Car and bike-sharing sectors could record 40% rise in revenue by 2030

Asian micromobility market is currently equal to that of Europe and North America combined but will become larger than other regions

Shared bikes in Beijing, China. Asia will become a larger market for things such bike- and moped-sharing by 2030, a new study has found. Reuters

Mobility services, including car rentals, ride-hailing and bike-sharing apps, are expected to generate annual revenue of $660 billion in 2030, a study by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, has said.

The figure represents a nearly 40 per cent increase from the $260bn in revenue generated in 2020.

The services will significantly transform how people get around in cities globally, well beyond traditional public transit and privately owned cars. And with a greater focus on sustainability and alternative energy, such as battery-powered electric vehicles, the services will bring potential benefits for the climate and the livability of cities.

For example, the researchers found that “by adopting EVs at a faster rate than private car owners, new mobility services could improve air quality, reduce noise levels and shrink the carbon footprint of cities”.

The study, which analysed 13 services in three regions — North America, Europe and Asia — found that the new services would evolve at different speeds depending on location.

Europe will overtake Asia as the fastest-growing EV market and Asia will become a larger market for things such as bike-sharing and moped-sharing. Currently, the Asian micromobility market is equal to that of Europe and North America combined but will become larger than the other regions through 2030, the report said.

Improvements in technology, government regulations and consumer mobility demand are expected to drive most of the growth for the entire industry across all regions.

Congestion will remain a concern going forward, given the popularity of ride-sharing over public transit. It’s too soon to know whether the services will reduce congestion over time, researchers said.

“While people moving to bicycles and scooters could reduce the number of cars in a city, ride-hailing and car-sharing may contribute to congestion if commuters choose these services over mass transit,” the report said.

Although some commuters have returned to public transit as Covid-19 fears have waned, these systems remain fragile and vulnerable, weakened from the loss of revenue.

“Any long-term shift from mass transit to ride-hailing could not only deprive systems of needed financial support but also lead to congestion,” the report said.

Cities will need to strike a balance between encouraging new solutions and bolstering mass transit systems, the researchers found.

They can do this by consistently investing in infrastructure for mass transit, maintaining cheap fares and creating ecosystems that connect new services with mass transit as much as possible.