As we begin a new year, I find myself energized by the opportunities ahead for movmi and the shared mobility industry. Since taking over as CEO in September, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our incredible team and partners, and it’s clear that we are well-positioned to continue driving innovation and impact. January marks a fresh start—a moment to reflect on our progress and refocus on what lies ahead.
Looking to the next decade, we’re focusing on three transformative areas:
1. Electrification with Equity and Efficiency
Electrification is often seen as a cornerstone of sustainable transportation, but it brings challenges that require holistic solutions. One of the most pressing issues is the “chicken-and-egg” dilemma: what comes first, infrastructure or adoption? The answer lies in addressing both simultaneously and inclusively.
Today, infrastructure planning for electrification often centers on personal vehicle ownership, leaving shared mobility underserved. This approach misses a critical opportunity: shared mobility vehicles can deliver greater impact with each electric vehicle serving 100 to 150 people and replacing 10 to 15 personally owned cars! By prioritizing the electrification of shared mobility vehicles, cities can amplify the benefits of reduced congestion and emissions.
Additionally, we must ensure that electrification strategies are equitable. Infrastructure like charging stations should not be limited to areas where residents can afford personal electric vehicles. Instead, these resources should extend to underserved communities where shared mobility is often the only viable transportation option. By doing so, we can create more inclusive access to sustainable mobility. movmi’s Plan4VIBE tool helps draw all relevant information together on a single platform to understand successful locations for infrastructure and shared mobility operations in any city.
2. Sustainability Through Feasibility
The success of shared mobility hinges on its ability to meet both community needs and operational realities. Yet, a persistent challenge we observe is the lack of emphasis on feasibility at every stage—from initial planning to long-term execution. Without careful consideration of whether a community can support a specific shared mobility mode or whether operators can sustain their services over time, many promising initiatives falter. This not only impacts operators financially but also erodes public trust in shared mobility as a viable alternative to car ownership.
At movmi, we’ve made it our mission to close this gap. By conducting in-depth economic viability assessments, we help cities and operators align their goals with the realities on the ground. This involves studying community demographics, travel patterns, and local infrastructure to recommend the best fit for shared mobility modes. For operators, we focus on crafting business models that balance financial stability with user-centric services, ensuring that operations remain viable and resilient even in challenging conditions. The result: a viability report that gives the municipality a thorough understanding of introducing or expanding shared mobility in their communities, from initial investments, infrastructure and policy development to usage estimations and factors impacting growth in adoption.
For example, our work with small communities has shown how tailored shared mobility services—like demand-responsive transit or car-sharing—can effectively replace private vehicle trips while reducing costs for users. By investing in tools like behavioural insights (designing interventions for user groups to performing a bias-audit on operations) and advanced analytics, we aim to ensure that every shared mobility project contributes to a broader vision of sustainability and accessibility.
Long-term feasibility also requires collaboration. We engage policymakers, community leaders, and private operators to ensure all stakeholders have a seat at the table. Together, we create strategies that prioritize not only financial success but also social and environmental outcomes. In this way, movmi helps shape shared mobility ecosystems built to last.
3. Advancing Policy, Planning, and Operations Integration
One of movmi’s greatest strengths lies in connecting the dots between policy, planning, and operations—a synergy that is essential for creating efficient, user-friendly shared mobility systems. Often, these elements are siloed, leading to disjointed initiatives that fail to achieve their full potential. Our approach ensures that all three are harmonized, creating seamless systems that work for users, operators, and governments alike.
For example, neighbourhood mobility stations or mobility hubs are promising solutions to multimodal integration, but their success depends on aligning infrastructure, operational models, and user behaviour. movmi specializes in helping cities identify the right locations, service designs, and capacity planning to maximize the potential of these hubs. We also advocate for policies that support shared mobility by reducing barriers, such as zoning restrictions or outdated parking requirements, and promoting incentives for shared, rather than private, transportation options.
Behavioural insights are another key component of our approach. By understanding how people make transportation choices, we help cities and operators design services that are intuitive and compelling. This could mean ensuring that carsharing services are easily accessible in residential neighbourhoods or integrating micromobility options into existing public transit systems to create seamless first- and last-mile connections.
As we look to 2025 and beyond, I am optimistic about what lies ahead. The challenges we face in electrification, feasibility, and integration are significant, but they are not insurmountable. With thoughtful planning, collaboration, and a commitment to innovation, we can overcome these barriers and unlock the full potential of shared mobility.
movmi’s role is clear: to provide the expertise, vision and empowerment needed to make shared mobility not just an alternative, but the preferred choice for cities and communities worldwide. Together with our partners, and clients we can create a transportation future that is equitable, sustainable, and efficient.
Thank you for being part of this journey with movmi. Let’s move forward, together.
Warm regards,
Venkatesh Gopal
CEO, movmi