Smart data-harnessing for financial value in short-term hire electric car schemes

In the developed world, two distinct trends are emerging to shake-up the current dominance of privately-owned, combustion motor car transport. The first is the emergence of the electric powertrain for vehicles as an affordable and massmarketed means of transport. This carries with it the potential to address many of the immediate shortcomings of the current paradigm, especially CO2 emissions, air and noise pollution. The second is the rise of new hire models of car ownership - the concept of paying for the use of a car as and when you need it. This carries with it the potential to address many of the existing issues: outlay-induced car use, residential parking and social division. On a similar timescale, we are witnessing the rise of smart technologies and smart cities, concepts that use data about the state of a system or elements of it to create value. There have been relatively few examples of schemes that have combined the electric and hire-model concepts, despite the huge potential for synergy. Indeed, the majority is against them on both counts -- cars are predominantly privately-owned and driven by internal combustion engines. Nevertheless, there is significant potential for this to change over the coming years

Electric Vehicle Mobility-as-a-Service: Exploring the “Tri-Opt” of Novel Private Transport Business Models

Three distinct trends have emerged that have disrupted the dominance of privately- owned, combustion-powered car transport in the UK. First, the electric powertrain has emerged as an affordable means of transport; the second is the development of new hire models of car ownership: third, the growth of `smart city thinking' emphasises capitalising on increased connectivity and data availability to create value. We define the combination of these three trends as the 'tri-opt' of private transport -- three disruptors that should not be considered in isolation but as interacting -- an inflection of the`Energy Trilemma'."br/"In this paper, we apply systems thinking and a mixed methodology of workshops, interviews and systems modelling to the UK city of Bristol's Smart EV Transport Hub project to identify concepts that positively combine two or more of these three `Opts'. We demonstrate that there are many synergistic overlaps and that combinations potentially create significant value. Our data highlights that of the greatest value are those use cases that the current literature base has explored the least, and can be characterised as requiring significant public and private sector collaboration. Document type: Articl

Smart Mobility Cities: Connecting Bristol and Kuala Lumpur project report

Financed by the British Council Institutional Links program this Smart Mobility Cities project has opened a fascinating window on a journey of discovery linking Bristol and Kuala Lumpur. This journey was in part directed towards the realisation of Smart Mobility solutions to the socio-economic and environmental challenges of global urbanisation. Beyond this, the journey was also concerned to strengthen research and innovation partnerships between the UK and the emerging knowledge economy of Malaysia, enabling UK social scientists to collaborate on challenging global issues with international researchers and vice versa. This Smart Mobility Cities project report presents innovative, creative and yet fully practical solutions for these societal challenges. Solutions that explore a range of opportunities, whichinclude those arising from new urban governance requirements, and which are in-line with visions for sustainable urban mobility.These Smart Mobility solutions have arisen from intensive co-design and co-creation engagement with a diversity of stakeholders. Research co-production has linked the principal university partners of the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, and Taylor’sUniversity, Kuala Lumpur, together with the Malaysia Institute of Transport (MITRANS), Universiti Teknologi Mara, and the University Sains Malaysia (USM) in intensive engagement with stakeholder interests in both UK and Malaysia over a two-year period

Governance of UK Transport Infrastructures

First paragraph: Transport plays a vital role in every day life. The efficient movement of people and goods is an essential part of a productive economy as well as being important for social cohesion, health and well-being. Investment or policy intervention in the transport system is, therefore, in support of these other wider objectives or to tackle externalities such as climate change or congestion. The institutional structures underpinning transport have, however, developed around modes and networks and around the industries of transport. The arrangements vary significantly between modes and, increasingly, across areas. There is a multitude of governance networks rather than a single overarching ‘governance of the transport system’. This makes it difficult to achieve integrated outcomes

SEEV4-City Policy Recommendations and Roadmap: Recommendations towards integration of transport, urban planning and energy

This report, led by Northumbria University and POLIS, provides a final analysis by project partners regarding policy recommendations and a roadmap based on the culmination of experiences, learnings and additional research within the Interreg NSR SEEV4-City project. It is part of a collection of reports published by the project covering a variation of specific and cross-cutting analysis and evaluation perspectives and spans 6 operational pilots. This report is dedicated to policies relating to the integration of transport, urban planning and energy

What shapes smart mobility? A comparison of smart mobility governance in Seattle, Greater Manchester and Stockholm

This thesis compares how smart mobility services have been shaped and steered in Seattle, Greater Manchester, and Stockholm, and explores how smart mobility providers can be held accountable for contributing to meeting local sustainable transport objectives. The research draws from and contributes to literature on governance, innovation, and smart mobility. The data used for this research was collected through semi-structured interviews with policymakers and other stakeholders involved in shaping smart mobility services in the three cities. Seattle has taken strong regulatory action to steer services, Greater Manchester has favoured a mix of regulation and collaboration with smart mobility providers, and Stockholm has adopted a hands-off position unless there is a need to address market failures. The comparative approach taken in this research provides new insights into the key elements shaping the interaction between governance context and smart mobility adoption. Smart mobility services are shaped by pre-existing governance arrangements in each city. They are also shaped by the corporate strategies of smart mobility providers, which are often developed at the international level but determine how services evolve locally. Direct steering in the form of experimentation, local strategies, policies, and regulations also plays an important role in shaping services in each city. This research argues that cities need to develop strong partnerships and reciprocal relationships with smart mobility providers in order to gain more leverage in steering services and delivering public value. However, the three case studies show that, for now, smart mobility provides unspectacular benefits and presents various risks, which need to be understood and managed. The concluding discussion stresses the need to think critically about the role of smart mobility services as part of the broader transport system, particularly in relation to rapid decarbonisation

Cities and the New Climate Economy: the transformative role of global urban growth

Urbanisation is one of the most important drivers of productivity and growth in the global economy. Between 2014 and 2050, the urban population is projected to increase by around 2.5 billion people, reaching 66% of the global population. By 2030, China’s cities alone will be home to nearly 1 billion people. India, Nigeria and Indonesia will also experience rapid population growth. If managed well, the potential benefits of this urban growth are substantial. The economic potential is driven by raised productivity resulting from the concentration of people and economic activities in cities that leads to a vibrant market and fertile environment for innovation in ideas, technologies and processes. Similarly, well-managed cities in high income countries could continue to concentrate national economic growth, through re-densification and the roll out of innovative infrastructure and technologies