Zag Daily

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has built a virtual reality flight simulator that will study air taxi turbulence using human test subjects. The simulator aims to give advanced air mobility (AAM) players data to use when designing new aircrafts, and encourage a greater uptake of AAM technology by informing the community about usual motions to expect from air taxis. “This simulator is an electrically-driven multi-axis platform capable of six degrees of motion to help simulate the motions of a typical electric air taxi,” NASA test pilot Wayne Ringelberg told Zag Daily. “It has one passenger seat and it will run pre-recorded, simulated flight paths like those an urban air taxi may fly on a transport trip. To provide immersive visuals, the occupant will wear a high-definition virtual reality headset that will simulate the view a passenger would have during an actual flight.” #AAM #UAM #evtol #airtaxi #drone Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-2hWVE7

Dott replaced 21 million kilometres of polluting travel in 2023, according to its 2023 Sustainability Report. This equates to avoiding more than 2,250 tonnes of CO2. “In 2023, we expanded our service areas to more suburban communities in Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Tel Aviv to support the travel of commuters who live in these peripheral areas…This expansion connects our riders to more destinations across the metropolitan area, as 33% of riders use Dott to reach areas inaccessible by public transport.” Dott Chief Development Officer Laurent Kennel told Zag Daily. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eWNpR-9Q

Zag speaks with Urban Sharing, Micro-Mobility for Europe, Zeus and industry expert Lukas Neckermann to see what impact mandating cutting edge technology is having on a shared operator’s bottom line & whether cities should consider sharing these costs. From geofencing, ID verification and computer vision technology, to connected ‘car telemetry’ that can create overall rider safety scores, the micromobility industry has seen an explosion of new technology in recent years. “Rather than mandating specific technologies, cities should focus on identifying the core problems and allowing operators the flexibility to innovate and solve them in the best way,” Christy Pearson, Co-Chair of Micro-Mobility for Europe and Voi’s Director of Central Policy tells Zag Daily. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eXC3fsmW

The world’s first extendable cargo bike was exhibited at the Eurobike show after more than seven years of design and development. Designed by CYCLR COMPANY and developed by VROEGH, the CYCLR-FLEX can extend from a compact bike into a larger cargo bike to serve rider needs like carrying groceries or transporting children. “We’ve seen the success of e-cargo bikes in the market but there’s one drawback - they’re very big,” CYCLR Designer Nikolaï Carels told Zag Daily. “From the market we saw that people were looking for smaller bikes and also looking for bikes that carry cargo, so we thought why not combine it? That’s where the idea came from to blend a larger cargo bike for certain functions and a smaller one for other functions.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/enwczxMs

Glastonbury festival became the 7th largest city in the UK overnight last week as more than 200,000 people flocked to Worthy Farm, many by car. The fumes from these cars is the greatest contributor to the Festival’s greenhouse gases. Our Editor shares his experience of cycling to the festival this year & 5 reasons why he would do it again. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZ8dGQFp

German e-bike subscription service CYCLE has acquired bicycle company Ebike4Delivery to expand its last-mile delivery operations and launch in the UK. Ebike4Delivery’s team, bikes and leasing contracts including delivery chain customers like Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut will be transferred to Cycle under its own operations. “We will be leveraging the Gen3 Bike from Ebike4Delivery to serve restaurants and franchise companies who highly value its robustness,” Cycle Co-Founder and CEO Luis Orsini-Rosenberg told Zag Daily. “This is particularly exciting for markets like Germany and Poland, where Ebike4Delivery currently has a limited presence.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/efsX4yQR

In today’s newsletter our top story is about a British cargo bike player that is beginning to have a serious impact on the nation’s sustainable delivery needs, plus the world’s first carbon-neutral tyre, an eVTOL players $14 billon pre-order book, and more Subscribe: https://lnkd.in/eid8KXUt

Zag compiles the transport pledges set out in the UK’s top five party manifestos as millions head to polling stations today to vote in the next government. "The next government will inherit a hot mess in our transport system,” Greenpeace UK Policy Director Dr Doug Parr told Zag Daily. “From crumbling railway services - particularly in the north of England - to vanishing bus routes and flip-flopping on electric vehicle incentives. "Most of the parties, including Labour, intend to bring back the 2030 phase out date for new petrol and diesel cars and vans, after the Conservatives rolled back this target. But there was a mixed bag on public transport with only the Green Party pledging the level of financial support needed to boost bus, rail and cycling infrastructure expansion and electrification.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/enRhzUj2

Eve Air Mobility has raised $94 million in new equity financing with pre-orders for 2,900 eVTOLs worth $14.5 billion. The 100% electric aircraft has a 60-mile range and will be used for short-distance, intra-city flights. “With the industry’s largest pre-order book with letters of intent for 2,900 aircraft and strong program development partners, Eve has continued to demonstrate the opportunity that our company presents for both strategic and financial investors,” said Eve Air Mobility CFO Eduardo Siffert Couto. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eiscrndr

METRUCKS GmbH has partnered with Nijland Cycling B.V. and subsidiary brand Cargo Cycling to rapidly scale the development of its four-wheeled heavy-duty e-cargo bike globally.  The Doer e-quadricycle is made from building blocks which can be customised to customer needs, is fitted with a reinforced weatherproofed cabin and can convert into a pedelec version for convenient parking. “By adding the Doer to the Cargo Cycling portfolio, we become the only brand offering a two-wheeler, three three-wheeler solutions with different volume cargo boxes, and a high-volume four-wheeler,” Cargo Cycling Chief Commercial Officer Jeroen Beumer told Zag Daily. “We can now offer the right cargo bike solutions for every type of business.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ejU5cTMA