The two-wheeled commute: Micromobility and your future - The McKinsey Podcast Recap

Podcast: The McKinsey Podcast

Published: 2022-09-08

Duration: 1624

Guests: Kersten Heineke, Tessa West

What Happened

Kersten Heineke, a partner at McKinsey, notes the growing global market for micromobility, including e-scooters, bikes, and micro cars. He highlights the dramatic increase in bike usage in cities like Frankfurt, particularly after COVID-19, which led to changes such as repurposing car parking spaces for bikes.

Heineke explains that micromobility is the only mode of transportation that has seen increased usage post-COVID, in contrast to public transit and ride-sharing services. This shift is attributed to cities investing in better infrastructure, such as bike lanes, making it safer and more convenient for residents.

Different micromobility vehicles serve varied purposes, from commuting and leisure to last-mile delivery. Heineke mentions specialized vehicles designed for logistics, such as four-wheeled bikes with large storage compartments for package delivery, indicating a trend towards accommodating diverse transportation needs.

Geographically, micromobility adoption varies, with Europe and Asia leading in usage due to existing bicycle culture and infrastructure. In contrast, the U.S. lags due to larger travel distances and less developed infrastructure for safe micromobility.

Infrastructure changes, such as wider and more systematic bike lanes, are crucial for further adoption of micromobility. Heineke emphasizes the need for cities to replace car lanes with bike lanes and create designated parking areas for micromobility vehicles to maintain order and safety.

Safety remains a concern, with e-bikes reported as having the highest accident rates. Demographically, micromobility users tend to be younger and predominantly male, though there's notable usage among young families and a potential for wider adoption.

Heineke predicts that micromobility will continue to grow, driven by trends like subscription models and a portfolio of vehicles for different use cases. He envisions a future where cities transform space currently allocated for cars into areas supporting micromobility and other urban needs.

Lucia Rahilly concludes the episode with insights from Tessa West, an associate professor of psychology at NYU, discussing how toxic co-workers can impact workplace dynamics. West emphasizes the importance of forming alliances at work to handle difficult colleagues and reflects on misconceptions about 'jerks at work'.

Key Insights

• The micromobility market is expanding globally, with notable growth in segments like e-scooters and micro cars. Kersten Heineke points out that this growth is visible in cities like Frankfurt, where increased bike usage has led to changes such as repurposing car parking spaces for bikes.
• Post-COVID, micromobility is the only transportation mode with increased usage, unlike public transit and ride-sharing services. Investments in infrastructure, like improved bike lanes, have made micromobility safer and more convenient, particularly in European cities.
• Micromobility serves diverse purposes beyond commuting, including leisure and last-mile delivery. Heineke highlights the development of vehicles designed for logistics, such as bikes with large storage for package delivery, showing the trend towards varied transportation needs.
• Safety remains a concern with micromobility, particularly with e-bikes having the highest accident rates. The user demographic skews younger and male, though there's significant use among young families, indicating potential for broader adoption.