The 21st century marks a transformative era in mobility services, driven by the unprecedented convergence of connectivity and digitalisation. This revolution transcends mere technological upgrades, redefining transportation infrastructure, user experience, and the environmental footprint of mobility. Moving forward hand in hand with the increased prevalence of electrification and autonomous technology, the services around our vehicles will also have to continue to evolve to keep pace and achieve increased efficiency for the world around us.
Smart Infrastructure
Integrating technology in commuting can lead to significant time efficiency and improved safety. Innovative mobility solutions, featuring real-time traffic updates and route optimisation, have been shown to reduce commute times, in turn, less emissions, as well as reduce the number of accidents. Further optimisation of this smart infrastructure will rely on the advancement of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. This includes both Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications. V2X technology enables vehicles to exchange data with their surroundings wirelessly, enhancing driver awareness of potential risks and improving traffic efficiency by providing real-time data on traffic congestion, alternative routing, and adaptive cruise control.
The ultimate goal of any smart city would be to have completely autonomous vehicles that connect not only to each other but to the city’s traffic data feed. A passenger would input their destination, and the car would use data at both a macro and micro scale. At the macro end, it would find the least congested route, thanks to data provided by the city infrastructure. At a micro scale, each vehicle on the road would be connected to one another; things such as merging into a lane to take an exit would be optimised between vehicles to create the least amount of traffic possible.
The International Traffic Forum has predicted that demand for urban passenger transport will more than double by 2050 compared to 2015. Utilising the increased connectivity options in the world will be vital to managing the increased volume.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
Shared mobility and the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles are significantly transforming urban transportation. The increased prevalence of shared mobility is no part due to the world’s increased digitalisation and greater connectivity. By 2030, it’s estimated that spending on shared mobility services could soar to between $500 billion and $1 trillion.
Autonomous vehicles are also becoming a significant part of the urban mobility landscape. Consumers are increasingly interested in cars with advanced autonomous capabilities, such as L2+, L3, and L4 systems, which allow the vehicle more autonomous control. It is anticipated that L3 and L4 autonomous driving systems, especially for highway use, will be widely available in the private-passenger-car segment in Europe and North America by around 2025.
While ride-sharing is the most prevalent example of mobility as a service, this concept expands to things such as scooters and bicycles. Over the past couple of years, many startups have sprung up offering their version implementation of MaaS through the use of scooters that can be dropped off anywhere and unlocked simply through one’s phone.
An exciting evolution of this connectivity in MaaS comes with ‘robotaxis’. Once autonomous vehicles mature, companies/individuals can keep a fleet of these robotaxis to serve as ride-share vehicles. Done entirely autonomously and without the limits of humans needing sleep, these robotaxis should provide both savings to customers and increased availability. Owners can also tap into a passive income stream as they can send off their vehicle to function as a robotaxi when they aren’t using it. Many companies are working on their implementations, and the market is predicted to explode to $45 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 91.8% from 2023 to 2030.
Petrol Station Evolution
Petrol stations must keep up with the ever-evolving pace that the automotive industry is undergoing. Never seen as a bastion for the cutting edge, petrol stations have started to embrace the increased connectivity of the world. Apps such as Shell’s Fill Up & Go, and ExxonMobil’s Speedpass+ have allowed drivers to pay for their gas completely hands-free through an intuitive mobile app. Taking the concept of “hands-free” even further, several concepts featuring a robot-controlled pump, allowing a completely unmanned petrol station to be possible.
Petrol stations will, of course, have to adapt to the increased number of electric cars on the road. Providing charging stations that are easy to pay for will be paramount to continued success. For those stations with a convenience store, this may not be so bad as the increased charging times compared to the average fuel pump should incentivise drivers to enter the store and purchase snacks/drinks. Some may take a step further and create lounges at their stations for those looking to get some work done while their car charges.
Looking Ahead
The ongoing revolution in mobility services, fuelled by enhanced connectivity and digitalisation, is not just a technological leap but a comprehensive transformation of the transportation landscape. It presents a future where mobility is more interconnected, efficient, sustainable, and tailored to the diverse needs of society. As we continue to navigate this evolution, the possibilities for further innovation and improvement in mobility services are immense, opening new horizons for a smarter, cleaner, and more inclusive transportation ecosystem.