Micro-mobility is one of the fastest growing spheres in transportation. According to data, it is expected that by 2028 the industry will be valued at around $69.32 billion. However, what is micro-mobility in general? It is a field in transportation that involves a range of light vehicles, such as electric scooters and bikes. With rising oil and gas prices, as well as the environmental issues due to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, micro-mobility is becoming more and more relevant.
Another major trend in micro-mobility is bike sharing. Many companies are acting upon this trend by creating platforms for bike and scooter sharing. Additionally, some platforms offer a space to create your bike-sharing program. Some of the bike-sharing and scooter-sharing apps that have quite innovative approaches are Joyride, ANIV, and Lime. ANIV is a micro-mobility sharing platform, which allows the creation of your bike sharing or scooter sharing app. Some of the important features that the app offers are AI data-driven software, a customizable company page, and different branding tools. Additionally, ANIV provides the necessary equipment, such as electric scooters and bikes to people who want to start their bike sharing company via the platform, however, do not have enough investment to buy their vehicles.
Now let’s dive deeper into the bike-sharing industry and all of the details necessary to establish your own micro-mobility company.
Bike-Sharing: Industry Overview
It is no surprise that the population in cities is increasing. And this fact is not limited to a specific country. With a high population density, transportation via traditional means (cars, buses, metro)becomes a little hard to manage. That’s when the popularity of micro-mobility started to increase. Additionally, with the rising concerns of global warming and air pollution, the need to look for alternative methods of transportation has grown even more.
In regards to all of the points mentioned above, the bike-sharing market became one of the most beneficial industries. According to research, bike sharing is going to expand in Europe at the highest rate. Furthermore, the demand for electric bikes and scooters is growing in Asian countries as well. For example, the Ministry of Industry Information and Technology of China has reported an export number of 25 million e-bikes during the first 10 months of 2020.
As already mentioned, bike-sharing is a great example of a sustainable business.
For starters, bikes do not produce any greenhouse gases. Hence, they do not contribute to air pollution in any negative way.
Secondly, the integration of bike-sharing programs into the transportation infrastructure of cities can help them reduce the need of consuming fuel or gas.
Lastly, bikes also positively affect the decrease in noise pollution. To have a positive impact on the environment, ANIV utilizes dockless stations for bikes, which are greener. These stations allow riders to park in certain spots, thus reducing the need for re-balancing the bikes amongst various stations.
Bike-Sharing After COVID-19
Like any other industry, bike-sharing system as well was impacted by COVID-19. However, the impact was not necessarily negative. During the pandemic, and for quite a long while after that, public transportation witnessed an immense decrease in popularity. People began to worry that even touching the seats or poles inside the buses or trains could infect them with COVID. Therefore, they began to look for alternative means of transportation. That’s when bike-sharing companies, like ANIV, started to become more popular.
Additionally, people realized that riding electric bicycles and scooters is a great way to keep a safe distance from others. Furthermore, riding a bicycle is also very good for a person’s metabolism. Another important health benefit that using bike-sharing programs provides is the opportunity to release stress and anxiety. Especially the hardships that came with the pandemic, many people felt the need to take better care of their mental health. Transforming the daily transportation commute seems like a good step toward better health.
Benefits of Bike-Sharing
While thinking about bike sharing, the first benefit that comes to mind is time. All of us had the experience of being stuck in horrible traffic for hours. However, with bikes or scooters, you can enjoy your uninterrupted commute and spend your time doing something more productive instead of wasting so much of it traffic.
The second important benefit of bike sharing is safety and security. The likelihood of car accidents is very high in the United States. However, according to Vox.com, no one has ever died from a bike-sharing program. Additionally, to make sure that electric bikes and scooters remain a safe mode of transportation, federal regulations prevent electric bikes from going over the speed of 20 mph.
It is also important to mention the affordability of bike-sharing programs. Especially with the rising prices of gas and fuel, renting a bike is a much cheaper option. To add to this point, bike-sharing is also a very eco-conscious practice. First of all, they do not emit any greenhouse gases, which contributes to the overall reduction of carbon footprint. Besides that, electric bikes and electric scooters are charged mostly with solar energy or electricity, which also makes these vehicles very sustainable.
From the business perspective, bike sharing can be very beneficial for hotels. Many hotels have been integrating bike-sharing programs into their business plan. More specifically, bike-sharing is mostly offered as an amenity to the hotel’s guests. Some large chains that have integrated this practice are Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, The Chatwal in New York, and Lumiere with Inspirato in Colorado. For example, the Chatwal is located in the middle of Manhattan and is surrounded by iconic sights for tourists to see. Therefore, a bike-sharing program is a pleasant amenity for guests of such a hotel to enjoy.
Electric Scooters: Important Industry Insights
While talking about micro-mobility, it is impossible not to mention electric scooters. The idea of electric scooter sharing started to grow in popularity in 2018. However, before getting into the present and future trends in the industry, we would like to state the difference between two major scooter types: electric scooters vs. petrol scooters. The first area to compare these two scooter types is the price. Even though electric scooters are pricier at first, they are more cost-efficient in the long-run. Especially with the rising fuel prices, charging a scooter instead of getting gas for it each week seems like a better idea. Additionally, the engine of an electric scooter is easier to maintain and does not require check-ups very often.
In terms of performance and their environmental impact, electric scooters are again preferable. Due to the advanced technology used, electric scooters are powerful and have fewer chances of parts breaking. Regarding sustainability, even though scooter emissions are not very high, petrol scooters still negatively impact the already existing air pollution. Whereas, electric scooters run on alternative sources of fuel that do not harm the environment.
Arizona State University and Ryerson University surveyed in 2020 and found out that scooter sharing had replaced cycling and walking for any trip type. Another research by Bird found out that there were around 136 million scooter rides around the US in 2019 alone. All of these statistics show the enormous size and growth potential of this market.
The electric scooter sharing market receives revenue from different types of scooter sharing companies. In the very beginning, the main source of revenue was from apps that offer station-bound sharing services. However, later on, scooter-sharing companies started to create free-floating programs, which allow the riders to leave their scooter in any location. Now, the major source of revenue comes from these types of programs.
In terms of current and future electric scooter trends, the first one to mention is the growing demand for this transportation means. More people are learning about the advantages of electric scooters, and as a result, the usage rates are growing high as well. According to data, the electric scooter market is expected to grow by 21% by the end of 2023 in Europe, North America, and Latin America.
Another major trend regarding sharing electric scooters is the advanced use of technology. For example, AI integration helps electric scooters identify and prevent any possible accidents due to sensor capabilities. An additional function that e-scooters have is the trackability of their location. There is no need to worry about the safety of your scooter anymore, as you will be able to easily track it through your scooter sharing app.
How to Start Your Micro-Mobility Business
After learning about the benefits and opportunities in the micro-mobility market, we bet you might want to establish your bike sharing or scooter sharing company. That’s why we broke down some of the important steps that you need to undertake beforehand. The first step is market research. Many platforms allow creating your own ride-sharing company, however, it is crucial to understand the differences in what they offer. The top scooter and bike-sharing companies like ANIV prioritize customization of branding and services. Choosing a platform like ANIV, Lime, or Joyride App is very beneficial for business management, instead of trying to build a platform on your own. Additionally, if you do not know which type of electric bikes and scooters to acquire, then ANIV is the go-to platform for you. The company offers a wide range of light vehicles that you can use, along with flexible financing options, for running the operations of your newly established bike and scooter sharing company.
