Part 2: Identify your operating model and service area

“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.”

— Lester R. Bittel

Next, it’s important to have an understanding of what would work best for your territory.

Should you focus your service on the -center or include the outskirts?

Most e-bike and e-moped sharing schemes focus on the city center for a very simple reason: higher population density typically results in higher fleet utilization, which is the key to amortizing assets and building a healthy business case. Centralizing your fleet in a smaller area also results in better availability for the consumers, improving their user experience, and encouraging recurring usage. However, there are numerous reasons for expanding the system to periphery zones:

• Outskirt areas are often poorly served by public transport, providing a good service in the outskirts would allow intermodality with public transport and solve the last-mile problem
• Electrically-assisted bicycle fleets are a great way to promote cycling beyond central business hubs and over longer distances
• Typically there is little to no competition in these areas
• You can stimulate economic strength by giving support to businesses and employers in the region

Which model is best for your micromobility fleet?