McKinsey Center for Future Mobility

Why micromobility is
here to stay
A new McKinsey survey suggests that consumers are open to
micromobility solutions, but uptake will vary by country.

by Kersten Heineke, Benedikt Kloss, Felix Rupalla, and Darius Scurtu

© Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

December 2021
 If you could ride a bicycle, moped, or e-kickscooter
to work, would you do so? Respondents in the
Mobility Ownership Consumer Survey, conducted
by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility in
July 2021, were enthusiastic about these options,
with almost 70 percent stating that they were
willing to use micromobility vehicles for their
commute (exhibit).1 (Bicycles and mopeds could be
traditional or electric.) These findings suggest that
a growing number of workers may gravitate toward
smaller, more environmentally friendly forms of
transport as pandemic restrictions lift and offices
reopen. They are in line with our previous research
in 2020, which suggested that micromobility
was poised to make a strong comeback when the
COVID-19 pandemic abated and people began
traveling more.
Our survey also revealed that micromobility uptake
will be far from uniform because of location-
specific factors. The willingness to use small vehicles
was highest in countries with a long tradition of
micromobility, such as Italy (81 percent) and China
(86 percent). At the other end of the spectrum, only
60 percent of US respondents said they would
consider micromobility, perhaps because they have
traditionally relied on private cars or public
transportation for their commutes, and the sight of
someone weaving through traffic on a moped or
scooter is relatively rare.
Overall, survey respondents preferred bicycles, which
offer a longer range and better storage space
than e-kickscooters and a lower price than mopeds.
A few exceptions were apparent, however. For
instance, mopeds are particularly popular in China,
where authorities do not require drivers to have
a license or insurance coverage for vehicles with a
maximum speed of 25 kilometers/hour. Respondents
in the United Kingdom and China were the most
reluctant users of e-kickscooters, possibly because
those countries either banned those vehicles

Web 2021
Micromobility
Exhibit
Exhibit 1 of 1

In our
oursurvey,
survey,almost
almost 70
70 percent of respondents
respondentsstated
statedthat
thatthey
theywere
werewilling
willingto
to use micromobility for their daily commute.
use micromobility for their daily commute.
Preferred micromobility vehicle for commuting, by country, % of respondents¹
Bicycle (electric or traditional) Moped (electric or traditional) E-kickscooter
Prefer other forms of transport/do not wish to use micromobility²

Global 40 16 12 31

China 49 31 6 14

Italy 49 19 13 19

France 41 10 18 31

Germany 42 10 13 34

US 32 15 13 40

UK 32 13 10 46

¹ Question: “What type of micromobility vehicle would you prefer for your daily commute trips?” If respondents selected a type of micromobility vehicle, it was
inferred that they were willing to use this form of transport for commuting. The survey included more than 6,000 respondents aged 18 to 65 who used mobility
options at least once a day. Figures may not sum to 100%, because of rounding.
² Other forms of transport included walking or riding in a private car.
Source: McKinsey Mobility Ownership Consumer Survey, July 2021

1
The survey included 6,000 respondents from China, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

2 Why micromobility is here to stay

because of safety concerns or only recently approved
them. By contrast, consumers in the United States,
France, and Germany, which have established
sharing systems, were more open to e-kickscooters.
This trend is unsurprising, since any vehicle that is
readily available through a sharing service tends to
experience an uptick in private purchases.
The findings from our survey have implications for
players across the micromobility ecosystem and for
their prospects for success:
— Shared-mobility providers. Given that
micromobility preferences vary by geography,
shared-mobility providers must understand
local transportation habits for any city or region
in which they wish to operate. Generally,
providers first pick the cities in which they want
to operate and then examine local preferences
to determine what modes of transport will be in
greatest demand. At some point, they may
expand their product portfolios—for instance,
adding mopeds to the bicycle options—in
certain locations. While this expansion could win
new business, their capital expenditures will rise.
A combined fleet, in which vehicles have different
maintenance requirements, charging needs,
and life cycles, will also increase strategic and
operational demands.
Kersten Heineke is a partner in McKinsey’s Frankfurt office, where Benedikt Kloss is an associate partner; Felix Rupalla is a
solution manager in the Stuttgart office; and Darius Scurtu is a solution analyst in the Munich office.
Designed by McKinsey Global Publishing
Copyright © 2021 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved.
Why micromobility is here to stay
— Charging and parking operators. This group can
offer charging and parking solutions suitable
for several micromobility modes. In addition to
increasing demand for their facilities, a
comprehensive approach will help cities minimize
the number of vehicles parked on streets and
optimize micromobility usage.
— Public-transit operators. To enable seamless,
point-to-point journeys, public-transit operators
can provide dedicated space in buses or
trains to store various micromobility vehicles.
This strategy will also help increase the
customer base for both public-transit and
micromobility operators.
— Cities. When selecting a provider for shared
micromobility services, cities should favor
businesses that have a broad product portfolio
and truly understand the local mobility needs.
They can also promote the growth of
micromobility by installing riding, parking, and
charging infrastructure that integrates several
micromobility modes and also facilitates transport
for pedestrians and other travelers. Regulators
can help by creating safe mobility corridors for all
forms of transport. First, however, they must
ensure that they have public support from anyone
who regularly travels to their location.
3