Micro-Mobility Systems in 2022: Transforming the Mobility Industry

The bikes are back! The pandemic of COVID-19 has sparked a major surge in bikes and e-bikes. E-bike sales exploded to record levels in Europe and the United States. The shift has been massively backed by local authorities that were happy to find a simple commuting option for their citizens who respect social distancing. President Biden’s planned infrastructure investment initiative was also unveiled, and it has received a lot of attention. It seeks to consider micro-mobility systems a central part of the conversation and harness their power for the good of all.

The past year has seen a number of innovative takes on traditional micromobility business models, as well as a lot of optimism for new sustainable practices that will help to mitigate global climate change. In 2021, the use of e-scooters, bikes, mopeds, cargo bikes, and docking stations increased at never-before-seen levels. Micromobility involves the use of all these lightweight vehicles.

Understanding the micro-mobility systems

Micro-mobility systems refer to the use of small, light vehicles that travel less than five miles at a time and travel at speeds of less than 25 miles per hour, such as bicycles, e-bikes, and electric scooters. These mobility alternatives can assist people to gain access to important resources such as work, housing, and food. They tend to improve equality for marginalized populations by providing mobility options for those who have been historically excluded. They also improve people’s quality of life in cities around the country by decreasing pollution, reducing congestion, shortening commutes, and allowing them to use their time as they like.

Micro-mobility systems are game-changing opportunities, and the revolution has already begun in many locations, with e-scooters and bike-share programs transforming how people move and connect. However, if we are to realize the full potential of this shift in transportation infrastructure, we must be deliberate in how we construct it together. This will necessitate careful consideration of three key factors: physical infrastructure, connectivity infrastructure, and partnerships.

While the governments and local authorities take care of the infrastructure and connectivity, a strong partnership is required to develop connections between technology providers and the business owners who tend to provide bike/scooter sharing services. Technology providers will be the advanced micromobility platforms that can help you provide the apps needed to make bookings, smart technology to unlock and lock bikes for usage, access to parking and charging stations, and a lot more!

Jugnoo recognizes the power of micro-mobility systems and thus, makes efforts to unlock its full potential. 

Trends to watch in micro-mobility systems

1) The return of the micromobility stars – bikes and e-bikes

Speaking of 2018, it’s worth reminiscing about the scooter craze that began in 2017. Following the unbelievable rise of China’s bike-sharing startups – Mobike and Ofo, Western companies attempted to copy the strategy and break into the mostly untapped market. 

The pandemic had a substantial impact on people’s perceptions of bikes and e-bikes in 2020 and 2021, as people were more motivated to investigate alternatives to public transportation. It was seen that cycling is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, opening up new avenues for educating customers about the advantages of micromobility and even expanding to electric mobility. According to a new McKinsey survey, nearly 70% of individuals throughout the world said that if given the chance, they would ride a bike, moped, or e-scooter to work.

According to Bloomberg, unit sales of electric bikes costing between $1,500 and $2,000 increased by 176 percent from September 2020 to September 2021. To meet the growing needs of customers, Jugnoo mobility experts are busy working towards providing automated Bluetooth lock and unlock technology for micro-mobility systems at prices that are unparalleled in the industry.

2) A mature but a potential market

There have been multiple launches of the bike/e-bike-sharing service companies which reveal that the shared micromobility market is maturing. The intense competition is thus an outcome. 

The only way that a micromobility business can stand out from the competition is to have completely optimized business processes, intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, and smart automated features that will ultimately make your business unique and take it to the next level.

To remain a star in the game, you need to take advantage of smart integrations and automation. In 2021, Google unveiled a new integration on Google Maps that allows users to locate rentable scooters in their area. You can update the locations of all of your parking stations using a Google My Business account, allowing consumers to find your fleet ahead of your competition. Being ‘on the map’ is a terrific method to reach out to the market’s potential riders. 

Choosing a platform like Jugnoo, which allows you to maximize your marketing approach through its smart integration with a marketing automation platform – Hippo is an example of leveraging technology. There are numerous ways to improve your game, including email, chat assistance, push notifications and alerts, promotions, and discounts.

3) Micro-mobility systems will continue to expand

There are multiple businesses that require a micromobility fleet to perform their operations. Businesses such as hotels, campuses, residential complexes, and even delivery companies make use of micro-mobility systems.

Because scooter-sharing is a convenient way for guests to travel through a resort or explore a new city/town, hotels are increasingly operating micromobility fleets. In addition, micromobility fleets are becoming more common in universities. On university campuses, shared mobility helps to alleviate the parking shortages that plague many higher education institutions. E-scooters are also a terrific way to get around campus quickly and without having to rely on massive shuttles. This saves the institution money and reduces the amount of energy used by huge motor vehicles. Delivery companies can also make use of lightweight vehicles to deliver stuff nearby. 

Equip your business with Jugnoo’s fully integrated micro-mobility systems that allow various operators to use your services and make convenient rides with in-app navigation.

Why micromobility is so helpful?

1) It is more sustainable

Low-emission mobility options include e-scooters, e-bikes, and regular bicycles. Micromobility is one of the best tools we have to reduce harmful greenhouse gases and become less reliant on fossil fuels as we work toward a sustainable future.

Transportation-related emissions account for 28% of total emissions in the United States, according to the EPA. To put it another way, if we can reform our transportation networks, we’ll be making significant progress toward a more environmentally friendly future.

2) Reduces ‘last-mile’ problems

This refers to the difficulty people experience in bridging the gap between their previous public transportation stop and their final destination. Micro-mobility systems easily fill the void.

Jugnoo provides the tools, software, and expertise you need to run your own last-mile mobility solution for scooters, e-bikes, and other vehicles. Jugnoo works with any vehicle type, allowing you to get up and running quickly. With integrated point-of-sale alternatives for your business and robust self-service features for existing customers, empower your customers to adopt new mobility solutions. This can help you improve the access to your services.

3) Advocates for a modern lifestyle

Today’s generation is more inclined towards leading a healthy life. They demand to include physical exercise in their daily routines. But their busy schedules do not really allow them to take out time for it. 

It thus becomes clear that micromobility solutions like bicycles can be the best alternative for people to commute to places while taking care of their health. You can also provide customers with smart bicycle rental apps by making Jugnoo your technology partner.

What are the features that you can expect from the Jugnoo micro-mobility system? 

1) Web Booking

Allow your riders to book their rides through web booking. They can create an account and log in with their phone number directly on the website. The fare and distance details will be automatically shown to them.

2) Automatic Fare Calculation

You get to set various fare parameters from the admin panel which will then generate automatic fares that will be shown to the riders. Cashless payments and invoice generation make the system more reliable.

3) Geofencing

Our bicycle rental system allows you to set a virtual parameter for the geographical areas where you want to operate in. This can be simply done from the admin panel by choosing the are and drawing the polygon in the map-view around it.

4) Reward/Loyalty Points

Offer reward points to your customers for completing a specific set of requirements. Rewards can be anything – gift cards, vouchers, etc. The reward points can be distance-based, ride-based, or city-specific.

5) Offer Chat Support

Our bicycle rental system is smartly integrated with Hippo – the best marketing automation tool that helps you provide in-app chat support to your customers. Resolve their queries and pain points directly from the admin panel.

6) Advance Reports

Get valuable insights into the operations of your business and marketplace with detailed customer and fleet analytics. Get automated daily reports and drive performance and data-based decisions to support your operations.

At Jugnoo, we want to support your entrepreneurial spirit and move people out of cars and onto sustainable modes of transportation. We can assist you in launching and scaling your micromobility business if you want to take advantage of this latest trend and get some extra aid.