Riding the wave of disruptive mobility solutions in the Americas - FMT Newsletter 3

By Daniel Bland - July 5, 2023 (Fleet Mobility Today Newsletter No. 3)

Twitter?@DanielBlandBiz?

Hello Fellow Fleet and Mobility Players,

In the face of today’s advancing technologies, the desire for more sustainable and innovative mobility solutions which are both disruptive and polemic are emerging throughout the Americas, but also worldwide.

While electric and connected vehicles and shared mobility solutions are well underway in many countries, delivery drones and robots, urban air taxis, and autonomous vehicles such as multi-passenger robo-shuttles and self-driving cars are making their way into the market. ?

In the end, what many cities and corporations are aiming for are more intelligent, streamlined, and environmentally friendly mobility ecosystems, something that most of us will likely be embracing soon, if not already.

Market Survey

According to a 2022 survey carried out by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility related to this topic, it looks like a little less than half of survey takers are embracing the transition.

• 30% plan to increase their use of micro-mobility (e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.) or shared mobility over the next decade.
• 46 % are open to replacing their private vehicles with other modes of transport in the coming decade.
• 70% are willing to use a shared autonomous shuttle with up to three other travelers (42% of those trips would otherwise be taken by private vehicle)
• 46% of respondents have already switched to more sustainable brands or products
• 16% plan to make considerable changes to promote sustainability.

Looking from a different angle, although 70% are interested in using a shared autonomous vehicle, more than half (54%) do not want to replace their private vehicle or switch to more sustainable brands, most (70%) are not interested in micro-mobility, and even more (84%) are not interested in making considerable changes to promote sustainability.

As for me, who mainly works throughout the Americas, I have found that shared mobility options and micro-mobility solutions are more commonly sought after in large cities, but it really depends on local and regional legislation. Although being sustainable is on the minds of some, I believe that these choices stem from convenience and cost savings in many cases.

In terms of replacing private vehicles with other transport modes, it is usually not the case in the expansive regions of countries like the United States and Brazil, but it could differ in very small countries or in congested urban areas.

Although the younger generation does seem to be more willing to embrace this idea, it is more difficult for a middle-aged guy like me who grew up in the car-loving U.S. during the time of the drive-in theater.

Despite this, I am doing a personal test-run right now (for one year) which entails using ride-hail services such as Uber and walking and biking as opposed to using a car. Now in my seventh month, I am seeing positives and negatives and maybe I will map them out in a future article.

Finally, when it comes to autonomous vehicles (AV), it seems like about half of the people I talk to are interested in trying them out as long as it is in a low-speed and controlled environment. However, expect this more in North America for now.

Considering some of the congested urban areas in Latin America, I think deploying AVs will be quite a challenge with motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic, a large number of pedestrians, potholes on streets, and confusing road patterns. Best of luck to the innovative AV developers there!

With that said, where do YOU fit into all this? Leave your comments below or feel free to send me a private message.

Until next time,

Daniel Bland

Thank you, Gracias, Obrigado

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