The pandemic has disrupted mobility and the effects will linger well into the future. As people have been avoiding public transportation and relying on personal and shared mobility options, cities have redefined car lanes to create more space for bikes and scooters. Similarly, government incentives to help the automotive industry have encouraged the use of carbon-neutral solutions and stimulated the development of electric vehicles (EVs).
Such fundamental changes, along with other recent developments, are prompting mobility leaders to reimagine mobility while adjusting their strategies to the emergence of electric vehicles and shared mobility. Some of these shifts are likely to persist and thus, deserve particular attention. For instance, given the economic impact of the pandemic, access to mobility has become a harder investment and remains a crucial challenge to solve. While work from home trends might continue to stay for a small set of the population, most of rural and urban India is heavily dependent on moving out for sustenance. Thus, affordable personal shared mobility solutions will accelerate economic revival while providing equitable access to healthcare and livelihood opportunities.
Today, only 18 per cent of the population in India has access to personal mobility and the limitations of public transport in urban and rural areas have created a huge need for alternative commute options. Low-cost personal mobility options such as two-wheeler EVs on shared mobility platforms is the next best alternative to public transport and has the potential to address this gap while supporting cities in overcoming the challenges of essential commute. Therefore, we are certain that the future of mobility will focus on optimising existing vehicles, affordability and safety with a significant focus on climate change.
Further, the nimbleness of EVs will make them more amenable to changes in financial and human capital investments that are likely to occur in the post-COVID world. Thus, now more than ever, there is more need for state and central governments to promote and encourage the adoption of shared two-wheeler EV rental solutions to accelerate the mobility revolution in India.
Vivekananda Hallekere is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bounce
