During the pandemic, the micromobility industry took a big hit. People had nowhere to go, so they didn’t need an electric bike or scooter. However, things have changed. Micromobility is growing again, and for a host of reasons.
People are more concerned about climate change. The riding public is still unsure what to do about public transportation because of COVID-19. Riders are also looking for different ways to get around, including moving away from cars. Micromobility fits many niches well.
Here are three end of year trends that shaped micromobility.
1 – Better use of data
When people use micromobility vehicles, data is often collected. Companies can track where people are picked up and where they leave the vehicle. They also know how long a rider uses the vehicle and more.
Organizing all the data and using it is not always easy, including when working with municipalities. Operators are creating new ways to manage and use data, in part to work on safety initiatives. For example, cities may have bike and pedestrian data available to them that they never had access to before.
2 – More micromobility subscription services
Across the world, micromobility companies are turning to subscription models to achieve profitability. Selling subscriptions to riders who want to use e-bikes or scooters on a daily basis have a lot of allure for both companies and customers.
Consumers can pay a low monthly fee to access a single vehicle in some plans or share vehicles in others. It eliminates higher costs to purchase vehicles outright and the fees to pay per ride.
3 – Better acceptance
According to the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, nearly 70 percent of people surveyed globally said they were willing to try micromobility vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters for work commutes. In the United States, 60 percent of people said they would try it. According to McKinsey, people like riding e-scooters through shared systems, which tends to boost private purchases.
Edenred Benefits offers several micromobility options such as bike sharing, bike shops, e-scooters, e-mopeds, corporate shuttles, and discounts through partnerships with micromobilty vendors. Companies can add funds to employees’ commuter benefits accounts either by a company subsidy, or direct employee funding from their payroll.
Would micromobility be a good fit for you and your employees? Book a meeting with us so we can discuss your options.
