Micromobility and sustainability

Micromobility is a growing trend. But can it make a significant contribution to more sustainable mobility? Read more about this here.

There is a lot of controversy these days with regard to the transport revolution. In addition to exciting pilot projects in some places, many cities and municipalities are still struggling to limit motorized private transport and attractively integrate alternative options into existing infrastructures. The list of alternative means of transport is not short. In addition to traditional public transport by bus and train or the use of bicycles, other means of transportation have been emerging for some time now. These are classified as micromobility.

This refers to transportation with lightweight, compact and individually usable devices. These can be designed with or without an electric motor. Micromobility vehicles are usually designed for short distances of just a few kilometers and travel at low speeds, usually under 25 kilometers per hour. The best-known example of micromobility is certainly the e-scooter, which experienced a real hype some time ago. Initially, a sharing provider in the e-scooter segment launched the first models on the market in Santa Monica/USA in the fall of 2017. From there, the concept quickly spread around the world. The scooters also arrived in Europe and it is now hard to imagine a city center without them. In Germany, a separate ordinance on the participation of small electric vehicles (with steering and handrails) in road traffic was even passed in June 2019 to regulate the use of scooters in urban traffic.

In addition to the much-discussed e-scooters, other means of transportation are also part of micromobility. These include Segways, e-light vehicles, hoverboards, monowheels, e-skateboards and classic skateboards. Thanks to their small size and flexibility, all of these devices offer significant advantages over cars, especially in urban environments. For example, they can be packed up quickly or parked almost anywhere and can also be used in zones that are closed to conventional car traffic. In addition to being user-friendly, micromobility could also actually contribute to a better urban climate. As the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu ) wrote in a 2021 report: “Micromobiles contribute to improving air quality, especially if they replace conventional car journeys.”

However, this statement reveals the dilemma of micromobility and a major point of criticism. This is because studies show that micromobility is not primarily intended to replace existing main modes of transportation. The e-scooter is not used instead of a car, but often in addition. For distances that would otherwise be covered on foot . This is not particularly dramatic for a skateboard without an electric motor. Micro-vehicles with an electric drive, on the other hand, are subject to criticism. This is because the environmental balance of electric mobility is controversial, as the mining of lithium on site, for example, can often hardly be guaranteed to be environmentally friendly and responsible.

Furthermore, the oversupply of scooters has not only done good things for the city’s infrastructure. In particular, e-scooters parked carelessly on the sidewalk can pose a danger to people with visual impairments, for example. Roland Stimpel, urban planner and chairman of the pedestrian protection association FUSS e.V., for example, emphasized in an interview with Deutschlandfunk that the scooters disrupt existing mobility rather than promoting it. Many cities are therefore trying to make adjustments. In some cases, there are already explicit scooter parking spaces. Or even zones in which parking and use are completely prohibited. For example in Paris. Following a citizen survey, a complete ban on e-scooters in the city center will come into force there from September this year.

So is micromobility more of a curse than a blessing? The debate cannot be resolved quite so simply. Because it is precisely where there are no other alternative means of transportation to the car that it unfolds its potential. For example, to link the surrounding countryside, the outskirts and the city center. Here, scooters, light electric vehicles or e-bikes can be used as feeder vehicles for the first or last mile in conjunction with public transport. Closing this gap in the public transport network makes the use of micromobility more attractive.

Another positive aspect is the shared ownership model promoted by micromobility. Sharing services run by a city council or a private institution prove that not every individual necessarily has to own a means of transportation. Rather, a shared fleet serves the community and everyone uses it freely as required. This is a major advantage over private cars, which spend most of their time unused. Such a model is also attractive from an economic point of view. This is because there is no need for the individual to take out insurance, carry out regular maintenance and buy fuel.

Forecasts predict that the micromobility market will continue to grow in the future. The market research company Grand View Research from the USA, for example, predicts an average annual growth rate of 7.6% in the e-scooter market between 2021 and 2028. If the technology continues to develop and cities manage to overcome logistical challenges in a smart way, micromobility could actually contribute to more sustainable mobility.

You can find more articles on urban mobility and the transport transition in our special topic on mobility.