In congested urban areas, people use the subway to save even a minute. However, when transfers are required at subway stations, individuals are no longer fixated on line buses for their transfers. Instead, they increasingly rely on electric scooters or shared bicycles to connect to their final destinations. The concept of mobility is shifting from public transport to personal shared mobility options like e-scooters or shared bicycles.
Beam Mobility’s electric scooters are at the forefront of this trend. Beam Mobility is the fastest-growing shared mobility company in the Asia-Pacific region, currently operating electric scooter services across 45 regions in the country, including the metropolitan area.
There is a growing trend in the usage of Beam Mobility electric scooters. According to Beam Mobility, the usage of electric scooters surged by 67% in 2023 compared to 2022. In 2022, growth was a mere 6.8% compared to the previous year, signifying a more than 10-fold increase. The distance traveled on electric scooters increased by 60% in 2023 compared to 2022. Late at night or early in the morning, when bus services have ended, the usage of Beam Mobility electric scooters recorded 550 million rides throughout 2023. Now, most public transport users are no longer constrained by bus schedules; they opt for shared mobility options like electric scooters instead.
Following the rise of electric scooters, shared bicycles are also witnessing an upward trend in usage. The most aggressively advancing company is SOCAR, which operates the ‘Elecle’ brand. SOCAR began investing in the electric bicycle sharing company Elecle in March 2019 and launched the bike-sharing service in Seoul in April. In December 2021, SOCAR acquired Elecle, marking the official start of service in the electric bicycle sharing sector. Additionally, in September 2022, they launched Elecle 3.0, which features a 40% increase in battery capacity.
Currently, Elecle services operate in 30 areas nationwide, including Seoul, Incheon, Sejong, and Jeju. The average usage time for participants is 10 minutes, and the average travel distance is 2.5 km. Elecle takes responsibility for the beginning and end of daily commutes. Embedded into everyday life, Elecle accounts for 61% of users in their teens to twenties, establishing itself as a new mobility medium for the younger generation. Furthermore, it holds a 30% market share among those in their thirties and forties, showing the integration of shared bicycles into the daily lives of busy professionals.
The flow of daily mobility is shifting from conventional public transportation to personal shared mobility solutions. It seems we will witness significant changes in the landscapes of the roads we tread daily.
By Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr