176: The power and potential of E-bike subsidies with Grace Rink - Chief Climate Officer of Denver City

176: The power and potential of E-bike subsidies with Grace Rink - Chief Climate Officer of Denver City

Author: Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu March 30, 2023 Duration: 52:17

This week Oliver interviews Grace Rink, Chief Climate Officer for the City and County of Denver. Grace leads the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency. She’s more well known in micromobility as the head of the Denver e-bike subsidy programme, which has captured the imagination of regulators all over the world with the latest program iterations selling out in mere minutes. Today we talk about how she ended up in Denver, why the programme was formed and it’s objectives and the implications of what they’re finding.


This felt like an important interview. We think that subsidies and government support are something that micromobility has traditionally eschewed in favour of just doing it, but there are more and more cities, states, and countries around the world realising that the bang for the buck on these vehicles are substantially higher than they’d be for the other transport climate policies. They talk through the newly launched subsidy tracker that Micromobility Industries has just launched which tracks all subsidies for E-bikes, scooters and more globally. We’re very excited about it - and think that it’ll be an important tool going forward.


Oliver and Grace also run through other schemes of government support for end consumers looking to use micromobility and how to make micromobility support non-partisan.


If you’re a policymaker who is looking into this, welcome - We hope that you enjoy this, and that this conversation inspires you to push for a similar policy in your jurisdiction. If you have the desire to develop better materials for you on how to best do this and that we can host, please reach out to our team - we’d love to hear from you.


Specifically they tackle:


- How is the subsidy funded?

- Why pick this? What are the motivation/outcome objectives?

- “The city reported that the e-bikes purchased as part of the program were ridden 26 miles (42 km) per week on average, and replaced 3.4 car trips each week.”

Does the city calculate trips?

- How do you balance action and resiliency?

- Which companies benefit the most from this?


Connect with Grace on LinkedIn

Catch us on ⁠Twitter⁠⁠Horace⁠ and ⁠Oliver ⁠are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.

Catch us on Twitter ⁠@MicromobilityCo⁠⁠Horace⁠ and ⁠Oliver⁠ are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.

Our ⁠Micromobility Newsletter⁠ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning. And for those who want more, we offer ⁠Micromobility Pro membership⁠ that includes exclusive content and conference discounts, as well as live calls with Horace and team.

We’re also on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.


Ed Niedermeyer, an author and analyst with a sharp focus on the automotive world, guides Ride AI alongside co-hosts Horace Dediu, Oliver Bruce, and James Gross. Together, they navigate the complex intersection where artificial intelligence meets transportation, a space that's rapidly reshaping how we think about movement, business, and urban life. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a deep exploration of the forces driving change, from autonomous vehicles and electric scooters to the broader economic and societal shifts they trigger. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the strategies and struggles of founders, investors, and engineers who are building the future of mobility. You'll hear candid discussions that go beyond the hype, focusing on the practical realities of investment, the nuances of technological adoption, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in the field. For anyone curious about the business models behind the tech or the investment theses shaping this volatile sector, this podcast offers a grounded, insightful perspective. Tune in for conversations that are as much about the journey of innovation as they are about the destination.
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