5 things to keep in mind when choosing your vehicle-sharing fleet for the 2023 season
March 20, 2023
min. read
Whether you're an experienced mobility veteran or a first-time entrepreneur, there are several things you need to keep in mind when choosing or upgrading your fleet for the 2023 season – be it cars, ebikes, or scooters.
In 2023, we'll see cities and countries implement stricter mobility management regulations and new safety requirements. Customer expectations will continue to grow in tandem with rising competition. And technological advancements will push the electric mobility industry to new heights.
To stay competitive and meet customer demand in terms of both quality and quantity, it's crucial to not only choose the right fleet for your business, but also carefully manage the related decisions that come with such an order. This will help you avoid running into unwelcome surprises both in the short- and long-term.
Here are the aspects to keep in mind when choosing your fleet this year:
1. Shipping prices are lower than last year
Following a hectic 2022 for logistics, 2023 brings good news for businesses – shipping prices have come down significantly and supply chains are finally starting to show some stability.
Recent research indicates that there has been a significant decline in freight rates, reducing shipping costs by up to 50% compared to last year's peaks. The falling cost of shipping provides mobility businesses with the opportunity to make better use of their resources and can even make a significant difference in business viability.
That said, it's difficult to accurately predict the trajectory of shipping prices going forward. Previous years have been characterized by perpetual instability and there is a possibility that costs may rise again due to global events. Hence, shipping expenses should be top-of-mind when considering ordering new vehicles, particularly from overseas.
2. Choosing vehicles: you get what you pay for
It may be a smart idea to reinvest the savings from falling shipping costs into the vehicles themselves. While cheaper brands might look appealing, bear in mind that they typically require more maintenance than their more expensive counterparts.
Accordingly, a larger upfront investment into more durable and reputable vehicles may pay off in the long run, as you benefit from reduced need for maintenance and the labor that comes with it. Better durability also means a longer vehicle lifespan.
For example, some of the largest shared e-mobility operators purchase their fleet from OKAI, which vehicles are known for their durability and can be ordered from the company's warehousing facilities in Europe. Segway and Feishen are two other Chinese manufacturers that also provide stock from their European warehouses. If you prefer EU-manufactured vehicles, you may want to consider the Estonian scooter manufacturer Äike.
Cheaper models may still be a fantastic option for first-time mobility entrepreneurs aiming to validate their business idea. However, anyone in it for the long haul should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of large investments in lower-end models.
That said, if buying a brand-new fleet is too costly for your business, consider used vehicles that were previously owned by other operators in the EU. It can be a more cost-efficient alternative for operators just starting out. Check out our vehicle marketplace, reach out to us, and we'll help you put your fleet together.
3. Regulations will change and your fleet must adapt
The micromobility industry has long been loosely regulated, but now this is quickly changing. This year, we can expect new and stricter requirements, especially when it comes to kick scooters. And you must be ready to adapt your fleet to meet these emerging requirements.
In other words, along with swappable batteries and a durable design, things like scooter modularity and adaptability will become more important than ever before. These features are crucial not only for integrating new technologies as they emerge, but also in their ability to comply with newly introduced regulations.
For instance, the growing movement to make helmets a requirement with kick scooters should lead you to consider models that either have these locks, or can be retrofitted to add them. Otherwise, you may find yourself with an unusable fleet.
4. Invest in spare parts ahead of time
Researching and purchasing extra batteries and recommended spare parts beforehand can help reduce downtime and ensure that your fleet is always ready to perform at maximum efficiency. “Getting at least a 50% share of spare batteries along with the initial order is a good idea,” suggests Dominik Graaf, advisor at FEISHEN New Mobility.
Dominik also highlights that, when it comes to spare parts, it's better to stock up on extra ones, than to find yourself with an incapacitated fleet for months as you wait for critical parts to be shipped. The best way to determine which and how many parts you need is to ask your manufacturer of choice.
Manufacturers typically have comprehensive metrics about the performance of their own products – they know the weak points, they know the lifespan, and they know the most common issues. Accordingly, they're uniquely positioned to make good recommendations about spare parts and often offer pre-made packages along with the initial order. You can expect the cost for spares to be around 2-5% of the value of the scooter.
5. Understand the associated costs of importing vehicles
If you've been researching manufacturers and their prices, you'll probably have reached the conclusion that it's cheaper to order from overseas than buy locally. There are significant price differences between, for example, buying scooters in the EU vs Asia, even when purchasing from the same manufacturer.
But the price of the vehicle is only half the story.
According to Dominik Graaf, the reason for the price difference is import-associated costs – when ordering from Asia, you will have to bear all the costs for shipping, customs, and delivery. Not to mention the hassle of managing the entire process. Whereas when you buy from a European warehouse, the bulk of these costs have already been paid by the manufacturer and are accordingly priced into the scooter or other vehicle.
Once this is accounted for, the price difference falls sharply.
Moreover, buying in Europe confers various other advantages, the most important being dramatically shorter lead times, reducing the time until you see the first scooters from months to weeks. Additionally, it gives you a local contact point, as well as simplifies accounting and other managerial processes.
Do note that, at the end of the day, it may still prove cheaper to buy from overseas. However, unless you've got the experience and tenacity to deal with international shipping and its related headaches, we recommend starting as locally as possible.
Bring it on, 2023
To summarize – we're at a unique time when falling costs offer more businesses the option to consider longer-term investments. Be it more durable scooters or well-stocked backup parts, now is a good time to be forward-thinking.
With the right fleet and the right mobility platform and software, your business will be well-positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the 2023 season.
If you're looking to purchase vehicles for your mobility-sharing business, start with exploring ATOM Mobility's vehicle marketplace.
Need help or advise on business, software, or vehicles? Let's talk!
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Digitizing your vehicle rental business: Best apps & software for small operators
🚗📲 Whether you're renting out cars, bikes or scooters, the best rental businesses in 2025 are fully digital. No more paper contracts or office keys – just tap, unlock, and go. In our latest article, we explore top apps (like Donkey Republic, MOBY Bikes and Forest) that show what a modern rental experience looks like. Plus, we explain where a full platform like ATOM Mobility fits in when you're ready to scale.
January 28, 2026
min. read
Running a rental or sharing business today means delivering a smooth, digital-first experience. Whether you rent cars, bikes, scooters or other vehicles – users expect to book online, pay, verify identity if needed, unlock a vehicle, and ride or drive without extra friction.
To make that happen reliably, you need good vehicle rental software or platform backing your service. Below are some successful examples of apps and platforms that show how this works and what is possible.
Donkey Republic
Operates in several European cities offering shared bikes and e‑bikes. Users find a bike in the app, unlock it with a smartphone, ride, then park at a designated drop‑off spot and end the rental. Pay‑as‑you‑go, daily rates or memberships are all handled via the app.
MOBY Bikes
Targets electric bicycles and e‑cargo bikes across certain regions, with a “tap‑and‑ride” system that uses its proprietary app for booking, unlocking, and rental management. The platform supports mixed-use fleets (shared bikes, cargo bikes, delivery fleet, even B2B rentals), which illustrates flexibility – useful for operators exploring different business models beyond simple consumer rentals.
Forest
It is a dockless e‑bike sharing operator in London. It runs a large fleet and offers bike‑sharing through a mobile app. The service demonstrates how a relatively simple, dockless rental model can scale at urban level using app‑based rentals, unlocking, and flexible parking.
These examples show how micromobility‑focused services already rely on booking, payment, unlocking and fleet management tech – the same core capabilities needed by any modern vehicle rental business.
What makes these apps work – and what to borrow from them
From these operators you can observe several useful traits that a good rental/sharing software should provide:
- Seamless user journey: crate account in seconds → search → book → unlock → ride/drive → return. Users don’t need paper contracts or to meet staff to get a vehicle.
- Flexible pricing & rental models: per-minute, hourly, daily, subscription, memberships – enables both occasional users and frequent commuters.
- Smart access control and vehicle tracking: unlocking via app or smart lock, GPS tracking, drop‑off in defined zones or docking stations, helps maintain order, reduce theft, and support dockless models.
- Support for different vehicle types: from bikes to e‑bikes and cargo bikes – showing that underlying software can be agnostic to vehicle type, useful if you plan a mixed fleet.
- Scalable fleet operations and maintenance: availability updates, booking history, maintenance logs, geofencing or parking zones – these help manage many vehicles across zones without chaos.
These are exactly the kinds of features you need when you move from small‑scale operation to proper fleet business.
Why to choose ATOM Mobility
If you plan to just test the market or to operate a larger and more complex fleet - multiple vehicle types, multiple cities, or advanced operational requirements - a full-stack platform like ATOM Mobility becomes essential.
ATOM Mobility is designed for operators who need full control over the entire mobility operation: booking flows, unlocking logic, payments, KYC/ID verification, backend administration, fleet analytics, dynamic pricing, and multi-modal rentals across cars, scooters, bikes, and more.
The platform provides a unified backend that supports cars, scooters, e-bikes, mopeds, and additional vehicle types within a single system. Operators can manage bookings, payments, users, smart locks or connected vehicles, fleet health, and city-level scaling without fragmenting their tech stack as the business grows.
This approach offers far greater flexibility than single-vehicle or bike-only solutions and removes the need to migrate systems when expanding into new vehicle categories or markets. Check out the full service here.
How to choose: when to use franchising vs full platform
Join a franchising when you:
- prefer operating under an established brand
- value a clear operational playbook and central support
- want simpler marketing thanks to brand recognition
- are comfortable with limited control over technology and product decisions
- accept franchise fees or revenue sharing in exchange for convenience
- don’t need heavy customization or experimentation
Use a full platform (like ATOM Mobility) when you:
- aim to manage a larger, mixed fleet (cars, scooters, bikes, e-bikes)
- need full backend control (admin, analytics, pricing, reporting)
- require payments, KYC/ID verification, and automation built in
- want freedom to customize booking flows, pricing, and partnerships
- plan to scale across cities or add new vehicle types over time
- prioritise brand ownership and customer relationship control
- want no revenue sharing or franchise fees
There isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all solution
For simple bike or e-bike fleets, the technology barrier is already low. Joining a franchise can be a fast way to get operations running with minimal setup.
However, operators with long-term ambitions - expanding into multiple vehicle types, scaling across locations, or maintaining consistent service quality - typically outgrow narrow tools. In those cases, a full-stack platform like ATOM Mobility offers the flexibility and control needed to support growth without rebuilding the tech foundation later.
Some operators start small and migrate as complexity increases. Others choose to build on a full platform from day one to avoid future transitions. The right choice depends on how clearly you define your growth path, desired level of control, and operational complexity from the start.
Blog
How AI is already powering shared mobility: Real-world use cases from ATOM Mobility
📱AI in shared mobility isn’t a future trend – it’s already here, and for good. From detecting car damage to forecasting demand and verifying parking in real time, operators are using AI to reduce manual work and run more efficient fleets. In this new article, we break down 3 real use cases already live on the ATOM Mobility platform: 👁️ Vision AI, 🔍 Precision AI, 📊 Prediction AI. See how AI is changing shared mobility, and how you can start using it now.
January 21, 2026
min. read
Artificial intelligence is no longer just a trend in mobility. For modern vehicle sharing and rental services, AI is already solving real operational problems and unlocking new ways to grow. At ATOM Mobility, several AI-powered features have already been implemented into live products and tested by operators across Europe.
This article shares three real-world AI use cases that are already helping operators reduce manual work, improve asset control, and better match vehicle availability to demand.
1. Vision AI: Camera-based parking control for micromobility
Micromobility parking continues to be a challenge in cities where dockless vehicles can end up blocking sidewalks, crossings or entrances. Manual checks are costly and often too slow to solve the problem in real time.
ATOM Mobility now uses computer vision to solve this. With Vision AI, riders take a photo when ending their ride. The system analyses the image using a neural network to understand if the vehicle is parked correctly – within a designated zone and without creating obstructions. If not, the app notifies the user and prevents trip completion until the parking is corrected.Each parking photo is automatically tagged as “Good parking”, “Improvable parking” (the user receives guidance on how to improve the parking), or “Bad parking” (the user is asked to re-park).
If the user fails to submit a “Good parking” photo after several attempts, the system will accept the photo with its current tag (“Improvable” or “Bad parking”) and flag it in the dashboard for further customer support review.
This solution has been live with many operators already. It helps reduce complaints, improve compliance with city regulations, and lowers the need for manual reviews.
2. Precision AI: Detecting car rental damages with cameras and machine learning
In traditional car rental, damage inspection is slow, manual, and often inconsistent. With self-service rentals becoming more popular, operators need a smarter and faster way to verify a vehicle’s condition between trips.
ATOM Mobility has integrated AI-powered damage detection using computer vision. Customers scan the vehicle at pick-up and drop-off. The app compares images and flags scratches, dents, or other visible damage with high accuracy. This allows operators to quickly assess responsibility and reduce disputes.
The system helps protect the fleet, lowers repair costs, and adds trust for both users and operators. It’s especially useful for car sharing and self-service rental models where physical handovers are skipped.
3. Prediction AI: Forecasting demand and automating vehicle relocation
One of the biggest cost factors in shared mobility is rebalancing the fleet. If scooters or cars are idle in the wrong location, revenue is lost. At the same time, relocating vehicles manually is expensive and not always efficient.
ATOM’s AI models use historical trip data, usage trends and contextual signals (such as day of the week or weather) to forecast demand and suggest the best relocation zones. This gives operators a map of where and when to move vehicles – improving utilisation and saving time.
The system can even be combined with automated relocation logic, where users are incentivised to park in high-demand areas. This shifts part of the rebalancing cost from operators to riders and keeps the fleet productive.
Why this matters now
AI tools are finally reaching the stage where they can operate reliably, even in complex environments like cities. These examples are not abstract ideas or lab tests. They’re active features helping ourcustomers run leaner, smarter fleets today.
For micromobility operators, Vision AI reduces complaints and ensures regulatory compliance. For car rental providers, Precision AI saves hours of staff time and improves trust. And for both, Prediction AI improves margins by making sure vehicles are where users need them.
What’s up next?
These are just the first steps. AI in mobility will continue to expand with smarter pricing engines, voice-based support, predictive maintenance, and more. But the examples above already prove that even small AI integrations can bring major improvements.
At ATOM Mobility, we continue building these tools directly into our platform so that operators don’t need to develop them in-house. If you want to see how these AI-powered features work in action, get in touch with our team.
AI in shared mobility is not about replacing people. It’s about giving operators better tools to run faster, smarter, and more efficient services.
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