Author Archives: Annick Roetynck

About Annick Roetynck

Annick is the Manager of LEVA-EU, with decades of experience in two-wheeled and light electric mobility.

• EP & Council Deal on Motor Vehicle Insurance

  28/06/2021 16:27 Comments Off on EP & Council Deal on Motor Vehicle Insurance

  The Motor Vehicle Insurance Directive has been under review for more than 3 years. The Commission presented the European Parliament and the Council with a proposal on 24 May 2018. This included widening the scope of the Directive to also cover a number of light, electric vehicles. Parliament and Council have now finally reached an agreement, which is not fully in line with the Commission’s proposal.

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  The Commission’s proposal to widen the scope caused a fear that electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h-250W would also end up in the Directive. In all Member States, they currently have the same status as conventional bikes. Therefore, they are not subject to a motor vehicle insurance. In some member states, e-cyclists are covered by the insurance of the motorised vehicle involved in the accident, irrespective of whether the driver is at fault. Inclusion in the Motor Vehicle Insurance Directive would also have annulled this so-called no-fault-liability.

  The situation for vehicles without a seat, such as e-scooters, and self-balancing vehicles was less clear. Some countries do impose a motor vehicle insurance, whilst a few others, such as Belgium, don’t.

  Parliament and Council have now reached a deal, which clarifies the scope of the Directive. The revised law will apply to vehicles in the L-category, thus not to vehicles excluded from the L-category. Excluded vehicles are among others electric bicycles 25 km/h-250w, e-scooters, monowheels and other self-balancing vehicles, e-hoverboards, … as well as vehicles exclusively intended for competition.

  The most important consequence of the decision is that vehicles without a seating position an self-balancing vehicles will no longer be subject to a motor vehicle insurance obligation, whilst they currently are in several member states. Also, the deal is an official endorsement for the exclusion of electric bikes 25 km/h-250W. Other types of vehicles, such as L1e-A powered cycles and speed pedelecs are subject to motor vehicle insurance.

  However, the Directive still has a clause that allows Member States to exclude certain vehicles from the Directive. Belgium, for one, has been using that clause to exclude both L1e-A powered cycles and speed pedelecs. It is unclear whether under the revised Directive Belgium will continue to apply the clause to speed pedelecs or make them subject to a motor vehicle insurance after all. The ambiguity has recently become even greater due to a judgment by the Belgian Constitutional Court. The Court has ruled that both speed pedelecs and e-scooters must be subjected to a motor vehicle insurance obligation. However, the Belgium government has not yet acted on that ruling. How all this will ultimately turn out with the revised Directive remains to be seen.

  LEVA-EU is of course delighted with the certainty that the deal now offers for electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h – 250 W. However, it is a pity that the opportunity has not been seized to also exclude L1e-A powered cycles. These vehicles produce exactly the same kinetic energy as the excluded e-bikes. There is therefore no reason whatsoever to subject one category to motor vehicle insurance and not the other. This is yet another proof that the L- category is an unsuitable framework for these vehicles.

  LEVA-EU is pleasantly surprised by the exclusion of, in particular, electric scooters. Given their low kinetic energy, it is the right decision not to subject them to motor vehicle insurance. LEVA-EU hopes this will contribute to the further development of e-scooters as a sustainable mode of transport. Finally, the revision of the Directive has clearly shown the need for a separate technical legal framework for light electric vehicles. This can then be used as a basis to tailor all associated legislation specifically to LEVs. Only then will the LEV-market really come to full bloom.

  Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

• New European City Air Quality Viewer

  13:03 Comments Off on New European City Air Quality Viewer

  Source: European Environment Agency – Air pollution is a serious problem in many European cities, posing a real risk to health. The European Environment Agency (EEA) launched the European city air quality viewer, which allows citizens to check how the air quality in their city has developed in the past two years and how that compares with other cities across Europe.

  In the EEA’s new city air quality viewer, cities are ranked from the cleanest city to the most polluted, on the basis of average levels of fine particulate matter, or PM_2.5, over the past two calendar years. 

  From 2019 to 2020, the top three cleanest cities in Europe in terms of air quality were Umeå in Sweden, Tampere in Finland and Funchal in Portugal. The three most polluted were Nowy Sacz in Poland, Cremona in Italy and Slavonski Brod in Croatia. 

  Of the 323 cities included in the viewer, air quality in 127 cities is categorised as good, meaning that it falls below the health-based guideline for long-term exposure to PM_2.5 of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (10 μg/m³) established by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

  The European Union has set an annual limit value for PM_2.5 of 25 μg/m³ under policies to deliver clean air in Europe. The viewer rates the long-term air quality as very poor when PM_2.5 levels are at or above this threshold, with five cities in Poland, Croatia and Italy falling in this category.    

  Fine particulate matter is the air pollutant with the highest impact on health in terms of premature death and disease. The viewer provides information on long term air quality in each city. Long term exposure to PM_2.5 causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 

  While there has been a marked improvement in Europe’s air quality over the past decade, the EEA’s latest annual air quality assessment found that exposure to fine particulate mater caused about 417,000 premature deaths in 41 European countries in 2018. 

  Find the Air Quality Viewer and full article here!

  Photo on Unsplash.

• Moscow Imposes 15 km/h Speed Limit on E-Scooters

  13:00 Comments Off on Moscow Imposes 15 km/h Speed Limit on E-Scooters

  Source: The Guardian – Electric scooters, which are hugely popular and tracked by GPS, are forced to slow down in the city centre of Moscow.

  Since early April, people in Moscow have hired e-scooters more than 1.2 million times and are expected to continue to use the rental services massively until Autumn. This has worried city authorities as e-scooter accidents are on the increase.

  To control the e-scooters, which are tracked by GPS, Moscow has now imposed a speed limit of 15km/h in the city centre. When rented e-scooters enter the area, they are programmed to slow down automatically.

  Moscow’s fleet of rental scooters is expected to double to 20,000 by the end of the year to meet demand.

  The full article is here.

  Photo credits: Segway-Ninebot.

• Free Parking in Paris for Electric Motorcycles and Mopeds

  12:53 Comments Off on Free Parking in Paris for Electric Motorcycles and Mopeds

  Source: eBikeGeneration – From 1 January 2022, parking is not free of charge anymore for motorcycles and mopeds. However, electric models remain exempted and park for free.

  In future Paris, parking a motorcycle and moped is not free of charge anymore. Parking will costs half of the price for parking a car. The hourly rate is 3 euro for districts 1-11 en 2 euro for the remaining districts. It is possible for people who work in Paris to buy a subscription from town hall for a reduced hourly parking rate (Pass deux-roues motorisé (2 RM)).

  	Visitor without Pass	Visitor with Pass
  Arrondissements of central Paris (from the 1st to the 11th)	3 € / h	1.2 € / h
  External district (from the 12th to the 20th)	2 € / h	0.8 € / h

  Not observing the rules becomes more expensive. Fines for unlawful parking go up from 50 to 75 euroin the city center and from 35 to 50 euro in suburban areas.

  Health workers who are visiting patients at home are exempted from the parking fee, no matter which type of motorcycle/moped they are riding. Other professionals will enjoy special hourly rate, which still needs to be set.

  The City of Paris argues that the new parking rules could result in higher sales of electric mopeds and motorcycles.

  Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash.

• Vässla Secures $11 million in Funding to Launch Club Rental Platform

  25/06/2021 13:13 Comments Off on Vässla Secures $11 million in Funding to Launch Club Rental Platform

  JUNE 2021 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – LEVA-EU member Vässla, the Swedish micro mobility startup that produces e-bikes and e-mopeds, announced that it has raised $11 million in a recent funding round.

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  Following significant growth within the Swedish micro mobility sector, Vässla raises new capital to focus on launching its Vässla Club rental platform for individual users, delivery drivers, and businesses

  The funding was led by Swedish investment group Skabholmen Invest. The family-owned investment group is headed up by Anders Pettersson, who has more than 30 years’ experience in developing national and international companies through growth and acquisitions. Skabholmen Invest will be joining the Vässla board of directors.

  Also contributing to the funding is a number of high profile Nordic-based entrepreneurs and finance profiles. Among them are Magnus Wiberg and Patrik Hedelin who founded the growth capital firm eEquity.

  Following the successful launch of its e-moped, the Vässla Moped, the company plans to utilise the funding to launch its Vässla Club rental platform; a tailor-made micro mobility solution creating a seamless mobility experience for people, delivery drivers, and businesses. This will be provided via the Vässla Club sharing app, which has fleet management capabilities, and users can gain access to Vässla bikes. This offers the best mobility solution at low cost, added employee satisfaction and helps companies and individuals contribute to more sustainable behaviour. The platform will have three separate offerings including:

  • Vässla Club for People: A monthly subscription service for end users
  • Vässla Club for Delivery: A weekly subscription service for delivery drivers
  • Vässla Club for Enterprises: Hourly rental service for hotels, resorts, campsites etc.

  The funding comes at a crucial point for Vässla, with its recently-released Vässla Bike bringing a new era of micro mobility to the streets of Scandinavia, with pilot schemes planned for several major European cities including Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg, and Madrid. The company also plans to expand into the booming micro mobility market in the United Kingdom at a later date, pending government legislation on e-scooters.

  Photo credits: Vässla

• Voluntary recall for the model Packster 70 Riese & Müller

  21/06/2021 18:20 Comments Off on Voluntary recall for the model Packster 70 Riese & Müller

  Source: Riese & Müller, 18 June – Riese & Müller has determined that in individual assembly batches, the steering damping was set too weak on a small number of Packster 70s. Thus, in combination with an unfavorable riding situation, it is possible that the front wheel starts to quiver in individual cases. In extreme cases, the clamping of the steering cable may loosen, which could result in a fall. Riese & Müller has therefore decided to initiate a voluntary workshop recall of the Packster 70 and recall all delivered bikes to the workshops. In the workshop, all parameters are checked or re-adjusted if necessary.

  Assembly inaccuracies in the steering can only be clearly identified on a very small number of vehicles. Nevertheless, Riese & Müller has chosen a broad communication strategy to ensure that all vehicles meet the extremely high safety standards and that any risk of injury is avoided.

  All dealers who have purchased a corresponding vehicle have already been informed by Riese & Müller about the voluntary recall and have been asked to arrange immediate service appointments with their customers.

  Photo Credits: Riese & Müller.

• 10th SUMP Award – Call for applications open!

  18:17 Comments Off on 10th SUMP Award – Call for applications open!

  Source: Civitas – As part of EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK, the European Commission annually presents the European SUMP Award to a planning authority which demonstrates excellence in sustainable urban mobility planning. The aim of the SUMP Award is to encourage the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) by local authorities across Europe and to reward outstanding achievements in each year’s thematic priority area.

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  Acknowledging current challenges and shifts in urban planning, this year local authorities are encouraged to showcase their outstanding plan to create a safer and healthier mobility system while reigniting trust in public transportation services.

  The winner of the 9th SUMP Award was Greater Grenoble Area Mobility Authority (SMMAG) for Grenoble-Alpes SUMP as the jury was particularly impressed by SMMAG’s integrated and structured approach, which aims to meet the mobility needs of all public transport users, including socially vulnerable groups. The other finalists were Belgrade (Serbia) and Bilbao (Spain). Follow their excellence and submit an application for this year’s award! 

  Application deadline: 24.00 (CET) – 31 October 2021

  Photo: Civitas

• First Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion adopted

  17:44 Comments Off on First Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion adopted

  Source: Eltis by Conall Martin – The first ever pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion was adopted on 18 May 2021 at the Fifth High-Level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment (THE PEP). The plan represents a major boost for cycling, one of the most sustainable, inclusive, safe, and healthy forms of mobility.

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  The Master Plan – which brings together the experience and expertise of cycling experts from 28 countries all over the pan-European region – is designed to help national and local stakeholders streamline efforts to promote cycling.

  Althoug LEVA-EU obviously welcomes this plan, the association regrets the fact that the Plan only deals with cycling. Active mobility no longer consists of cycling and walking only but has been considerably enriched with a wide range of light, electric vehicles. LEVA-EU plans to appeal to THE PEP about this shortcoming and to offer assistance so as to include LEVs in the planned pan-European ‘Competence Centre for Active Mobility, mentioned below.

  The Plan outlines 7 key objectives to be implemented by 2030:

  1. Significantly increase cycling in the region
  2. Provide appropriate space in favour of active mobility
  3. Extend and improve cycling infrastructure
  4. Develop and implement national cycling policies, plans, strategies and programmes
  5. Significantly increase cyclists’ safety and reduce the number of fatalities and series injuries
  6. Integrate cycling into health policies
  7. Integrate cycling and cycling infrastructure into land use, urban, regional and transport infrastructure planning

  Implementing the Master Plan can unlock a wide range of benefits for public health and safety, the environment as well as the economy. For example, doubling the current level of cycling would prevent 30,000 premature deaths (primarily from increased physical activity), with indirect economic benefits amounting to €78 billion per year.

  In addition, the cycling industry and cycling tourism have high economic potential, so promoting cycling can contribute to sustainable economic development and stimulate job creation. An estimated 750,000 jobs are connected to cycling in the pan-European region. Doubling the modal share of cycling in the European Union would create an additional 400,000 jobs and an additional €3.5 billion turnover in retail bicycle sales.

  Another important benefit is the reduction of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Doubling the current level of cycling would reduce GHG emissions by 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)*, with indirect economic benefits of €1.1 billion per year.

  Increasing cycling can also accelerate progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, such as by helping decarbonize mobility (Goal 13 – Climate Action) and by supporting healthy and non-polluting lifestyles (Goal 3 – Good health and well-being).

  In order to help all countries in the region unlock the potential of cycling, the Master Plan includes 33 recommendations, grouped under 11 areas. These include developing and implementing a national cycling policy, supported by a national cycling plan, creating user-friendly cycling infrastructure, and making use of new technology and innovation.

  The continuing cooperation between member States of THE PEP, through sharing statistical data, good practices, and providing adequate infrastructure and funding, will accelerate the achievement of the Master Plan’s objectives. A pan-European ‘Competence Centre for Active Mobility’ will be designed and established within the framework of THE PEP in order to further support the implementation of the Plan. This will aim to build upon the experiences and practices of THE PEP Member States.

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  * 8 million tonnes of CO2e equals 1,75 million passenger vehicles driven for one year, 32 billion kilometres driven by passenger cars or 4 million tonnes coal burned. Calculated with the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

  Photo: Klever Mobility.

• Survey Shows E-Scooters Replace Both Car and Walking Journeys

  17:22 Comments Off on Survey Shows E-Scooters Replace Both Car and Walking Journeys

  Source: Cities-Today, June – A survey by Ford’s micromobility arm Spin has revealed that travel behaviour across Essex in the UK has shifted since the introduction of the county’s shared e-scooter scheme in December 2020.

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  As more deployments roll out, a key concern for cities is whether e-scooters can encourage people out of cars without reducing active travel.

  Spin found that more than three-quarters (82 percent) of its riders in Essex have opted for an e-scooter instead of a solo car trip at least once since the pilot launched. Almost a third (31 percent) of respondents would have used a car for their most recent journey instead of a scooter, if the scheme had not been available.

  However, data also showed that 38 percent of riders would have chosen to walk instead of travelling by e-scooter had the scheme not existed. The research also found that during a typical week, half of the riders surveyed took between two and ten e-scooter journeys in Spin’s service areas, with nearly half (44 percent) using an e-scooter to connect with public transport at least once. Nine in ten (86 percent) consider the e-scooters to be a safer option than public transport in terms of COVID-19 health concerns.

  Steve Pyer, UK Country Manager at Spin “One of the first questions we’re usually asked by cities or councils is will these [e-scooters] just take people away from walking? I think the evidence [from the survey] does show that people would have walked in just over a third of cases if no e-scooter was available, so that is something that could be addressed.”

  The survey was based on 519 Spin riders’ responses in six Essex towns and cities: Brentwood, Braintree, Basildon, Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, with data collected between 1-4 May 2021.

  Find the complete article here.

  Photo credits: Segway-Ninebot