Micro-Mobility for Europe welcomed a new member joining the alliance: Superpedestrian! Our growing membership shows that there is a need for operators to join forces on EU level with the goal of transforming urban mobility by creating a sustainable transport ecosystem together with cities.
With now seven members, namely Bird, Bolt, Dott, Lime, Superpedestrian, Tier and Voi, MMfE continues to defend the interests of the micro-mobility industry with the goal of guiding Europe towards a global leadership position in the adoption of sustainable urban transport.
Haya Verwoord Douidri, VP EMEA at Superpedestrian:
“Superpedestrian looks forward to collaborating with MMfE members to establish the foundations of a sustainable micro-mobility ecosystem. This process and its outcomes are vital for the EU to meet its goals for our cities’ futures.”
The Clean Cities Campaign (CCC) hosted by Transport & Environment, Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE) and the Urban Intergroup of the European Parliament are publishing a Joint Letter outlining How Cities Benefit From Micro-Mobility. As it becomes increasingly clear that shared micro mobility services play a key role in achieving EU cities’ sustainable transportation goals, the three signatories are calling for a more collaborative and constructive regulatory approach between cities and private operators.
The three signatories emphasise that:
Micro-mobility plays an increasingly important role in achieving cities sustainable transportation’s goals and is one solution to cities’ persistent challenges like reducing traffic congestion and air and noise pollution
European cities should adopt a collaborative approach in regulating micro mobility, through open and constructive dialogue with private operators
Banning shared micro mobility services runs counter to cities’ stated sustainable transport goals and that there are better ways to ensure these services meet city’s goals while respecting residents and public space
Cities should prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and scooters riders by investing in infrastructure that creates safer spaces on streets and reduces space from cars
CCC, MMfE and the EP Urban Intergroup call on local authorities to take an open approach to dialogue and to consider the adoption of a regulatory framework that fosters the uptake of micro-mobility – a sector that has great potential for improving the living conditions of European citizens and creating safer and more sustainable cities.
We welcome the publication of the SUMP Guide on safe use of micro- mobility devices in urban areas and appreciate having been consulted in the process of drawing up the guide. Also, MMfE gladly acknowledges that best practices and recommendations on the integration of micro-mobility in urban planning have been identified and that those recommendations, by encouraging safer use of such devices in urban areas, will help Europe in delivering its Vision Zero strategy.
MMfE is convinced that the guide can serve as a basis for the safe deployment of micro-mobility services in cities, making urban transport systems more accessible, affordable and sustainable. At the same time, MMfE remains open to exchange and discussion with policymakers and other actors.
The SUMP Guides recommendation acknowledges that improving the safe use of micro-mobility devices requires efforts and collaboration between providers, authorities on different levels and other actors. In particular with view to the upcoming Commission Recommendation to Member States on the national programme to support regions and cities in the roll-out of effective sustainable urban mobility plans as announced in the 2021 New Urban Mobility Framework, MMfE is sharing feedback on the SUMP Guide to constructively contribute to upcoming measures that promote micro-mobility in the EU.
Safety and infrastructure
We fully endorse the ambition of integrating micro-mobility into Vision Zero. Research reveals that reliance on the private car is a considerable barrier to achieving the vision for a safer future. As such, the modal shift away from cars is a key objective in achieving Vision Zero. Reducing fatalities and injuries across the EU, regardless of the means of transport, should be pursued by all cities. Most of them have realised the importance of allocating sufficient space to pedestrians, cyclists, and users of e-scooters, to contribute to the overarching goal of reducing the numbers and use of private cars. Making the step from realisation to implementation is often challenging for cities. MMfE, therefore, calls on the European Commission to support cities in creating more space for these user groups, through infrastructure investments, by welcoming shared mobility operators, and through cooperation with local mobility actors.
Infrastructure and speed
One way to rethink and reallocate urban space is by introducing pop-up bike lanes, which is one step towards redistributing urban space equitably. Ideally, these bike lanes are separated from traffic with more than just paint. After all, paint is not an infrastructure and does not protect vulnerable cyclists or users of e-scooters or e-bikes. Protected infrastructure empower urban dwellers to pursue sustainable mobility solutions. It is important to ensure that the speed set for e-scooters reflects the infrastructure available and who e- scooters share the road with. For example implementing a speed limit that is much slower than average bike speeds can cause risks by disrupting traffic flows. Also, excessively slow speeds can be dangerous for e-scooter riders and increase the likelihood of a safety incident occurring.
While we welcome the findings on safety and infrastructure in the guide, a greater emphasis should be made throughout the guide on the need for better infrastructure for micro-mobility. We strongly believe that the focus should be on prevention rather than protection. Cities can prioritise prevention through the creation of divided and stand-alone infrastructure which separates e-scooters, and other vulnerable road users from cars. Even though prevention is the most powerful way to protect vulnerable road users from harm, MMfE is aware that there will inevitably be situations where they and motor vehicles will need to interact.
Helmets
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, due to the inevitability of some accidents, we strongly recommend our users wear a helmet. This should however not be made mandatory, as this is known to limit the uptake of shared and sustainable modes of transport, which in turn makes riding less safe due to the safety in numbers phenomenon.
It is common knowledge among cycling advocates that imposing a helmet requirement may do more harm than good. When municipalities implement a helmet requirement, ridership drops significantly. Fewer micro-mobility riders mean less safety for the fewer riders on the road, because less investment is made in safe infrastructure and cars do not learn or expect to share the road. Introducing a bikeshare program, for example, is associated with a decrease in the absolute number of bicycle accidents, even though the number of people riding bicycles increases and a smaller portion of those riders wear helmets (see here).The United Kingdom determined not to impose a helmet requirement for bicycles because it found that it was ineffective and negatively impacted ridership (see here); it is applying the same logic to e-scooters.
Driving under influence
We strongly support that intoxicated users of micro-mobility services should be treated in the same way as users of other vehicle types, which requires both awareness raising and enforcement by the police.
Importance of training
With the increasing availability of micro-mobility services, MMfE welcomes the recommendation to engage with vulnerable road users to understand their concerns and to offer a platform for exchange, for the benefit of the citizens and the urban mobility system. Beyond these exchange opportunities, we encourage the offer and promotion of training for micro-mobility and road users, to inform them about risks and rules. MMFE welcomes the recommendation to educate both micro-mobility users and other road users on how to safely interact with new modes of transport. This should be done by both national bodies as well as operators. This should start at the primary school level, to ensure that future road users are familiar with the different vehicle types that they will encounter when independently navigating our cities’ streets.
Micro-mobility data and insights
Data from micro-mobility services offers potential for cities and authorities to better understand mobility patterns and weaknesses of the local transport system.
It has the potential to support human-centric urban planning based on observed mobility patterns and demand. It is in this context that MMfE members share data with a large number of cities they operate in.
Nevertheless, based on MMfE’s experience, we have noted that the full potential stemming from micro-mobility data is still untapped. Cities do not consistently have the capacity to manage our data efficiently, which has resulted in our data primarily being used to monitor the micro-mobility operations instead of supporting cities’ urban planning and traffic management tasks to encourage the uptake of greener transport modes.
Furthermore, the absence of standardized framework or performance indicators for how micro-mobility data can support cities’ sustainability policy objectives has made data-sharing an inefficient task overall. Some member states and cities have initiated the design of tailored standards for micro-mobility data sharing instead of using existing industry-wide ones or have very specific data requirements. MMfE members also noted that the privacy safeguards needed to share micro-mobility data in a GDPR- compliant manner are not always fully clear to city authorities.
We strongly believe that the aforementioned points and challenges should be addressed at EU-level in order to leverage the potential that micro-mobilty data presents in shaping sustainable urban environments.
Finally, we also advocate for introducing a systematic and universal methodology to monitor accidents across Europe, with a clear distinction made to incidents that happen with privately owned and shared vehicles, for all vehicle categories.
Technical requirements
We endorse the Guide’s recommendation that European institutions and standardisation bodies should agree on the classification and safety standards for micro-mobility devices. This would create consistent safety standards and provide micro-mobility providers with clarity as regards investment in new vehicles. In particular, vehicle standards should not be set at city level as this leads to a patchwork of different standards across the EU.
Selection procedures
Requirements set out in tenders should be aligned with city goals, in particular with the objective of reducing the number of private cars, increasing accessibility and redesigning urban space. In addition, licenses should cover a period of at least 12 months, better 24-36 months, which is also reflected in the SUMP Guide. Moreover, limits to the fleet size do not allow providers to adjust to the changing and evolving need for additional supply of micro-mobility devices. Instead of imposing direct caps, alternatives such as dynamic caps and seasonal allotments could be more effective to match demand with supply.
It should ideally be left up to the cities to choose the instrument they want to apply in choosing operators, where a tender is merely one such instrument. Other solutions that cities can put in place are the introduction of memoranda of understanding, licenses, authorizations and letters of intent.
Finally, cities, regardless of the type of selection procedure chosen, should not include selection criteria based on the request to micro- mobility operators of economic contributions or revenue sharing schemes.
Parking
Solutions for fixed docking are not the best way to ensure compliant parking and the suggestions on parking and docking should and leave no room for flexibility at the city level, taking the specificities of the city into account. Physical docks are expensive and inflexible, and require significant city staff time to plan locations and coordinate build out. In neighborhoods with less space and more foot traffic, for which a city has particular concerns about micro-mobility parking, a combination of light touch infrastructure and virtual tech to ensure rider compliance is sufficient, as well as affordable and flexible. The Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics (TØI) analyzed the implementation of scooter parking infrastructure and found no difference in efficacy between heavy infrastructure, e.g. racks, and spaces that are indicated only with paint and geofencing5. The study also found parkings compliance is higher when parking spaces are located in places that correspond to common ride end areas.
Environmental impact and sustainability
In just a few years, micro-mobility operators have managed to significantly improve the environmental performance of their e- scooter vehicles. This has been achieved through improved vehicle design (i.e. robustness, repairability), the increased usage of recycled materials and, most importantly, by extending the lifespan of our vehicles. Whilst the SUMP guide points to a 3-6 months lifespan of e- scooters, our latest generation of vehicles have been redesigned in a way that their lifespan was extended to 5+ years. An article published in 2020 showed that the lifespan of e-scooters had already increased to 24 months; this has been extended further as we continue improving robust vehicle design and repairability, significantly reducing e-scooters’ environmental footprint.
These developments have made e-scooters a sustainable mobility choice that has a strong contribution to make in a diversified transport mix. As outlined in the SUMP guide, it is indisputable that e- bikes and bicycles generate important health benefits as an active way to travel. In this context, the value generated by e-scooters should not be benchmarked against other sustainable modes but rather looked at as one piece of a multimodal transport network that is able to meet the various mobility needs and use cases of urban citizens.
For example, our internal research indicates that whilst e-scooters are primarily used for shorter distances (i.e. to complement public transport journeys for the first and last mile), e-bikes tend to be used for longer, mid-range distances. This points to the need for a variety of sustainable choices to simultaneously exist and complement one another to meet evolving mobility needs.
The ITF confirms this finding by highlighting that ‘micromobility enriches urban mobility and has the potential to change behaviour and transition to low-carbon urban mobility’ and that widespread availability of e-scooters, particularly for first/last-mile connections, could improve accesswhile shortening commuting time and reducing reliance on cars (ITF, 2021).
Policy recommendations
In light of the upcoming Commission Recommendation to Member States on the national programme to support regions and cities in the roll-out of effective sustainable urban mobility plans, MMfE calls on the European Commission to:
Advocate for integrating micro-mobility in SUMPs as an enabler to cleaner, less congested, more inclusive and liveable cities;
Substantiate the role that micro-mobility can play in moving away from cities’ and citizen’s dependency on private cars;
Endorse micro-mobility as one component of a diversified urban mobility system;
Emphasise the crucial role that micro-mobility can play in complementing public transport and suggest member states to put in place mechanisms that favor the integration of micro- mobility into the public transport system;
Propose that member states adopt measures that discourage the use of cars, particularly in city centers;
Encourage member states to use revenue from car parking and fines to invest in infrastructure for sustainable mobility.
Micro-Mobilty for Europe (MMfE) was invited to present its views in the workshop on ”technical requirements and road safety of Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs)’’ on 14 September, organised by DG GROW and DG MOVE.
Road safety data shows that the number of e-scooters incidents in Germany were limited
Besides MMfE, representatives from Member States presented their views and provided information on the applicable national rules on technical requirements for light electric vehicles (LEVs). Member States also shared road safety data from their respective countries. Patryk Dudek from the German Transport Agency highlighted that their official national statistics show that e-scooters caused a very limited number of incidents compared to other transport modes, based on data from 2021 (i.e. bicycles and cars). MMfE welcomes the fact that EU Member States are monitoring road safety data on new modes more structurally, and would welcome the opportunity to contribute to these efforts.
The need for horizontal legislation for personal light electric vehicles
MMfE’s representative emphasised the need for a unified approach and called for horizontal legislation that is innovation-friendly, i.e. not too strict, to avoid hampering innovation and limiting the offer of sustainable mobility solutions. Furthermore, MMfE called upon the EU not to allow for deviation on a national level to offer legal certainty to producers.
The main issue discussed was the absence of central legislation setting technical requirements for “personal light electric vehicles” – which should include e-scooters and e-bikes with a design speed of up to 25 km/h. In the absence of horizontal legislation at European level, regulatory divergences at national level are expected to intensify. This will lead to barriers in the internal market, which is contrary to the principles on which the single European market is founded.
Hence, MMfE strongly supports the adoption of a common regulatory framework that creates a new dedicated category and that will establish technical requirements for personal light electric vehicles.
In the creation of a new central regulatory framework, it is essential that the EU does not impose measures that could be detrimental to the uptake of sustainable mobility options, like an obligation to homologate vehicles. There is no evidence that a type approval procedure involves an increase in security levels for users and third parties, in comparison to the current system based on self-certification, as identified by a TRL report. If a sort of type approval procedure is deemed necessary, the EU should propose a light procedure that is not too burdensome in terms of time and cost for the micro-mobility industry.
Furthermore, the imposition of regulatory measures to which motor vehicles are subject should be avoided such as the obligation of motor insurance and of the license plate for shared micro-mobility devices. These measures are designed for heavy vehicles (passenger cars and vans) and do not reconcile with the nature, size, and purpose of light electric vehicles.
Finally, MMfE seizes this opportunity to thank the European Commission for the invitation to the stakeholder dialogue. MMfE would also like to reiterate its willingness to work together with the decision-makers and other relevant players, for the establishment of an EU legislative framework that favors the healthy and continuous development of sustainable transport solutions across Europe.
Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE) welcomes the overall objectives of the proposal for a Battery Regulation put forward by the European Commission in December 2020. Our sector fully supports the need to accelerate the transition towards a more electrified transport system as clearly stated by the first recital of the proposal: “A shift from the use of fossil fuels in vehicles to electromobility is one of the prerequisites for reaching the climate neutrality goal in 2050”. The importance of the announcement of the Commission regarding the modernisation of EU legislation on batteries was underlined by the fact that the European Commission listed it among the actions in its new Circular Economy Action Plan. Micro-Mobility for Europe believes, as well as the European Commission, that more sustainable batteries throughout their life cycle are essential in achieving the decarbonisation of the transport sector, and the EU economy as a whole.
We believe shared micro-mobility solutions have the potential to generate a modal shift away from car trips to more sustainable modes, and complement public transportation, which will ultimately reduce GHG emissions and increase quality of life in urban areas. To support this vision, Europe needs a robust, coherent and clear regulatory framework around batteries. Batteries are essential for micro-mobility solutions that support the EU’s decarbonisation objectives, which is why MMfE fully supports the inclusion of specific provisions for batteries for ‘light means of transport’ such as e-scooters.
However, we have noticed with concern some inconsistencies in the proposal and misunderstandings about where the light electric vehicle industry is and where it is going. In order to safeguard the European Commission’s goals of increased safety and sustainability for batteries, while integrating coherently with the way light means of transport are evolving today, we wanted to share further insights about how the shared micro-mobility industry uses batteries today and may use them tomorrow. We believe these insights can help both the European Commission and, more particularly, co-legislators (European Parliament and Council) to review the current proposal for a coherent, accurate and future-proof framework on batteries in Europe.
The use of batteries in shared micro-mobility applications
Batteries used in e-scooters and other micro-mobility vehicles have undergone a huge development. Today most companies operating shared e-scooters undergo strict scrutiny by local governments regulated through licenses or tender agreements. That means all members of the coalition work to understand and limit environmental impact by optimising disposal, second life and recycling of batteries.
Battery production is one of the most carbon-intensive parts of e-scooter manufacturing, which in turn contributes the most to an e-scooter’s overall lifetime emissions. According to the latest reports on the environmental impact of e-scooters, their life cycle is highly impacted by the material used to manufacture the vehicles (incl. the battery). The use of raw material contributes to between 68% and 90% of their total carbon footprint. Proper disposal and recycling represent an environmental challenge, and our members have been working with first class recycling partners for responsible disposal and recycling to minimise this impact, adapting to various circumstances. According to the EIT MOBY report, future developments, especially in battery management and recycling processes, will substantially reduce the environmental impact of e-scooters.
Most e-scooters run on some type of lithium-ion batteries of capacity between 300 Wh and up to approximately 1500 Wh and have a battery pack composed of individual cells and electronics grouped in a battery management system. E-scooter battery technology is chosen for its light weight, its performance and long lifespan. For the purpose of the EU Battery Regulation, it is also important to note that the same battery pack can be used interchangeably for an e-scooter or an e-bike.
E-scooter and micro-mobility manufacturers have taken measures to tackle the carbon footprint associated with battery production.
In terms of average lifespan of batteries, this depends on the battery type used and the battery chemistry. Notwithstanding peak and lower performing batteries, in terms of average figures we have observed that the industry standard is approximately 400-700 cycles, which roughly equates to 14,000-25,000 km driven. Shared e-scooter batteries can achieve 14,000+ miles (22,500+ km) of expected battery life. Calendar time can be a misleading metric; for example, a consumer model that averages two rides per week might be able to market a 5-year battery life, where shared rentals would see much more use.
Concerning the management of end-of-life, once a battery is decommissioned our members will first consider it for reuse namely by disassembling the battery, testing individual battery cells, and passing the performant ones on to our partners for a second life as battery packs for other purposes. Moreover, members of Micro-Mobility for Europe have developed partnerships with recyclers to recycle lithium-ion battery cells, circuit boards, and e-waste. The industry has been working to reduce the percentage of cobalt used in battery cells by replacing it with nickel. Any batteries or cells that are not fit for reuse are collected by recycling partners for recycling via hydrometallurgical recycling systems.
When it comes to sustainability and waste management of batteries, members of Micro-Mobility for Europe have developed partnerships with recyclers to recycle lithium-ion battery cells, circuit boards, and e-waste. More concretely, the industry has been active in material substitution with the aim of improving the environmental performance of our operations – as it is the case of the current gradual reduction in cobalt for nickel.
Batteries for light means of transport should all be defined as portable batteries
We agree with the European Commission that light means of transport should fall under the portable battery category. This is clearly stated in recital 12 (p. 25-26) which reads that “batteries used in light means of transport, such as e-bikes and scooters, [should be] classified as portable batteries”.
However, we are concerned with the lack of accuracy when defining light means of transport in Article 2, which seems inconsistent with that recital. Indeed, the definition under Article 2 of light means of transport is very restrictive, and mostly limited to e-bikes. Such a narrow definition cannot properly account for the evolving variety of light electric vehicles, including e-bikes, e-scooters, and many other new innovative vehicles. Therefore, it appears that the content of the Regulation would not match the original intention of the European Commission.
Defining batteries used in micro-mobility vehicles as portable batteries is important for several reasons. The first reason is that it allows for predictability for both the battery industry and the micro-mobility industry, allowing European production of battery cells and batteries to develop and flourish, and for the micro-mobility industry to operate under the same regulatory terms no matter the vehicle’s exact specifications.
We believe that the EU Battery Regulation should set definitions in coherence with other regulations and ongoing regulatory work in the EU. When it comes to light means of transport, weight and speed are the main elements used to categorise and define vehicles, and are also key parameters which define the battery capacity needed to propel the vehicle. This is for example illustrated in the study on personal mobility devices carried out by TRL. This should also be the approach in the Battery Regulation which will be the first legislation in the EU to provide a definition for batteries of ‘light means of transport’. Such a definition should be future-proof, accounting for the variety of vehicles that fall under this category. It should also account for how light means of transport can tackle transport emissions and develop more sustainable mobility in Europe.
A uniform approach for all vehicles similar in speed and weight is also justified by the fact that the exact same battery can be used in an e-bike or an e-scooter. That is, under the proposed regulation, the same battery might find itself classified in one week as a “portable” battery, and the next week as an “electric vehicle” battery. Should the current text remain, this would lead to a very incoherent and unpredictable regulatory framework. Additionally, it would be nearly impossible to manage for battery manufacturers.
Therefore MMfE calls on EU co-legislators to set a coherent, accurate and robust definition for light means of transport that provides an efficient framework for the sustainability and safety of batteries in support of more sustainable means of transport in the short and long run.
Our proposed amendments
Article 2 point 7
Article 2 point 7
Our proposal
‘Portable battery’ means any battery that:
‘Portable battery’ means any battery that:
• is sealed;
• is sealed;
• weighs below 5 kg;
• has a capacity limit of 2 KWh;
• is not designed for industrial purposes; and
• (weighs below 10 kg;)
• is neither an electric vehicle battery nor an automotive battery;
• is not designed for industrial purposes; and
• is neither an electric vehicle battery nor an automotive battery;
Justification
Micro-Mobility for Europe would welcome a classification made on capacity, as the coalition believes it to be a better way to classify batteries. The capacity limit the coalition proposes is 2KWh. A significant part of the weight is composed of material that protects the battery cells from damage, which should not be reduced from a safety and durability perspective. Larger batteries are also more environmentally friendly, as they allow vehicles to operate for longer before the battery is swapped. As battery technology is in continuous evolution, new cell chemistries and other innovations could soon make the legislation obsolete. Therefore, a limitation of 5 kg seems to be limiting to new possible technologies. In case of a weight limitation, Micro-Mobility for Europe would suggest a threshold of 10 kg. Finally, the legislation should concern itself with safety guarantees that are verifiable and backed by data, rather than setting arbitrary weight or vehicle power limits.
Article 2 point 9
Article 2 point 9
Our proposal
‘light means of transport’ means wheeled vehicles that have an electric motor of less than 750 watts, on which travellers are seated when the vehicle is moving and that can be powered by the electric motor alone or by a combination of motor and human power;
‘light means of transport’ means wheeled vehicles that have an electric motor of no more than 2,000 watts, taking into account that the range of vehicle defined as ‘light means of transport’ will likely expand over time, and that can be powered by the electric motor alone or by a combination of motor and human power;
Justification
Light means of transport include a large variety of vehicles such as e-bikes and e-scooters., etc. There is no justification to treat these vehicles differently and the EU Battery regulation should be future-proof as to which light means of transport can be developed in the future, particularly to tackle transport emissions and develop a more sustainable mobility in Europe. Coherence needs to be ensured between the work ongoing on Personal Mobility Devices (incl. TRL study) by DG GROW and the text of this proposal.
Article 2 point 12
Article 2 point 12
Our proposal
‘Electric vehicle battery’ means any battery specifically designed to provide traction to hybrid and electric vehicles for road transport;
‘electric vehicle battery’ means any battery specifically designed to provide traction to hybrid and electric vehicles for road transport, with the exception of batteries to provide traction to light means of transport;
Justification
To avoid any confusion as to what might constitute an electric vehicle battery, we propose clearly excluding light means of transport batteries from the scope of the definition.
Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE), the European coalition of shared micro-mobility providers, welcomed the new study on the European Commission review on regulation on PLEVs developed by TRL, a UK consultancy.
As personal mobility is evolving and electrification of all types of transport will be the main driver of decarbonization in Europe, the coalition believes that it is the right timing to understand the main markets and the influence of the existing legislations at EU and national levels. In this context, a representative of MMfE stated: “Our coalition is committed to understanding all kinds of trends to better service our customers. Users of our services are looking for options and we are fully aware of the importance that safety has for all of them. For this reason, we applaud the efforts of TRL in collecting and assessing available data on accidents involving personal mobility devices and safety aspects related to the road circulation of personal mobility. MMfE will always encourage this type of research”.
The vision of the coalition is to ultimately transform urban mobility by creating a sustainable transport ecosystem together with the cities in which they operate. To reach that goal, tailor-made regulation should support e-scooters as an alternative to car ownership and use placing people and the environment at the heart of mobility.
“Regulation will be decisive for our sector and the TRL study – which focuses on market development and related road safety risks for L-category vehicles and new personal mobility devices – addresses one of the cornerstones of our business: minimum safety technical requirements. The regulatory options featured in the report represent a good basis to engage as a coalition and take the European policy debate to the next level”, stated Catriona Meehan, co-chair of the coalition. She continued: “The regulatory options however are divergent and may imply different pathways to achieve the ultimate goal which is to ensure safety. For this reason, we still need to further analyse what it would mean and imply for implementation, enforcement, and viability for our business”.
Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE) was launched last February. It is a Pan-European coalition of shared micro-mobility providers of short-term rental electric scooters founded to ensure micro-mobility solutions flourish in European cities and to support the rapid transition to zero-emission urban mobility. It comprises 8 founding members operating in over 20 EU countries and across more than 100 European cities For further information:micromobilityforeurope.eu
Creating a sustainable transport ecosystem by reshaping urban mobility along with the cities in which e-scooters operate is at the core of Micro-mobility for Europe’s objectives. Recent studies have shown that micro-mobility has the potential to deliver significant benefits in cities including efficient and cost-effective travel, reduced traffic congestion, decreased emissions, and a boost to local economies.
On April 27th2021, Micro-Mobility for Europe met with Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Senior Policy and Project Manager, Governance & Integration, Safety & Security at POLIS Network.
The meeting was an important occasion for the coalition to share views on how micro-mobility solutions can make a valuable contribution to develop innovative technologies and policies to promote sustainable mobility across cities. The main points of discussions focused on:
How to accelerate the shift towards sustainable and urban mobility which is key for the success of the industry and should be prioritized among all policy efforts.
Having a consolidated system thinking approach which looks at ways to positively transform urban mobility by allowing a proper integration of micro-mobility solutions into the existing local transport system and build capillarity to serve transit along corridors
The need to push for financial support from municipalities and the EU to develop and integrate a solid infrastructure system which is the way to make micro-mobility industry to smoothly flourish in cities.
The importance of pushing for a data share harmonization among cities, enabling local authorities to profit from data our industry generates which alleviate the challenges faced by their residents (congestion, pollution, road quality and safety, as well as better environmental protection).
Further Information:
POLIS is the leading network of European cities and regions working together to promote sustainable mobility through the deployment of innovative transport solutions. Their aim is to improve local transport through integrated strategies that address the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of transport.
Congestion, air and noise pollution are serious challenges affecting cities and urban environments, as well as the people living and working there. Micro-mobility solutions and e-scooters can help alleviate such pressures on urban transport networks, boost sustainable mobility in cities, and contribute to improved air quality.
On March 10th 2021, Micro-Mobility for Europe attended a parliamentary hearing organised by MEP Ismail Ertug (S&D, DE), rapporteur for the TRAN Committee own-initiative report on the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS).
This meeting was an important opportunity to position Micro-Mobility for Europe as a key player in the sustainable and smart mobility space, raising the contribution of the industry to cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable urban transport system. The coalition shared views on a range of topics which included:
How micro-mobility solutions and e-scooters can help alleviate pressure on urban transport networks and help cities redesignand rethinktheir usage of space by offering alternatives to car ownership and use.
The recognition of the need to develop a framework that ensures micro-mobility solutions flourish in cities and deliver on their potential for emission-free transportation.
The benefits provided by the data generated by operators and providers of micro-mobility solutions. These valuable data can help cities better understand traffic flows or provide useful insights into traffic bottlenecks and help future infrastructure planning. Best practices should be developed in the field of data collection, data sharing and data governance to further leverage the potential of these new data generated by micro-mobility solutions.
Concluding the hearing, MEP Ertug noted several recurrent issues and topics put forward by participants, including the need to pursue an emissions reduction agenda, the importance of infrastructure expansion for electric and hydrogen mobility through the revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (AFID), the need to promote micro-mobility solutions and the growing importance of digital solutions within the transport sector.
Further information:
Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
Published in December 2020, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy lays out the long-term vision for Europe’s mobility system and identifies policy tools and 82 actions to guide the European Commission in making all transport modes more sustainable, bolstering their resilience and inducing digitalisation.
European Parliament INI report
The European Parliament is currently preparing a non-legislative response to the SSMS. This response will outline the European Parliament’s perspective on the long-term decarbonisation of transport and give concrete feedback on the specific legislative actions outlined in the SSMS. The draft report from MEP Ertug is available here.
New micro-mobility coalition launches, creating one voice for providers of shared micro-mobility solutions to transform urban mobility in Europe
Brussels – 2 February 2021 – E-scooter operators have come together to form a new coalition, Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE), which launches officially today. Comprised of eight founding members1, the coalition aims to contribute to the development of a coherent policy framework in Europe that will ensure micro-mobility solutions flourish in European cities and support the rapid transition to zero-emission urban mobility.
At the forefront of the digital and transportation revolutions , members of MMfE work to address issues like congestion and the tailpipe emissions associated with urban travel, together with the cities in which they operate, to ultimately transform urban mobility. For Europe to meet its ambitious emissions targets, more will need to be done at a sustained pace. “Micro-mobility has revolutionised urban mobility and established itself as an essential alternative to personal car ownership and use ” said Catriona Meehan, Co-Chair of the coalition and representative of Wind. “The coalition is a key milestone in working together as one industry towards a healthier, more sustainable and less congested future for European cities”.
Members of MMfE operate in over 20 EU countries across more than 100 European cities. More and more local authorities are working to integrate micro-mobility into their transportation ecosystem. The data generated by micro-mobility providers helps cities to better understand, regulate, and plan for traffic flows, use of public infrastructure and space as well as necessary changes to improve road safety and mobility services in line with future mobility needs. “As the large majority of public space is dedicated to (car) infrastructure we need to rethink how public space in cities is used, and we look forward to contributing to this important discussion”, explained Alexander Jung, Co-Chair of Micro-Mobility for Europe and representative of Bird.
The launch of this coalition addresses a gap in the representation of the industry in the transport and mobility policy discussions, and will provide the views, expertise and experience of the shared micro- mobility industry. MMfE have identified urban mobility, data governance and circular economy as their top priorities to ensure that shared micro -mobility is an integral part of EU policy developments in the coming years. Following the publication of the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and given the changes in mobility the pandemic has triggered, Micro-Mobility for Europe is eager to engage with the Commission and EU policy makers to contribute to Europe’s recovery efforts as well as the green and digital transitions.
