Analysing Shared Mobility Markets in Europe: A Comparative Analysis

The progression of shared mobility across Europe is remarkable. While station-based car and bike sharing have a more extended history, particularly in major European (capital) cities, recent advancements in modal types and operational models have significantly transformed the shared mobility landscape. Rapid expansion by private organisations has broadened access to shared mobility services across Europe. However, not all European cities are considered potentially viable markets due to local factors such as stringent regulatory frameworks and unfavourable economic conditions. The composition of the local offerings influences how citizens use these services, impacting travel behaviour and the local transport networks differently. Therefore, understanding the availability of various shared mobility schemes across Europe is essential for comprehending the market structure, its development, the providers’ decision drivers, and the potential consequences for local transportation systems.  

First, this paper presents data on various segments and features of the shared mobility market across European cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants. Second, two cluster approaches, i.e. k-means and latent class clustering analysis (LCCA), are conducted to structure this European market. Third, the contextual characteristics, such as socio-demographics, the built environment and the geography, are compared among the clusters using Dunn testing.  

Overall, shared mobility is well-developed in European cities, meaning that many people are already aware of or have access to some form of shared mobility. This provides opportunities for other less-developed modalities, such as cargo bicycles, to further expand and offer specific use cases for car replacement. Therefore, future research could follow up on market developments to understand how various segments evolve and to examine the role of different policy frameworks more thoroughly.

Supporting evidence

The quantitative analysis conducted in the paper is based on a dataset covering 311 European cities, 180 shared mobility operators and 1397 shared mobility schemes. The study considers all shared mobility schemes provided by private or public operators, including scooter sharing, car sharing, moped sharing, and cargo bicycle sharing. A scheme is identified as public when a public entity, such as a local public transport authority or municipality, is funding or (co-)operating the scheme. The research is based on sharing schemes in European cities with a population greater than 100.000, with data on shared mobility provision originating from local transport authorities’ webpages, national interest organisations, secondary sources mapping shared mobility services, and operators’ own websites.  Applying both k-means clustering and latent class cluster analysis (LCCA) to identify groups of cities with similar shared mobility markets producing nine market clusters.

Key findings

The study finds that the European shared mobility market is highly fragmented, with substantial variation in the availability of services between the analysed cities. Shared mobility has not developed uniformly across the continent, with some cities offering only a single shared mobility mode operated by one provider, and others having highly competitive markets, reflecting local economic, geographic, and policy conditions. The paper identifies nine distinct shared mobility market clusters, with cities having stronger economic conditions being more likely to have the most comprehensive shared mobility markets.  

The market of free-floating mobility in particular, and more generally shared mobility services, is dominated by private operators, while station-based services such as bike-sharing systems remain largely publicly funded and operated.  Local regulations and cycling infrastructures are found to be determining factors in influencing the composition of shared mobility markets, with scooters often being the most regulated and restricted modes, in contrast with free-floating bicycles and mopeds, which remain more sustained despite regulations.  Finally, the study finds that shared mobility is present in more than 80% of European cities with populations over 100.000, showing how this has become an established component of urban transport systems. 

As expected, the most comprehensive offer of shared mobility is found in cities with the highest economic potential, measured by GDP per capita and population size. However, these cities tend to impose stricter regulations and invest in public schemes, especially for bike and car sharing, affecting the share of private operators.  This may explain why private scooter sharing companies are willing to operate in smaller cities that initially seem to lack the economic conditions to accommodate a profitable sharing scheme. In cities where scooters are absent, mainly in Dutch cities, free-floating moped- and bike-sharing schemes have acted as a surrogate. Still, the comprehensiveness of the offer in these cities is considerable, suggesting that even with strict regulatory frameworks, other factors like infrastructure can create an attractive environment for operators.

Based on these findings, the authors suggest that cities should recognise that different local economic, infrastructural, demographic, and policy conditions require different shared mobility strategies. Public authorities play an active role in shaping both public and private shared mobility services, with their involvement being fundamental in station-based bike-sharing and car-sharing schemes. Lastly, the authors highlight the potential for future expansion of cargo bicycle sharing in the future.