Curb Policy: What Cities, Companies & Experts Need to Know
City codes weren’t built for today’s dynamic curb demands—but they can be. Whether you're shaping policy, developing technology, implementing a curb management program, or advising on mobility strategies, keeping up with modern curb regulations is key to creating more livable cities.
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What we're reading
What congestion pricing has done for cyclists: Improving the cycling experience in Manhattan wasn’t one of the stated objectives of New York City’s congestion pricing system, but it appears to be an unintended benefit.
Can the fires teach LA to build better? For the second consecutive week, we’re sharing an article from “Reasons to be Cheerful,” an online magazine focused on advances in sustainability. In this one, Michaela Haas describes the opportunity Los Angeles has to learn from the fires and build back with an eye towards resilience.
A bike utopia rises in England: Waterbeach, a 716-acre development being built on a former military base outside of Cambridge, is embracing a Dutch-style “cycle-first” approach to road design. Laura Laker of CityLab dives into the planning process that guided the innovative new town.
