Multimodal Electric Urban Transportation: Trains, Buses, Cars, Scooters, and Bikes

Multi-modal electric, urban transportation is adaptable to changing needs and transport types, shareable as a service, and virtual across devices, form factors, and the cloud.  It is likely a public-private partnership, with different models that work. The focus of this report is passenger, not freight/cargo. The key to a continuous urban mobility route is the seamless connection between public transport (train, bus, shuttle) and last mile solutions (compact e-cars, velomobiles, bikes, and scooters). 

It is a significant undertaking to connect all the disparate systems (including hardware, O/S, and memberships) and operators, while addressing challenges such as time to money, revenue sharing plans, and data privacy.  Multiple technical options in use include cellular, RFID, vision detection capabilities, as well as multiple wireless charging types.

Businesses that serve this market beyond the vehicle manufacturers include traffic management systems (TMS), ticketing and payment systems, as well as cloud and big analytics.

All of these need to be integrated into a platform to enable an affordable, accessible experience for citizens and visitors.