Micromobility America heads to Southern California, e-bikes and more in tow
Micromobility America returns to California, and this time the show will be coming to a new venue in Costa Mesa. Each year, Micromobility America brings together many of the leading companies, consultants, policymakers, and more in the micromobility industry. A two-day experience of e-bikes, e-scooters, and just about everything else is set to kick off later this week, and Electrek will be there to give you all a front-row look at all of the action.
Scheduled to run from November 14-15, 2024, the Micromobility America conference will showcase “over 50 speakers from different areas of the micromobility universe, including manufacturers, retailers, distributors, operators, journalists, politicians and policymakers, and more. Over 500 brands are expected to join for two lively days of buzz-worthy vehicle launches, up-to-the-minute business insights, high-level executive networking, critical media opportunities, and of course, hands-on test rides.”
The first day of the conference is expected to cover many of the biggest issues and opportunities currently facing the industry, including panels with representatives of leading mobility companies. The CEO of Lectric Ebikes, Levi Conlow, will also go one-on-one with the co-host of NPR’s Planet Money to discuss his opinions on how the e-bike industry is expected to evolve next year.
Other presentations and panels on the agenda include “Disrupting the Delivery Van: How Micromobility Can Clean Up the Dirty Last Mile”, “Working with Government: Battery Regulations and How to Get Involved”, and “Scaling Climate Impact: Aligning Capital, Startups, and Policy for Micromobility”. Rad Power Bikes’ CEO Phil Molyneux will also join Micromobility America’s James Gross for a fireside chat entitled “The Rise of Rad Power Bikes”.
The attendee and presenter list covers a wide and diverse list of electric mobility companies, including everything from traditional e-bikes and e-scooters to fully-fledged electric motorcycles and even futuristic autonomous micro-EVs.
The “Retail Awards” section is a great chance to see mobility companies compete in a pitch competition judged by a distinguished panel of industry dealers, media professionals, and top influencers.
The test track area will bring together dozens of interesting light electric vehicles for a chance to test new rides that many people only ever get a chance to see in pictures and videos.
Last-chance tickets for the show are still available online, and with the event ready to kick off in less than 48 hours, this is definitely the last chance to get in on the fun. But for those who can’t make it out to Southern California for the event, don’t despair! We’ll be there to cover the action and report back on the most memorable moments and rides from the show.
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Slate Auto, a new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck factory in Indiana.
Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.
He then worked a few years at Subaru and Wabash before joining Tesla’s manufacturing team at the Fremont Factory in 2020.
There, he became part of the Model Y production ramp and was quickly promoted to lead the Model Y General Assembly in Fremont in 2022.
Reyes led Model Y GA, one of the most critical parts of vehicle manufacturing, for more than a year before being promoted again to lead new pilot processes at the factory.
Most recently, he led the launch of the general assembly line for the Model Y refresh.
The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:
A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.
I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.
Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this year to unveil a new type of electric pickup truck featuring modular customization and an affordable price.
The company raised over $700 million through two rounds of investments from several different investors, including Jeff Bezos. It is currently raising more, which basically guarantees that it will be able to reach production.
The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It is currently converting to manufacture its electric pickup with a team from legacy automakers and also several former engineers and leaders from Tesla.
Rich Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the head of manufacturing.
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Genesis is preparing to shake things up with its most luxurious SUV yet, the GV90. Thanks to a new patent filing, we are getting a detailed look at how its Rolls-Royce-style coach doors will work.
New patent reveals Genesis GV90 coach door system
When Genesis first unveiled the full-size SUV at the NY Auto Show last March, it wasn’t the stunning design or advanced tech that caught everyone’s attention. It was the coach doors.
Although we were worried it wouldn’t make it to the production model, like many concepts, the Genesis GV90 will be offered with coach doors.
The ultra-luxe electric SUV was first caught with coach doors earlier this year on a car carrier in South Korea. Just last month, the GV90 was spotted in California with a hinge at the rear to open the coach doors.
After several new patents were filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for new door latching devices, we are getting a sneak peek at how they are expected to work.
The patents, titled “Cinching Device For Door Latches in Vehicle,” and “Door Latch Device for Vehicles,” give a pretty detailed explanation of how the Genesis GV90’s coach doors will operate. The “Door Latch Device” uses a door striker on the lower side of the door, which is opened or closed by a hinge unit.
Unlike traditional doors, which use the B-pillar for support, the device is attached directly to the door itself, allowing for hinge-like movement.
The cinching device works in a similar way. It’s also attached to the door and part of the vehicle. However, unlike most of its kind, Genesis found a way to use a single cinching device to control multiple units. Again, the device is used for B-pillarless doors that swing open.
Genesis already said that B-pillarless coach doors are now feasible in production vehicles. The patent reveals a glimpse into how the luxury automaker could make it a reality.
Although the Genesis GV90 is expected to be offered with coach doors, they will likely not be standard. Other variants, with traditional door handles, have also been spotted testing in the US and South Korea.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV90 in mid-2026. It will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea. The flagship Genesis SUV is scheduled to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which the company said will “provide 50% improvement in driving range.” It will also be loaded with the latest technology, software, connectivity, and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capabilities.
Source: USPTO
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the launch of the Tesla Model YL, more Tesla probes and lawsuits, new Nissan Leaf pricing, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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