The first month of 2023 has just passed, which is the right time for us to reveal our analysis of the mobility trends that will mark Europe this year. And given the developments taking shape at the end of 2022, 2023 will be full of surprises. Super travel app, #tågskryt, mobility credit,… Focus on these 6 trends in Europe in the mobility sector.
Travel Super Apps, the new Eldorado
From the leader WeChat with its 1.24 billion monthly active users to Microsoft’s recent announcement, Super Apps have become the GOT for many companies. Although initially characterized by the provision of a myriad of payment-centric services on a single application, the Super App revolution is far from being a simple opportunity for FinTech players.
Indeed, more and more mobility players are entering this niche by positioning themselves as travel Super Apps. This is notably the case for the leader Uber, the airline Air Asia or even the Dōcō app from the Spanish railway company Renfe. Three established candidates on the path of travel Super Apps, which we had dedicated articles to you.
What they have in common… Three mobility players established nationally, or even internationally, with the particularity of having as their core business a mode of transport heavily used for “leisure” travel. Initially monomodal, they have now diversified by offering different services on a single application to cover all the needs of travelers throughout their stay. And to achieve this, they have integrated complementary transportation, delivery, accommodation, entertainment, and financial services.
It is a safe bet that this shift should also strongly inspire players such as SNCF or FreeNow, which already claims to be a Super Mobility App…
Tågskryt, the heir of flygsham’s
You have certainly already heard about flygskam… This term of Swedish origin designates the feeling of guilt felt by some people at the idea of taking the plane. Well, we are now in the era of tågskryt, translated in English by Train-bragging! A neologism, again created by the Swedes, never short of ideas, referring this time to the pride of taking the train. A passing hashtag or a real social upheaval? It seems that this phenomenon has become more and more widespread on the networks.
An emergence that was undoubtedly accentuated by the concerns related to the climate emergency. This is a trend that is already underway, as evidenced by the numerous initiatives launched this year by certain European states and rail companies.
- In Germany, with the launch of the €9 universal transport ticket by the German government, during the summer of 2022. A resounding success beyond expectations, which led the German government to renew the operation permanently with the creation of the Deutschlandticket: The new universal ticket for less than €50
- In Spain, Renfe has distinguished itself by introducing free travel on some of its trains from the beginning of September to December 31, 2022. An incentive operation launched at the initiative of the company to offset inflation, which seems to be well on its way to being renewed for the whole year 2023.
- In France, the recent adoption last month by the European Commission of a ban on domestic flights for any train journey of less than two and a half hours is possible. A decision taking effect on the French territory, accompanied by an evaluation period of 3 years. A subject that has been on the table since the 2021 Climate Law and accentuated by the controversy last September of the sand yacht.
- And finally, the return in force of night trains throughout Europe. Indeed, by the end of 2025, 33 new Austrian Nightjet ÖBB trains will link Switzerland with SBB, Italy with Trenitalia, France with SNCF and the Netherlands with NS.
Mobility, integrated into everyday life
Going to work, to the doctor, to the restaurant, shopping, meeting family and friends… All these daily trips are not always accessible to everyone.
Indeed, in one of our infographics, we show you that for some people, mobility is more than a simple obstacle, but a real factor of exclusion. Indeed, more than a third of French people claim to postpone, or even give up, doing a leisure or cultural outing (41%), going to a medical visit (30%) or even doing their food shopping (26%).
These figures show the importance of integrating mobility into daily life. Imagine, when you pay for your Click & Collect, your favorite supermarket offers you to reserve a car-sharing vehicle or buy your bus ticket. Different transport alternatives that could be integrated on applications such as Doctolib, the Fork,… And why not on digital kiosks located at the entrance of shopping areas, like shopping centers.
A multitude of use cases made possible by solutions such as Lyko. A suite of technological tools allowing the integration on any platform, planning, reservation and payment of more than 3000 transport operators in the world. And this, without any redirection to a third party website or application.
The mobility credit, the staff’s darling…
Who would have bet one day that the traditional company car is no longer a sought-after salary benefit. Indeed, at the end of October, we shared with you the results of a study conducted by FreeNow attesting that more than ¾ of the inhabitants of major French cities are in favor of the introduction of a mobility credit and more than half of business travelers would prefer the mobility credit to their company car.
As a reminder, unlike the Sustainable Mobility Package introduced in France, the Mobility Credit consists of an annual budget allocated in addition to the partial or total abandonment of the company car. A financial compensation of between 3,000 and 10,000 euros per year is beginning to be adopted more and more by employees.
A growing demand from companies encouraging some car rental companies or fleet suppliers to position themselves on this breach. This is notably the case of the leasing company ALD Automotive, last May, and last December the rental company Toosla, created in 2016 and already listed on the stock exchange for over a year.
A strategic pivot that is not by chance… Indeed, when announcing the release of the ALD Move offer, the Société Générale subsidiary attested that operational leasing and car fleet management “interested on average less than 10% of employees in companies.“
GHG, the precise and real-time measure
As part of our daily lives, navigation applications are now among the most widely used applications. And yet, the year 2022 was for her a real challenge following the publication of a decree published in August. ` Namely, to inform more “users on the negative impact of their trips on the environment and ask for less polluting trips and more environmentally friendly alternatives to the car.
And this, through the display of awareness messages ranging from the estimated amount of greenhouse gases for each mode of transport. A revolution for applications such as Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps, Citymapper or MaaS applications, for which very few of them offer the classification of eco-friendly routes.
The reason? Although emissions are quantifiable, it is still difficult to measure and track the carbon footprint accurately and in real-time. Indeed, this crucial indicator is often based on very approximate data. This is a problem that some startups have addressed. These include Moovance, the French GreenTech, which we praised in our article on CES, and Everimpact, founded by former UN leaders.
This young Climate tech nugget, “helps cities and companies accurately measure their carbon emissions to identify emission reduction opportunities and finance the necessary investments via carbon markets.” A real-time measurement made possible by data from satellites, ground sensors and AI. Technology at the service of the ecological transition has attracted VCs to the point of closing a €1.7 million “Seed” round.
Charging stations, “bornes” to be alive
Whether you’re reluctant or not, you have to admit that electric vehicles are clearly on a roll. And to prove it, nothing is better than figures! In France alone, the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in circulation reached one million last October, according to the AVERE (National Association for the Development of Electric Mobility). Or our German and British neighbors, where more than a third of new cars sold last December were electric vehicles!
This enthusiasm for low-carbon mobility is certainly encouraging, but there are still a few obstacles to full adoption. And among them, we find recharging, like autonomy, which is one of the main obstacles to the purchase of an electric vehicle.
Indeed, according to an OpinionWay survey for Electra, for more than a third of French people, the lack of charging points is a real brake. This is also a constraint for electric vehicle owners. Indeed, more than one owner out of two “says he is dissatisfied with the charging stations, particularly because of the lack of stations in France and their low power, according to AVERE.
The French government has taken this into account, notably through a decree requiring all freeway concessionaires to install a charging station in all service areas by January 1, 2023.
A development that seems to be prolific on the whole urban landscape, from parking lots to roads, through condominiums … So much so that the Government has just announced the forthcoming implementation of a funding scheme for new rapid charging stations in rural areas. This is an issue that has been taken up by many companies that are launching a massive deployment of fast charging stations. This ambition is attracting many investors. Among the nuggets to follow, we find :
- Electra, launching in 2021. A French startup that raised €15 million in Seed the year of its launch, then last June, €160 million, alongside Eurazeo, SNCF (574 Invest) and RATP Group.
- Zeplug, created in 2014, which raised 240 million euros last September from the British fund ICG Infra.
- Bump, launched in 2021, which closed a €180 million Series A funding round alongside DIF Capital Partner.
Three startups with the common goal of conquering the European continent. A market that should attract more and more energy giants, if it is not already done…
