Data shows that in the US, 60% of all trips are five miles or less, and approximately 46% of automobile trips are three miles or less. This means that bicycles and similar methods of transportation have huge growth potential. The estimates of McKinsey state that the micro mobility market might reach $200-$300 billion in the US alone in 2030.
But what does this mean, and how does it affect the global marketplace? Micro mobility refers to the use of electric scooters and bikes to travel short distances around cities. Bike sharing apps, such as ANIV, give people the opportunity to rent electric bikes or scooters for a specific amount of time and not worry about the city traffic or being late.
Micromobility is beneficial for cities as well. Many people prefer not to use public transportation because they want their own private environment and no fixed travel schedule. And if cities want to reduce traffic, the adoption of micro mobility is a great way to cut down on the number of single-occupant car trips.
Additionally, electric bikes and scooters do not require large parking spaces around the city.
Furthermore, due to the bike sharing and scooter sharing services provided by many micromobility companies, there is no need to add on public transportation vehicles and rearrange their schedule.
Despite all of the benefits mentioned above, the majority of cities have quite a restricting set of rules which can prevent the industry from developing faster. For example, scooter fees are fairly high in some cities and are just not worth it for the people living there. The fees are imposed per scooter, per ride, and per operator permit.
Cities justify these fees by stating that they are required to cover the costs of running the scooter permit program and overseeing compliance. However, many of the regulations are unnecessary and complicated for micro mobility companies. This is one of the reasons behind the difference in opinions regarding whether this industry should be owned by cities or not. Let’s look at some pros and cons of the situation.
From the city’s perspective, the infrastructure is not developed enough to support a large number of electric bikes and scooters. For example, initially, only two scooter sharing companies were given permits in San Francisco with a total number of 4000 scooters.
By limiting the number, the city believed they could reduce the clutter and disruption. Another challenge for cities to own the industry is the new set of rules and regulations that they have to come up with to better organize the micromobility market before they take full control of it. This brings up additional costs, as well as time and human resources.
On the other hand, there are way more benefits if the industry is owned by cities.
One of the most important advantages is the development of new road infrastructure, which would benefit everyone. Micro mobility companies cannot change the environment on public streets and sidewalks to accommodate more companies who want to offer such services. However, cities can, which will not only give a new look to the overall road infrastructure but will also reduce traffic.
Secondly, micro mobility is a very eco-conscious transportation model, as electric bikes and scooters do not emit greenhouse gases. Through engaging in different practices, cities could take advantage of the eco-friendliness of micro mobility, which would, in turn, result in a more sustainable brand image for them, and a better place to live in for the residents. And if cities own this industry, then it would be easier to measure and organize the individual efforts of micro mobility companies toward having a more sustainable city infrastructure. Moving forward, let’s dive more in-depth into the benefits of these apps, what the future of the industry looks like, as well as why ANIV is such a successful example, and how they operate within the industry.
Benefits
As we already discussed the benefits of micro mobility for cities in general, let’s look at some personal benefits as well.
Firstly, it is a very cost-effective means of transportation. Even public transportation, such as buses and the metro, can be more expensive on a yearly basis.
The second important benefit is the speed and ease it offers people to move around. Besides the advantage of avoiding traffic, electric bikes and scooters can take people to their desired destinations in no time. The average speed for an electric bike is 20 mph, and for a scooter, it is 15 mph. Furthermore, with the development of the electric scooter sharing market, as well as the bike sharing apps, many people started to take advantage of the flexibility that these services offer. One can simply book a scooter or a bike and take it from the closest location. There is no need to wait in bus stops or metro stations anymore.
In addition to being more cost-effective and time-saving, bike sharing is also very beneficial from a health perspective. To compare, driving a car requires sitting down for a long period of time. Whereas, riding a bike is an excellent way to exercise. Especially for people who have busy schedules, using such a service could possibly kill two birds with one stone by incorporating cardio goals into their daily routine. Furthermore, riding bikes or scooters is also beneficial for blood flow, coordination, and metabolism.
Business Model
Speaking of the micro mobility industry in general, it is also important to mention the opportunity that many bike and scooter sharing apps, like ANIV, give to individuals or other small companies to start their own companies from scratch. More specifically, these platforms offer customizable dashboards that help build a brand, as well as rent vehicles to start running the business. ANIV offers a wide range of electric bikes and scooters that you can rent if you want to start your own bike or scooter sharing company.
Another business idea within the micromobility market is making private micro-mobility devices available to the public. This includes electric bikes, and scooters, as well as different types of services available within the apps. According to Xiaohu Zhang, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, urban transportation can become more efficient if the connectivity of these devices is improved, which will, in turn, help handle short-distance travel better.
Lastly, with the rise of the electric scooter sharing market, there is an immense opportunity for businesses to take advantage of this sector. Whether it’s in the form of renting vehicles from micro mobility companies, like ANIV, and building your own platform within the app or investing in actual electric scooter production, the industry definitely has a lot of potentials. In fact, the e-scooter market will be worth $200-$300 billion in the US alone.
ANIV App
After looking at the micro mobility industry in general, let’s dive into more detail about the features that ANIV offers. The app offers two experiences: rider and operator. The rider side of the platform gives the opportunity to make use of the bike and scooter services.
In regards to the operator app within ANIV, the user has access to a customizable dashboard of several branding tools. Furthermore, for any individual or small company that wants to start its own micro mobility business, ANIV offers a wide range of electric bikes and scooters, as well as all of the necessary tools needed for starting their own company.
Speaking of the different types of vehicles offered by ANIV, not many micro mobility companies give this opportunity to users. Therefore, while considering a platform, this advantage needs to be taken into consideration. Some of the benefits that ANIV e-bikes and e-scooters have are fast-charging batteries, sustainable materials used for the production of the vehicles, and the brushless motor of 36V 350W, which gives the opportunity to travel fast and almost without any disruptions.
The Future of Transport
As a final note, let’s look at some of the future trends that the industry will face.
One popular topic that is widely discussed now in the micro mobility market is the localization of the industry. All of the bike sharing and scooter sharing apps strive to become available in as many regions as possible. However, adding additional elements and adapting the design of the app to the local audience’s preferences is very important from the user experience point of view.
While talking about the future of micromobility, it is important to note that many apps are switching to becoming both e-bike and e-scooter sharing companies. Initially, the market was solely concentrated on bikes. In fact, the market is valued to grow by a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.86% from 2021-2026. However, ANIV, being one of the innovators in the market, has integrated scooter sharing services into the app as well.
Lastly, eco-consciousness has long been one of the most important micro mobility trends. Both consumers and companies strive to have a positive impact on the environment in general through engaging in sustainability practices. Therefore, becoming more eco-friendly is definitely a future trend to look forward to for any transportation company, not only the ones involved in the shared mobility industry.
To better manage the industry, cities should be the ones owning it in general. From better road infrastructure to targeted sustainability efforts, cities taking ownership of this industry would benefit everyone.
