If you have ever asked yourself “Why should I use shared mobility when I own a car?”: Read on to find out our answer to it!
By MariaVictoria Garcia – Rider Experience Specialist
For the longest time, being able to purchase a personal car has been one of the major milestones in someone’s life. In some countries it is even linked to one’s status symbol: owning a car means you are being successful in life. Others simply feel like they need a car to cruise around because they were brought up this way.
However, cities, especially in Europe, are changing. Most Dutch cities are built in a way that encourages active mobility. This entails the transportation of people and more with non-motorized vehicles. One of many examples is the city of The Hague which invested €65 million into its cycling infrastructure, in 2021. Similar cases can be found in France, Germany, Spain and other countries. This environment is the perfect breeding ground for sustainable mobility options such as shared micro mobility providers.
Many people are nevertheless, still sceptical about using shared vehicles. They think to themselves: why use a shared vehicle when I can purchase a personal car and use it anytime I want?
At BAQME, we have set out a goal to make users less car-dependent for short distance travel. It was found that more than half of all car trips are shorter than 7.5km: these can be easily replaced with electric cargo bikes, among other shared vehicles available. We understand this statistic may not fully convince you to switch to use shared mobility, so we have come up with a list of reasons for you.
Price
The costs of owning a car, especially in the city, can really outweigh some of its benefits. For one, you have to pay out the rates for the car itself and then add to that the price of gas, maintenance, parking fees.
On the other hand, shared mobility provides all-inclusive rates. At BAQME, for example, you only pay per use, while other platforms may offer subscription-based models. In both cases, you basically decide how much you pay based on your expected usage of the service. Needless to say, parking costs are not an issue and you don’t have to pay for any maintenance costs yourself.
Parking
When it comes to parking a car, the options are limited: you could park it in your own garage, but having one at disposal is not always a given. If you live in urban environments you may have to find a public parking spot and these are both limited and often very costly.
By making use of shared mobility, depending on the provider, you can either park the vehicle anywhere in the city at no cost or leave it at designated hubs. BAQME offers a free-floating service, meaning that you can park your e-cargo bike anywhere in the city at any time. Both options do not include further costs nor the need to make space for the vehicle at home/in your garage.
Maintenance
The third bullet point on the list is maintenance. With owning a car, comes the responsibility of maintaining it, cleaning it and conducting repair work. This can take a lot of time and if you are no expert, additional costs may pile up as you have to hire a company for it.
On the contrary, shared mobility providers conduct all these repair works for you. Whenever a BAQME is low on battery, has a flat tire or requires careful attention, a team of specialists will make sure it’s fixed.
Environment
One of the most evident reasons for choosing shared mobility is the environment. And it is very much worth mentioning. Cars, even electric ones are more polluting, especially when everyone decides to use their own.
Most shared mobility providers however, produce lower emissions. Adding to the fact that by sharing it, a vehicle is used to its full potential, most providers offer a fleet of non-motorized or electric vehicles. In BAQME’s case, all bikes run on electric energy, have lower emissions and provide some of the same benefits as using a car. However, if one still prefers using a car, many shared mobility providers have fleets of electric cars.
Traffic
Road congestions are very common in urban environments and can cause stress, frustration and force you to sit in a vehicle longer than you planned. It is self-evident that in a scenario where everyone uses their own private car, traffic will inevitably arise. So why not give up the comfort of sitting behind a wheel for more liberating modes of transportation?
The concept of shared mobility itself, regardless of the vehicle chosen can help with traffic. Having more than one person using the same vehicle at once or subsequently, can radically reduce congestion levels. However, opting for a bike can be the best choice of all: as the vehicle takes less space on the road, cyclists can ride more smoothly and don’t have to worry about having to come to a standstill. All of this can be done while taking a breath of fresh air!
Availability
Some people may raise the concern that shared vehicles are not available 24/7 under your doorstep like a car would. Although this is a valid point, the benefit of a shared fleet is that vehicles are spread out all over the city. This means that despite having to walk a bit, you can make use of them at any time and place when you are not home. Moreover, if you subscribe to several shared mobility platforms, you can always select the most convenient one in terms of location!
…A couple final benefits
On top of all these assets, creating an account at a shared mobility platform means being part of a community. When you sign up to BAQME, you have the chance of meeting and interacting with other BAQMates… Let’s all be electric cargo bike enthusiasts together!
Finally, along with other electric bike or scooter providers, BAQME does not necessarily require the user to have a driving license. This makes the service accessible to all.
Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and that it made you reflect about benefits you hadn’t thought about before. If you’d like to discuss your opinion on the topic of ‘Ownership vs. Sharing’, don’t hesitate to contact us!
