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Micromobility America returned to the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this month to showcase the latest micromobility products, highlight new releases, offer test rides, hear from insightful company leaders and politicians, and basically nerd out about electric mobility.

From new e-bikes and e-scooters to innovative electric roller skates and even electric micro-cars, there was a bit of everything under the sun.

And with a combination of company meet and greets, test rides, and speakers, the event had a wide range of engaging activities for anyone interested in the latest forms of micromobility and the policies that surround those devices and companies.

The event included some of the most interesting, innovative, and eye-catching mobility products out there, and I was on-site to take it all in over two days.

Here’s a collection of some of the coolest stuff I saw, listed in alphabetical order to avoid choosing favorites. (That’d be like asking who your favorite child is!)

Apollo Scooters

The team from Apollo was on site to show off their latest innovative electric scooters, including their newest models of the Apollo City and the Apollo Pro. Both of these scooters employ more of a ground-up design than we’ve seen from most electric scooter companies.

Instead of throwing together a bunch of à la carte parts, Apollo designs its scooters itself, ensuring they not only have the most unique e-scooters out there but that they also address the ever-growing mass of community feedback they receive from their tens of thousands of electric scooter customers.

I made sure to take a spin on the Apollo City Pro, having previously reviewed the slightly lower spec Apollo City. Both are fast and comfortable e-scooters that employ the company’s variable regenerative braking, meaning you can basically forgo touching the mechanical brakes entirely, instead relying on the motor’s regenerative braking to slow and stop the scooter. The Apollo Pro’s fancy features like wireless phone charging and surround lighting make it a standout in the industry — even before you consider the 43 mph (70 km/h) top speed!

apollo city pro at micromobillity america conference
I had the pleasure of testing an Apollo City Pro

Artful Design Group’s Airglide electric scooter

I’ve seen a lot of different types of micromobility products but never anything quite like this. While still a prototype, the Airglide electric cargo scooter was on site to show off what could be possible with a seated cargo e-scooter.

In addition to offering plenty of space for cargo in the front bucket, the scooter is designed with a saddle for comfortable seated riding and even collapses down into a cart that can be wheeled around through a grocery store to do your shopping.

Don’t expect to find this one in stores this year, but the future could see big things for a small-yet-mighty folding e-scooter like this.

Aventura X electric scooter

Vespa vibes without the Vespa price! The Aventura X electric scooter has all of the old-timey charms of a classic Piaggio-style scooter, yet with a $3,300 price tag that is around half the cost of a Vespa Elettrica electric scooter.

I had the chance to test ride one, which you can see in my video from the event above.

The scooter isn’t the fastest out there, maxing out at just 30 mph (48 km/h). But it’s a fun, smooth, and easy-to-manage ride that will have you enjoying the slower pace of life.

It’s just so much fun that you’re not thinking “I wish this thing went faster.” Instead, you’re mostly wishing you had a beautiful girl on back en route to a picnic in the Italian countryside.

I’m not sure it will rival a CSC Monterey, but it gets close.

aventura x at micromobillity america conference

Bo electric scooter

Bo’s electric scooter looks like the designers threw out the conventional Chinese electric scooter that everyone seems to build these days and, instead, drew up their own idea of how e-scooters should be built.

The head tube is basically as tall as the stem, giving them a much wider spacing between steering bearings and resulting in a much stiffer and safer-feeling scooter.

The body panels give it a sleeker appearance too, making it look as good as it feels.

Big props to the designers on this one!

bo scooter micromobillity america conference micah toll
Who looks sleeker – me on that Bo scooter… or the Tesla?

Boaz Bikes

I had a blast meeting the team behind Boaz Bikes, and it was quite obvious that their passion for their product and service really shines through.

The takeaway message that they kept coming back to was safety. They operate as a rental service, but they also sell their micromobility vehicles to people that enjoy the unique form factor and want to own instead of rent.

Despite the name, these “bikes” are actually scooters. They have a low seating position that allows riders to feel stable, with a low center of gravity, and easily put both feet on the ground if they need to quickly regain their balance.

With suspension, baskets, lights, fenders, and disc brakes, the little scooters have basically everything a rider needs in a small utility scooter. Plus, the max speed of 30 mph on the private version makes these a fast urban vehicle that can easily replace a car.

I didn’t get a chance to hop on one of these at the show, and now I regret it. They look so awesome – I really need to try one out. Maybe I’ll get lucky after they read this, and they’ll want me to do a review on it in Florida. Fingers crossed!

boaz bikes micromobility America

Eli electric micro car

The Eli electric micro isn’t a car at all, but rather is listed as a quadricycle where it is already sold in Europe.

That puts it in a class of vehicles that fall somewhere between motorcycles and cars, enjoying the more lax regulatory environment of the former and the enclosed weather protection of the latter.

In the case of the Eli, it drives around at a max speed of around 25 mph (40 km/h) and offers a carlike interior, complete with a micro-trunk in the back for a couple of backpacks or other small cargo.

eli electric vehicle micromobility america
I had a blast hopping back in the Eli for another test ride!

The Eli was definitely one of the largest electric vehicles at Micromobility America, but it was still quite small compared to real cars.

Interestingly, the glass doors give it a larger interior feeling than it deserves, making the cramped interior feel much roomier.

I had the chance to give one of the first Eli vehicles a quick test drive last year in Milan, which you can see in my brief video below.

Escend Blades electric roller skates

These Escend Blades are absolutely wild and push the lower end of the micromobility size spectrum even further.

The concept is simple. They’re like roller skates – but electric. That’s it. Small, light, effective.

They use electric skateboard parts, including an e-skate controller to wirelessly communicate with the skates. That gives riders a thumb-controlled throttle and brake dial in their hand, without requiring a tether or wired connection.

It seems like there are dedicated boot versions and also naked skate platforms like those old-school roller skates that strapped onto kids’ shoes from the 1950s.

Faction’s driverless Arcimoto

Faction was at Micromobility America with its driverless Arcimoto designed as an autonomous delivery vehicle.

It’s pretty trippy to look inside and realize that both seats have been replaced by a giant, open area for cargo and goods.

The Arcimoto FUV platform is already quite striking, but a robotic version is straight-up SciFi if you ask me.

More “normal” Arcimoto FUVs were also at the show, including one that the company let me borrow for a couple of days to use as my wheels while I was in San Francisco. Flying over the bridges at 80+ mph and getting looks from drivers around me was definitely a highlight of the trip, but I’ll have more on my few days of driving an Arcimoto FUV soon.

Faction Arcimoto at micromobility america

Hunter Boards

South American electric skateboard startup Hunter Boards showed off its latest highly-engineered electric skateboard at Micromobility America.

The board uses what appears to be a modified double wishbone suspension system that is more at home on large four-wheeled vehicles than skateboards.

It looks like a mechanical engineering student’s dream and gives the boards a futuristic yet still mechanical vibe.

Combined with the high performance and removable batteries, the design helps make these Hunter electric skateboards memorable in the industry.

hunter board at micromobility america

JackRabbit

The JackRabbit brings a smile to my face every time I see one.

Referred to as a micro-bike, these are technically seated electric scooters due to the lack of pedals.

They may look funny with that short wheelbase, but they have pretty good performance.

They get up to 20 mph and have ranges of over 10 miles, despite their tiny batteries, meaning they’re great for short city commutes when riders want the stability of a bike but the size and lightweight design of a scooter.

jackrabbit at micromobility america

I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing one of these earlier this year, where I learned just how much fun this micromobility device can be.

You can check it out in my video review below. Trust me, you’re going to want to see me ride this thing. It’s not a circus bear on a tricycle situation, but it’s not the farthest thing in the world from that either.

Nimbus One

This is another one of those “What is it?” type of micro-EVs. The Nimbus One falls somewhere in the Velo-bike/micro-car/leaning e-trike trifecta. It’s another example of a vehicle that pushes the limits of what we consider to be micromobility.

The enclosed design makes it great for inclement weather that would cause many people to leave their bikes in the garage. But the narrow size and leaning design mean it operates more like a bike than a car, which should appeal to car-shunning cyclists.

And of course, the electric drive makes it easy and, more importantly, environmentally sustainable, which everyone should appreciate.

I can’t say for sure what it’s actually like to pilot. But I can agree that it’s fun to look at!

nimbus one at micromobility america

Pytes batteries

These guys say they’re the third largest battery suppliers in the micromobility business.

Frankly, based on the list of e-bike companies they rattled off as their customers, I’m surprised they aren’t in the first or second spot.

They were on-site to show off their wide range of batteries for electric bikes, scooters, and other micromobility devices.

It seems they make just about every type of battery under the sun. And bonus points, they’re fans of my videos! From now on I’m going to tell people, “Yeah, well you may not have heard of me, but I’m big in China!”

Veo Apollo

Tons of companies offer shared electric scooters or e-bikes. Lime and Bird at the big ones for many people, but dozens of other companies compete in the space.

No one has a two-seater e-bike quite like Veo though, who just rolled out the Veo Apollo in a debut at Micromobility America.

The Class 2 e-bike has a 750W motor in the rear wheel and gets up to a top speed of 20 mph.

It makes it easy to avoid calling for an Uber or Lyft – instead, take a friend with you on the back of a shared micromobility device. Right on!

veo apollo at micromobility america

WAU Bikes

Sorry, WAU, you guys really screwed yourself when it comes to alphabetical order, getting left near the end of this post. That’s a shame because your bikes deserve to be at the top of so many lists.

Between the slick-looking battery case (with a 100-mile range battery!) and the neat frame-mounted rear lights, these are some awesome e-bikes that I really want to test out.

Those taillights even do double duty as turn signals and brake lights, and they are actually large and wide enough to serve those roles well, unlike many tiny gimmicky turn signals we’re starting to see on other e-bikes.

Weel

Last but definitely not least on the list is Weel, an innovative e-bike that offers something akin to Tesla Autopilot, but for e-bikes.

It’s designed to help riders who lack the skills or confidence to safely ride a bike and uses a steering tube motor to help adjust the steering for riders and keep the bike stable. Computer vision helps riders stay on course by tracking the edges of bike lanes and avoiding obstacles.

The bike is also designed to remove as many traditional hardware components from the bike as possible. For example, instead of a typical moving brake lever, the Weel bike’s brake lever is fixed and uses a strain gauge to measure how hard it is pulled.

It’s a wild and completely novel design. Time will tell whether or not the bike will be commercially viable when it eventually hits the market.

Make sure you check out my video of the event, embedded below. There, you’ll see all of these companies up close, plus even more!

And if you live across the pond, keep your calendar marked for June 8-9, 2023, when Micromobility Europe returns to Amsterdam!

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Trump nominates a Tesla critic to lead NHTSA

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Trump nominates a Tesla critic to lead NHTSA

President Trump has nominated Jonathan Morrison to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Morrison has previously criticized and tussled with Tesla in his previous role at NHTSA.

Morrison is now Trump’s nominee to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is in charge of regulating the auto industry in the US.

The attorney was the agency’s Chief Counsel during Trump’s first term, and he had a few disputes with Tesla during that time.

In September 2018, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its Tesla Model 3 crash test results, and the EV got five-star safety ratings in every category.

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Tesla interpreted the data from the test and claimed that Model 3 achieved “the lowest probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by NHTSA“.

Morrison sent Tesla a cease-and-desist letter over the claim, arguing that it was misleading.

The lawyers also subpoenaed Tesla to get data about a specific crash in 2019.

Next week, Morrison is expected to have his confirmation hearing in the Senate and could take up his role shortly after.

The nomination is significant in the context of the current feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump.

Musk has been criticizing Trump and his allies over their recently passed budget and tax bill, which is expected to significantly increase the federal government’s debt and eliminate virtually all subsidies to electric vehicles and renewable energy, potentially harming Tesla.

Trump has warned Musk that he could go directly after his companies and NHTSA would be the top vehicle for that when it comes to Tesla.

The agency had already launched several investigations into Tesla over the years, with the largest one examining Tesla’s Full Self-Driving program and several fatal crashes related to the ADAS system.

Electrek’s Take

Most NHTSA probes into Tesla have resulted in slaps on the wrist at best, but this FSD probe involves several fatal crashes, and even though it started under the Biden administration, it could potentially ramp up under Trump, especially amid his feud with Musk.

On the one hand, it’s disheartening to see the US reach this point, where feuds between billionaires and elected officials are settled through regulatory agencies. Still, at the same time, Musk did buy the election for Trump, so he created this situation in the first place, and there are serious concerns about how safe FSD is.

At the very least, I would hope that NHTSA will start to force Tesla to release all its FSD crash and disengagement data.

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A 25 mph ambulance? The GEM microcar is now an emergency responder

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A 25 mph ambulance? The GEM microcar is now an emergency responder

You might remember the GEM as a quirky little electric microcar that’s been cruising through campuses, resorts, and planned communities for years. But now, it’s taking on a more serious job – saving lives. Waev Inc., the maker behind the long-running GEM electric vehicle line, has just unveiled the GEM Ambulance, a purpose-built, all-electric, street-legal low-speed vehicle (LSV) designed specifically for emergency medical services.

While it might not replace a full-size ambulance on high-speed highways, this new electric responder is tailor-made for the dense environments where conventional ambulances often struggle: college campuses, sporting events, entertainment venues, airports, and more. With a top speed of 25 mph, it’s built for maneuverability, safety, and zero-emission performance in pedestrian-heavy areas.

“The GEM Ambulance fills a critical gap in medical response – delivering the ideal balance of agility and safety EMS teams need in crowded settings,” said Byron Dudley, Vice President at Waev Inc.

The new GEM Ambulance is built on the same proven electric platform that has powered GEM vehicles for over 25 years. It’s a highly refined LSV that combines practical engineering with professional-grade EMS functionality. In partnership with emergency equipment supplier QTAC, Waev integrated a skid-mounted EMS system that includes secure patient transport, attendant seating, optional oxygen and IV mounts, and rugged PolyTough™ construction designed to handle demanding conditions.

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Unlike golf carts or UTV-based setups that have been DIYed into emergency vehicles, the GEM Ambulance offers a more stable, comfortable, and professional platform. The EMS skid is positioned between the wheels for better weight distribution, and the vehicle’s low deck height and rear step-up provide easy access for patients and personnel alike.

The GEM Ambulance doesn’t skimp on emergency essentials either. It’s equipped with a 360-degree red emergency lighting system, an SAE Class 1-compliant siren with multiple sound patterns, a public address system, turn signals, LED headlights and taillights, and even a pedestrian noise emitter for quiet zones. A backup camera and full 360° sightlines give drivers added confidence when navigating tight environments.

And since it’s 100% electric, there’s no tailpipe emissions to worry about when operating indoors or in crowded spaces. Maintenance is minimal thanks to GEM’s maintenance-free batteries, regenerative braking, and corrosion-resistant aluminum frame. There’s even a seven-year warranty on the lithium-ion battery option.

The biggest surprise might be the price. According to Waev, the GEM Ambulance can cost up to 80% less than a traditional ambulance and 50% less than electric trucks or UTV-based alternatives. Plus, with operating costs of just $0.03 per mile, it promises long-term savings with no fuel, no fluids, and no downtime from engine servicing.

With applications ranging from college campuses and amusement parks to military installations and warehouse sites, the GEM Ambulance could be a game-changer for localized EMS response. It’s available now through GEM’s nationwide dealer network and can also be purchased through government contracts like Sourcewell, Texas BuyBoard, and GSA procurement channels.

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The Kia EV5 might be coming to the US after all

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The Kia EV5 might be coming to the US after all

The Kia EV5 is officially heading to North America in early 2026, paving the way for a potential US launch. If so, it could go head-to-head with the Tesla Model Y.

Is Kia launching the EV5 in the US?

On Tuesday, Kia unveiled the new EV5, a global version of its electric SUV that has been sold in China since 2023.

Starting at around $20,000 (149,800 yuan), the EV5 is leading Kia’s comeback in China. It’s also a top-selling EV in Australia, where it’s exported from Kia’s Chinese joint venture, Yueda Kia.

The global version will be made in Korea with a few slight upgrades. For one, it’s powered by an 81.4 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery pack, rather than the BYD LFP Blade battery used in the version sold in China.

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In Europe, the EV5 will be initially available in two variants: a baseline model and a GT-Line model. Both are powered by front-wheel drive (FWD) with up to 215 hp (160 kW) and 218 lb-ft (295 Nm) of torque.

Kia-EV5-US
Kia EV5 baseline trim (Source: Kia)

The global version is 4,610 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,675 mm tall, or a bit smaller than the Tesla Model Y. It’s about the size of the Hyundai IONIQ 5.

Inside, you’ll find a setup similar to the EV9 and EV3, featuring Kia’s new ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup features a 12.3″ instrument cluster and a 12.3″ infotainment display in a panoramic format. There’s also an added 5.3″ climate control screen.

Kia-EV5-US
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (Source: Kia)

During the launch event, Kia said the “rollout begins” in Korea and Europe in the second half of 2025, adding North American sales will start in early 2026.

Does that include the US? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. In January, Kia announced the EV5 will be “exclusive to the Canadian market in North America.” It will begin arriving at dealerships in 2026.

Kia-EV5-US
Kia EV5 GT-Line (Source: Kia)

However, it might make sense. The EV5 for North America will have a built-in NACS port, unlocking access to Tesla Superchargers. It will be available in both AWD and FWD powertrains. Two battery sizes will be offered, 60.3 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering a range of up to 310 miles (500 km).

Kia-EV5-US
Kia EV5 GT-Line interior (Source: Kia)

With sales of the EV6 and EV9 slipping nearly 50% each through the first half of the year in the US, the EV5 could complement the two.

Electrek’s Take

Although it’s still unlikely, the EV5 could serve as a potential electric alternative to the Sportage, Kia’s top-selling vehicle in the US.

Through June, Kia has sold over 87,000 Sportage models in the US. In comparison, it’s only sold 4,938 EV9s and 5,875 EV6 models.

Kia is launching the EV4, its first electric sedan, in the US early next year. However, a smaller compact electric SUV may be an even better fit.

It already builds the EV9 and EV6 in Georgia, so it could produce the EV5 in the US to avoid extra tariff costs. Or, it could even potentially be built at Hyundai’s new EV plant in Georgia. However, nothing is confirmed.

Would you buy the Kia EV5 in the US? Prices would likely start at around $50,000. Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

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