Essential City + Tech Stories: 7.14.22

Jul 14, 2022

Hello! Welcome, back to UrbanTech – your favorite newsletter focused on the intersection of cities and tech.

I’m traveling this week so today’s edition is a bit shorter than usual. A quick reminder to join UrbanTech’s Slack channel if you’re a professional interested in networking with other folks working at the intersection of cities and tech.

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Now onto today’s edition!

Last week’s most popular stories:

🥇Fortune: Redfin's chief economist says the housing market correction has begun—and things are going to get worse before they get better

🥈The Guardian: Amazon: e-cargo bikes to replace thousands of van deliveries in London

🥉 Octopus Energy: Octopus Energy Launches Electric Vehicle Business in Texas with New Leasing Service

Essential City + Tech Stories: 7.14.22

The Verge: BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month

Is this a sign of things to come for the automotive industry? Micro-subscriptions for different features appear to be on the horizon:

“BMW is now selling subscriptions for heated seats in a number of countries — the latest example of the company’s adoption of microtransactions for high-end car features.
A monthly subscription to heat your BMW’s front seats costs roughly $18, with options to subscribe for a year ($180), three years ($300), or pay for “unlimited” access for $415.
It’s not clear exactly when BMW started offering this feature as a subscription, or in which countries, but a number of outlets this week reported spotting its launch in South Korea.
BMW has slowly been putting features behind subscriptions since 2020, and heated seats subs are now available in BMW’s digital stores in countries including the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. It doesn’t, however, seem to be an option in the US — yet.”

CNBC: Shares of EV maker Canoo surge after Walmart agrees to buy 4,500 electric delivery vans

A big boost for Canoo comes as Walmart strikes a deal with the company:

“Walmart has signed a "definitive agreement" to purchase at least 4,500, and possibly as many as 10,000, of its all-electric Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles, a small electric van designed for local delivery service, Canoo said.”

A quick reminder Amazon struck a similar deal with Rivian.

Quartz: Why are Starbucks and Kroger investing in EV charging stations?

As we continue to expand EV infrastructure in the U.S., retailers are looking to get in on the action:

“Kroger is part of a growing number of retailers adding EV charging stations to their parking lots. In March of 2022, Starbucks said that it will install EV chargers in up to 15 parking lots along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to Seattle, with stops available every 100 miles. The latest initiatives from stores may signify a desire to cater to younger customers.”