From Germany to India, Here’s how Clean, Shared, Electric Mobility is Taking Over
Clean mobility, as well as shared mobility, are two concepts that have become a necessary part of all future transportation plans that include decarbonization, leading to a healthier environment.
The most common global ambition of attaining climate neutrality by 2050, would require that the transportation industry decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 90%.
However, not all forms of transportation are responsible for the same amounts of emissions: automobiles and trucks are big emitters (representing 72% of all transport-related greenhouse gas emissions), but rail (0.5%) is not. As a result, a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of road transportation is a fundamental goal of excellent sustainability planning.
Shared Mobility
The basic concept of shared mobility is the use of the same vehicle by several people. This approach applies not just to several persons sharing a car on the same journey, but also to public transportation buses, trains, taxis, and even sharing bicycles or motorbikes.
For several years, this idea has been expanding and is being implemented in many areas. it provides a feasible alternative to decreasing carbon emissions and increasing urban mobility. Furthermore, it carries with it a slew of advantages that create a virtuous loop.
In Germany, car sharing is becoming more popular than the traditional one-person, one-car arrangement. Car sharing is seen as a crucial component of traffic relief, which has grown in popularity in recent years.
Vehicles ranging from tiny vehicles to vans may be leased for a few hours, a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or to be eventually owned. In a rapidly expanding industry, mobility companies have increased their offerings, and many more provide station-based or free-floating vehicle sharing. They increase the number of cars on the road to render individual/personal automobiles antiquated.
Sharing vehicles between multiple users saves room, especially in congested urban areas, and it also helps to safeguard the environment.
The Federal Car Sharing Act (CsgG) was enacted in 2017 to encourage car sharing and permit municipalities in Germany to offer parking rights. Local road authorities may designate special parking zones for car-sharing cars and exempt them from parking costs.
Car sharing companies that operate on a station-to-station basis may also be permitted to transfer parking spots in some places to ‘public traffic zones’ as part of a competitive selection process. The decision also takes into account factors such as interconnection with public transportation and climate protection.
This has advantages: the providers’ fleet is continually replaced, their vehicles are routinely upgraded, they are used effectively, and they do not spend an average of 23 hours on the road, as private automobiles do.
A look at the Indian mobility scene reveals that it has been dominated by two-wheelers, which account for approximately 80% of vehicle sales. At the same time, India is the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of two-wheelers.
Last year, OEM, Ola, opened the world’s largest e-scooter manufacturing factory in the Tamil Nadu region of Krishnagiri, representing India’s affinity towards two-wheelers for many years now.
Commuters on the Ahmedabad BRTS, one of India’s top rapid transit systems, may now take zero-emission electric buses dubbed Eco Life buses. JBM Auto recently delivered 50 new electric buses to the city, together with cutting-edge charging infrastructure, to allow green transit.
Public transportation also plays an important role in India’s urbanization process. A few college students in Pune city decided to brainstorm transportation options for their peers who couldn’t afford cabs a few years ago. Their brainstorming resulted in the formation of an OEM named E-Motorad, which makes e-cycles for commuters.
Their bicycles provide an environmentally sustainable answer for daily commuting and are presently utilized in 58 countries.
In Rotterdam, the mobility environment is almost utopian, with cyclists moving freely around the city centre; pedestrian-only retail districts; shared electric vehicles outnumbering private automobiles; and shared electric vehicles neatly stored and ready for hire.
The city hopes to give solutions to long-distance transfers by extending its shared mobility offer. Shared electric bicycles, scooters, and vehicles may be leased anywhere in town and provide an option for individuals who want a vehicle for longer journeys on an intermittent basis.
Nigeria and Africa as a whole have also found success decarbonising roads by electrifying two-wheelers. Efforts from electric two-wheeler manufacturers like MAX are representative of a rising trend of African inventors cooperating with diverse entities to expand the number of electric vehicles on African roads.
Favourable policies would be the final push needed to get more EVs in circulation and reduce emissions significantly.
The future of mobility will be fuelled by some key technology-driven disruptive trends: electrification of vehicles, connected & autonomous vehicles, shared mobility options, and Mobility-as-a-Service. One could easily get excited about these factors with more development on the horizon.
