The Shift Towards Micro-mobility Amid The COVID-19 Crisis: How Can You Launch Your Own Uber For E-scooters App?

The COVID-19 chaos appears to be the death knell for traditional businesses. With economies plummeting below knee-deep, there’s a stern transformation and resolution among businesses to go online, sustain the pandemic, and succeed in the act of reaching out to the target audience. The mobility sector has, by far, been the pioneer when it comes to on-demand apps. From the century-long taxis to the most compact e-scooters, the industry has evolved with the people, gaining an irreplaceable position in the commuting world. 

Uber’s success, fueled with increased smartphone penetration, has led to a tremendous increase of on-demand apps becoming one-stop destinations. With lockdowns restricting movements for almost two quarters of 2020, the situation is returning to normalcy. People’s fears need reliable answers, and micro-mobility can be the perfect answer to people’s requests for self-driving facilities. Will the multi-billion dollar micro-mobility sector grow in numbers post the pandemic situation? 

Will micro-mobility become indispensable among the audience with recovery becoming inevitable? Can the industry which encompasses light-weight vehicles like mopeds, e-scooters, and bicycles carry the burden of such a massive transportation sector? You’ll know the answers to these questions by the end of this blog. Besides, the blog also caters to the needs of those entrepreneurs and the business people who aim at launching an Uber-like app in the post-COVID-19 period. If you’re among those entrepreneurs, read further to unravel what the future of micro-mobility has in its store. 

The COVID-19 impact on Micro-mobility 

The number of passenger-travel kilometers has declined from 50-60% ever since the onset of the pandemic. Micro-mobility firms aren’t an exception to the above statement, experiencing a steep decline in sales. The impact of the COVID-19 was visible, with e-scooter mobility firms laying off employees as a measure to cope with the decline in sales. 

The all-important Recovery phase 

One significant factor that is proving vital for the growth of micro-mobility post-COVID-19 is consumer behavior. For years altogether, cost-effectiveness remained the major trend among customers. Fortunately or unfortunately, the outbreak situation has propelled safety as a deciding parameter among customers. 

According to a survey by Mckinsey & Company, 

• Respondents who placed time for destination and price for the trip among the deciding parameters before COVID-19 changed their stands to the risk of infection. 
• Space and privacy remained the third-most important concern both before and after COVID-19. 

Micro-mobility vehicles can prove an ideal replacement as they can ensure passenger safety and provide the necessary space and privacy to passengers. 

The micro-mobility wave can create a trend 

As mentioned earlier, customers have the final laugh/say for the success of any business/industry. According to the 2019 ACES survey conducted by Mckinsey & Company, less than 20% of the respondents opted for micro-mobility trips for commuting. However, one notable aspect of the survey is that as many as 70% of the respondents would consider buying an e-scooter to commute to work or school. 

The e-scooter trend isn’t too far away, and it is only a matter of time where people will consider it as a significant mode for commuting. An entrepreneur with the right vision, backed by an expert team, can do wonders with this nascent, flourishing sector. 

Developing an Uber For E-scooters app 

Now that you have identified the potential of the micro-mobility sector, it is time to capitalize on the situation with a highly reliable app. There are five crucial steps to consider before developing an app for e-scooters. They include, 

• Identifying the growth potential of the e-scooters market 
• Knowing the benefits of investing in the sector
• Analyzing competitors to visualize areas of improvements
• Integrating unique features and functionalities 
• Implementing the latest tech-stack 

Let’s discuss in brief about these different aspects in the upcoming section. 

The market is poised for an exponential growth 

Apps like Bird, Lime, etc., have already gained massive positive response from the audience. With that being said, the e-scooter market will rise in numbers in the upcoming years. Some stats that signify the unprecedented growth of the market include, 

• The global market for e-scooters was valued at $18.6 billion in 2019 (Source: Grand View Research). 
• With a CAGR of more than 8% in the forecast period between 2019 and 2030, the market will reach a significant value of $42 billion by 2030 (Source: Grand View Research). 
• The Asia-Pacific region seems to dominate the market, with China contributing to more than 84% of the revenue in the region (Source: Grand View Research). 
• The e-scooter and motorcycle market forecasts a tremendous CAGR of 35.8% between 2019 and 2027 (Source: MarketsAndMarkets). 

The market for e-scooters in terms of vehicle and mobility is witnessing a positive graph. It is high time entrepreneurs rise to the occasion, making the most out of the current situation. 

Lucrative benefits of micro-mobility

Micro-mobility envisages enticing benefits to almost every stakeholder. In this case, the stakeholders include passengers and platform owners. Let’s discuss the advantages of micro-mobility in brief here, 

• The unexplored market: The market for micro-mobility is still in its proliferating stages and the competition is relatively less when compared to the automobile taxi market. An entrepreneur has better chances of boosting the ROI by investing in this unexplored business medium. 
• The environmental impact: People have realized the drastic effects of environmental degradation. The increasing affinity towards fuel-led vehicles can turn the wind towards e-scooters. Being an electric power-led vehicle, micro-mobility vehicles are better suited to match the interests of socially-responsible individuals. 
• Less maintenance: The cost involved in maintaining e-vehicles is comparatively less, paving the way for enhanced profits. Besides, the platform owner needn’t worry about the rising fuel charges as micro-mobility vehicles run on electricity. 

Analyze your competitors 

An app that is performing well has a specific attribute contributing to its success. Now, you needn’t wrack your brains to come up with out-of-the-box ideas. A customer expects the best service at economical prices. It takes an extensive competitor analysis to identify areas of improvement and offer an enhanced product to your target audience. Some of the competitors that are doing exceptionally well include, 

• Bird
• Lime
• Skip
• Spin, etc. 

Analyzing these Uber for e-scooter apps on their strengths and weaknesses helps you gain better clarity in developing your app. 

Unique features can come in handy 

Customer engagement rates adversely depend on the visual appeal that a platform creates. It is the features and workflow of the app that aids in engaging users, guiding them towards services. Some of the unique features that can gain instant attention among the audience include, 

• In-app wallet: With this wallet feature, users can add/remove money to the in-built wallet from their bank accounts, paving the way for rapid payments. 
• Multi-lingual support: Language shouldn’t be a barrier to restrict users from availing services. Let your app transcend boundaries with this multi-lingual support feature. 
• Scan QR code: One of the major advantages of e-scooters is eliminating drivers from the ecosystem. Hence, automate the initiation and termination of rides by letting users scan the QR code on the vehicles. 
• Smart lock: As soon as the ride terminates, the vehicle automatically gets locked until another user scans the QR code. This way, you can prevent theft or mishandling of e-scooters in the external environment. 

Do not forget to implement the latest tech-stack 

Tech-stack plays a crucial role in determining the sustainability of the platform. Apps with primitive tech-stack fail to create an impact on the audience. At Appdupe, our well-equipped technical team ensures that the futuristic Uber clone app for e-scooters houses the innovative and trending tech-stack. They include, 

• Swift and Objective-C for iOS applications
• Java, Kotlin, React Native for Android applications
• HTML 5, CSS 3 for Web & Hybrid
• Ethereum, Hyperledger for Blockchain
• Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS for Cloud
• MongoDB, MySQL for Database 
• Node.js, Python for Servers 

Conclusion 

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised so many questions on the safety and reliability of commuting. While private taxis are preferred over public transport, the privacy and safety concern has made people lookout for alternatives. Micro-mobility can be their one-stop destination. Launching an Uber for E-scooters app amid the current scenario proves highly beneficial and profitable in every aspect. 

Reach out to our experts at Appdupe, share them with your visions, and we’ll help you climb the ladders of success in the shortest possible time!

Author

Marketing is my soul mate and writing is my side kick. Using my writing skills to share the knowledge of app development and upcoming technologies.