Part 1- Mobility and fleets

Mobility is probably a phrase you have heard. But what is it, and how could it impact fleets in the future.

The automotive industry is currently going through an industrial revolution, and as technology advancements move rapidly alongside pressure to improve our environmental impact, the way we travel today is expected to change in the near future.

What is mobility?

The dictionary definition for mobility is ‘the ability to move or be moved freely and easily’. In other words, Mobility allows people to travel seamlessly from one destination to another, using a variety of different transportation methods.

Along with the term mobility, you are likely to have also come across the term Mobility as a Service or MaaS. MaaS provides a digital platform which integrates journey planning, booking of transport, ticketing & payment that works across all types of transport- public or private, bikes or aeroplanes, and either for work or for pleasure. A MaaS platform can also provide advice on the best mode of transport for each trip, using live data such as traffic, roadworks and pricing, as well as business or user travel preferences.

What is driving the change?

The way people and goods travel from one place to another is changing, which is being driven by rapid technological advancements and social trends.

The BVRLA has identified three main trends driving these changes:

• Electric vehicles and alternative powertrains promise zero-emission motoring, which in turn means a reduction in the reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles
• The digital infrastructure for journey and network management is improving
• A gradual shift from vehicle ownership to usership, especially in urban areas, thanks to shared mobility options.

How will it impact fleets?

Mobility will enable a pay-on-use infrastructure, meaning that fleets could pay for transportation as required rather than paying for a vehicle that isn’t used all the time. So good for the balance sheet! And on top of the potential cost savings, mobility solutions also enable a business to address their environmental impact, as businesses can tailor the solution to meet their own business objectives – for example ranking the possible transport options for a journey based on environmental impact or cost.

There will be many fleets out there already using rental or short term leasing as part of their solution. Switching to mobility management would provide a more inclusive solution, providing a variety of transport solutions for employees.

Next week, in part 2, we’ll look at the different types of mobility solutions currently available.