Welcome to the Tech Weekly, NEO’s regular news monitoring of key developments in the food and mobility tech industries.
This week’s highlights:
- Uber and Lyft are lagging behind low levels of electric vehicle use in the U.S. in the race to meet aggressive climate goals. Under fire for their enormous carbon footprints, the ride-hailing giants have set a 2030 deadline to transition entirely to electric vehicles in North America and Europe. (Bloomberg)
- Deliveroo and its partners have pledged to deliver and distribute one million meals to families in need across the UK. The “Full Life” campaign aims to utilise Deliveroo’s network of grocers, riders and restaurants to support communities in the more than 200 cities and towns where the company operates. (Wales Online)
- A Kenyan electric mobility startup is steering the country’s clean energy revolution with the launch of an electric motorcycle fleet, after similar e-startups spurred clean energy revolutions in Rwanda and Uganda. As the continent with the world’s fastest-growing population, Africa is projected to see electric mobility investments grow from $1.2 billion today to $1.8 billion by 2035. (Tech in Africa)
- The city of Coventry, England plans to launch flying taxis and cargo drones before the end of the year as part of a plan to develop “aerial roads” for unmanned flights in urban areas. The project, backed by 1.2 million pounds ($1.7 million) of government funds, involves construction of a centrally located hub that will host demonstration flights across the city of almost 400,000 people. (Fortune)
- Apps that promise grocery delivery in 10 minutes or less – including Turkey’s Getir, Germany’s Gorillas and Britain’s Dija – have invaded Europe as shopping shifts online. Investors believe these start-ups will thrive long after the pandemic, but some experts question their business models. (CNBC)