Synergies between app-based car-related shared mobility services for the development of more profitable business models

Purpose: Emerging shared mobility services are an opportunity for cities to reduce the number of car single trips to both improve traffic congestion and the environment. Users of shared mobility services, such as carsharing, ridesharing and singular and shared ride-hailing services, often need to be customers of more than one service to cover all their transport needs, since few mobility providers offer more than one of these services from a single platform. On the other hand, providers offering these services separately do not optimize costly resources and activities, such as the vehicles or the technology. Hence, the aim of this paper is to find synergies between the different app-based car-related shared mobility services that foster the development of new business models, to increase the profitability of these services. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is built on the literature of car-related shared mobility services business models, supported by the review of certain outstanding services websites, and face-to-face interviews with users and drivers of these transport services. The analysis is presented by means of the Business Model Canvas methodology. Findings: Based on the synergies found, this paper suggests a few different approaches for services to share some resources and activities. Originality/value: This study identifies the common features of carsharing, ridesharing and singular and shared ride-hailing services to develop more profitable business models, based on providing the services in aggregated form, or outsourcing activities and resources. In addition, the implications of these proposals are discussed as advantages and drawbacks from a business perspectivePeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Main design factors for shared ride-hailing services from a user perspective

Shared ride-hailing transportation is discreetly emerging in cities all over the world with the purpose of decongesting cities, offering a similar comfort and convenience of the private car, and this way, filling the gap between the cities’ bus services and the regular taxi services. Hence, the aim of this research is to detect the main factors that should be taken into account for the service design of shared ride- hailing transportation, as well as to compare this mean of transport with the bus and taxi services. The research was conducted through, first, an analysis of shared ride-hailing services business model. Then, a quantitative research was conducted to users of a small-scale one-week pilot in Barcelona. The results show that factors related to price and travel times are more important from a user perspective than the ones related to comfort, such as the walking distance to the pickup point or the comfort provided by the vehicle. Furthermore, results indicate the intended use of participants of a potential future shared ride-hailing service in different use casesPostprint (author's final draft

Analysis of mobility patterns and intended use of shared mobility services in the Barcelona region

Social and economic trends have strongly changed in the last years due to the economic crisis and the evolution of technology. These factors have influenced a sharing revolution, also in the mobility sector motivated for the increasing urbanisation and environmental consciousness. The paper focuses on the intended use of shared mobility services by citizens of the metropolitan Barcelona region, relying on a quantitative analysis of their mobility patterns, behaviours, needs and expectations. Six hundred surveys with commuting travellers were conducted in order to identify the differences among customers regarding different factors, such as their age, daily trips or personal incomes. Results show clear different patterns depending on whether commuting trips are within or out of the city and a greater intended use of ridesharing, carsharing and ride-hailing services of the youngest population. Besides, data indicates that travellers do not have preferences for a single mean of transport but for the service that best meets their needs in each occasion.Postprint (published version

80C537 Microcontroller remote lab for e-learning teaching

A remote microcontroller lab based on an 80C537 mock-up is presented. This paper presents a new way to interact with these kinds of systems via the Internet, giving the possibility for complete interaction. The Citrix Application Server is the platform which manages the debugging microcontroller software, and National Instruments LabVIEW 8 is used to develop the applications which allow the interaction between the system and the remote user. By means of LabVIEW web server, full remote interaction has been achieved. Our results suggest a new way to practise in laboratories without being present, yet retaining the feel of an actual laboratory environment.Postprint (published version

Analysis of business opportunities for car-related shared mobility services

Tesi en modaitat "Doctorat Industrial"The confluence of digital technology and connectivity has led, in several sectors, to the rise of application-based shared economy activities. In particular, in the mobility sector, there has been an increase in on-demand shared transport initiatives. These new business models are transforming the urban mobility sector from a limited choice of transport services to a scenario full of new players offering different types of demand responsive mobility services. This change in urban mobility also has an impact on the automotive industry, where manufacturers such as SEAT not only see the opportunity for their cars to be used by these new services, but begin as well to see themselves as potential providers of mobility services. Even so, for the time being, the most popular and widespread shared mobility services remain unprofitable. For this reason, the thesis analyses the business models of the new shared mobility services, with the aim of proposing improvements to increase their profitability. It also identifies the different uses that can be given to them and the factors to be taken into account in the design and implementation process. The methodology used for this research is the study of cases, which have been conducted through surveys and interviews. The research begins with the study of the current and future mobility ecosystem and the behaviour of the automobile industry in this context. Next, the following five case studies are developed. The first analyses the business models of shared mobility services provided by cars –i.e. carsharing, ridesharing, and ride-hailing services– to find out synergies between them for proposing a combined business model. The second aims to study the mobility patterns of citizens and their intention to use shared mobility services. The third and fourth case studies focus on the identification of design factors and use cases of on-demand shared ride-hailing services. This part of the research looks at these services given their potential when cars are autonomous, and the opportunities that the software they use represents for public transport, with buses that could become demand responsive transport services. Finally, the fifth case study analyses the mobility ecosystem from the perspective of local governments and providers of technology and insurance, studies the feasibility of the combination of uses in shared mobility services, and detects the barriers faced by these new business models.La confluència de la tecnologia digital i la connectivitat ha motivat, en diversos sectors, l'auge de les activitats d'economia compartida basades en aplicacions. Concretament, en el sector de la mobilitat s'ha experimentat un creixement de les iniciatives de transport compartit a demanda. Aquests nous models de negoci estan transformant el sector de la mobilitat urbana, que passa de tenir una oferta limitada de serveis de transport a un escenari ple de nous actors que ofereixen diferents serveis de mobilitat a la carta. Aquest canvi en la mobilitat urbana també impacta en la indústria de l'automòbil, on fabricants com SEAT no només veuen l'oportunitat que els seus cotxes siguin utilitzats per aquests nous serveis, sinó que a més a més es comencen a veure com a possibles proveïdors de serveis de mobilitat. Tot i això, de moment, els serveis de mobilitat compartida més populars i estesos continuen sense ser rendibles. Per aquesta raó, la tesi portada a terme analitza els models de negoci dels nous serveis de mobilitat compartida, amb l’objectiu de proposar millores que permetin augmentar la seva rendibilitat. També s'identifiquen els diferents usos que se'ls hi pot donar i els factors que cal tenir en compte a l’hora de dissenyar-los i implementar-los. La metodologia utilitzada per a aquesta investigació és l'estudi de casos, els quals s'han desenvolupat a través d'enquestes i entrevistes. La recerca comença amb l'estudi de l'ecosistema de mobilitat actual i futur, i el comportament de la indústria de l'automòbil en aquest context. Tot seguit es desenvolupen cinc casos d'estudi. En el primer s'analitzen els models de negoci dels serveis de mobilitat compartida que s’ofereixen amb cotxes, es a dir, els serveis de carsharing, ridesharing i ride-hailing, amb la finalitat de trobar sinergies entre ells per a proposar un model de negoci combinat. El segon té com a objectiu estudiar els patrons de mobilitat dels ciutadans i la seva intenció en utilitzar els serveis de mobilitat compartida. El tercer i el quart cas d'estudi se centren a identificar els factors de disseny i els casos d'ús dels serveis d'on- demand shared ride-hailing. Aquesta part de la investigació es fixa en aquests serveis pel potencial que poden tenir quan els cotxes siguin autònoms, i per les oportunitats que el software que utilitzen representen per al transport públic, amb busos que podrien convertir-se en serveis de transport a demanda. Per últim, en el cinquè cas d'estudi s'analitza l’ecosistema de mobilitat des de la perspectiva dels governs locals i dels proveïdors de tecnologia i d'assegurances, s'estudia la viabilitat de la combinació d'usos en els serveis de mobilitat compartida, i es detecten quines són les barreres amb què es troben aquests nous models de negoci.La confluencia de la tecnología digital y la conectividad ha motivado, en varios sectores, el auge de las actividades de economía compartida basadas en aplicaciones. Concretamente, en el sector de la movilidad se ha experimentado un crecimiento de las iniciativas de transporte compartido a la demanda. Estos nuevos modelos de negocio están transformando el sector de la movilidad urbana, que pasa de tener una oferta limitada de servicios de transporte a un escenario lleno de nuevos actores que ofrecen diferentes servicios de movilidad a la carta. Este cambio en la movilidad urbana también impacta en la industria del automóvil, donde fabricantes como SEAT no solo ven la oportunidad que sus coches sean utilizados por estos nuevos servicios, sino que además se empiezan a ver como posibles proveedores de servicios de movilidad. Aun así, por el momento, los servicios de movilidad compartida más populares y extendidos continúan sin ser rentables. Por esta razón, la tesis llevada a cabo analiza los modelos de negocio de los nuevos servicios de movilidad compartida, con el objetivo de proponer mejoras que permitan aumentar su rentabilidad. También se identifican los diferentes usos que se les puede dar y los factores a tener en cuenta en el proceso de diseño e implementación. La metodología utilizada para esta investigación es el estudio de casos, los cuales se han desarrollado por medio de encuestas y entrevistas. La investigación empieza con el estudio del ecosistema de movilidad actual y futuro, y el comportamiento de la industria del automóvil en este contexto. Posteriormente se desarrollan cinco casos de estudio. En el primero se analizan los modelos de negocio de los servicios de movilidad compartida que se ofrecen con coches, es decir, los servicios de carsharing, ridesharing y ride-hailing, con el fin de encontrar sinergias entre ellos para proponer un modelo de negocio combinado. El segundo tiene como objetivo estudiar los patrones de movilidad de los ciudadanos y su intención al utilizar los servicios de movilidad compartida. El tercer y el cuarto caso de estudio se centran en identificar los factores de diseño y los casos de uso de los servicios de on-demand shared ride-hailing. Esta parte de la investigación se centra en estos servicios por su potencial con la llegada del coche autónomo, y por las oportunidades que el software que utilizan representan para el transporte público, con autobuses que podrían convertirse en servicios de transporte a la demanda. Por último, en el quinto caso de estudio se analiza el ecosistema de movilidad desde la perspectiva de los gobiernos locales y de los proveedores de tecnología y seguros, se estudia la viabilidad de la combinación de usos en los servicios de movilidad compartida, y se detectan cuáles son las barreras para estos nuevos modelos de negocio

Synergies between app-based car-related shared mobility services for the development of more profitable business models

Purpose: Emerging shared mobility services are an opportunity for cities to reduce the number of car single trips to both improve traffic congestion and the environment. Users of shared mobility services, such as carsharing, ridesharing and singular and shared ride-hailing services, often need to be customers of more than one service to cover all their transport needs, since few mobility providers offer more than one of these services from a single platform. On the other hand, providers offering these services separately do not optimize costly resources and activities, such as the vehicles or the technology. Hence, the aim of this paper is to find synergies between the different app-based car-related shared mobility services that foster the development of new business models, to increase the profitability of these services. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is built on the literature of car-related shared mobility services business models, supported by the review of certain outstanding services websites, and face-to-face interviews with users and drivers of these transport services. The analysis is presented by means of the Business Model Canvas methodology. Findings: Based on the synergies found, this paper suggests a few different approaches for services to share some resources and activities. Originality/value: This study identifies the common features of carsharing, ridesharing and singular and shared ride-hailing services to develop more profitable business models, based on providing the services in aggregated form, or outsourcing activities and resources. In addition, the implications of these proposals are discussed as advantages and drawbacks from a business perspectivePeer Reviewe

Main design factors for shared ride-hailing services from a user perspective

Shared ride-hailing transportation is discreetly emerging in cities all over the world with the purpose of decongesting cities, offering a similar comfort and convenience of the private car, and this way, filling the gap between the cities’ bus services and the regular taxi services. Hence, the aim of this research is to detect the main factors that should be taken into account for the service design of shared ride- hailing transportation, as well as to compare this mean of transport with the bus and taxi services. The research was conducted through, first, an analysis of shared ride-hailing services business model. Then, a quantitative research was conducted to users of a small-scale one-week pilot in Barcelona. The results show that factors related to price and travel times are more important from a user perspective than the ones related to comfort, such as the walking distance to the pickup point or the comfort provided by the vehicle. Furthermore, results indicate the intended use of participants of a potential future shared ride-hailing service in different use case

Study of commuting on-demand shared ride-hailing:first results from a case study in Barcelona

Shared ride-hailing services are discreetly emerging in cities all over the world, with the purpose of providing a transport service more flexible than the public bus and cheaper than the regular taxi. Hence, it is important to identify and include the relevant and key fa ctors of such a service to ensure its success. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of a commu ting on-demand shared ride-hailing service and determine the design factors for an appropriate ser vice from the users’ perspective. During one week, a pilot of a shared ride-hailing service to commute f rom the city centre of Barcelona to the most western district of the city was conducted. Although the s ample used in this study was modest in scale, it enabled to draw preliminary conclusions. Users valued very positively the comfort provided but they would not pay more than the double of the price of the public transport. This indicates that despite having a high number of users, such a low price could c omplicate the profitability of the service unless it was partially subsidized

Analysis of mobility patterns and intended use of shared mobility services in the Barcelona region

Social and economic trends have strongly changed in the last years due to the economic crisis and the evolution of technology. These factors have influenced a sharing revolution, also in the mobility sector motivated for the increasing urbanisation and environmental consciousness. The paper focuses on the intended use of shared mobility services by citizens of the metropolitan Barcelona region, relying on a quantitative analysis of their mobility patterns, behaviours, needs and expectations. Six hundred surveys with commuting travellers were conducted in order to identify the differences among customers regarding different factors, such as their age, daily trips or personal incomes. Results show clear different patterns depending on whether commuting trips are within or out of the city and a greater intended use of ridesharing, carsharing and ride-hailing services of the youngest population. Besides, data indicates that travellers do not have preferences for a single mean of transport but for the service that best meets their needs in each occasion

Study of commuting on-demand shared ride-hailing:first results from a case study in Barcelona

Shared ride-hailing services are discreetly emerging in cities all over the world, with the purpose of providing a transport service more flexible than the public bus and cheaper than the regular taxi. Hence, it is important to identify and include the relevant and key fa ctors of such a service to ensure its success. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of a commu ting on-demand shared ride-hailing service and determine the design factors for an appropriate ser vice from the users’ perspective. During one week, a pilot of a shared ride-hailing service to commute f rom the city centre of Barcelona to the most western district of the city was conducted. Although the s ample used in this study was modest in scale, it enabled to draw preliminary conclusions. Users valued very positively the comfort provided but they would not pay more than the double of the price of the public transport. This indicates that despite having a high number of users, such a low price could c omplicate the profitability of the service unless it was partially subsidized.Postprint (author's final draft