E-scooters are here to stay – first global study maps the state of shared micromobility

Researchers at Aalto University and the University of Antwerp have, for the first time, mapped the state of shared micromobility globally. The study shows that shared e‑scooters, city bikes and other small vehicles have evolved from niche experiments into a standard part of urban transport worldwide. 

‘Micromobility is no longer a side show in a few trend setting cities – it is becoming embedded into urban mobility systems globally,’ says Miloš N. Mladenović, professor of transportation engineering at Aalto University. ‘This is shown in the growing variety of different vehicles, service operators, as well as service details, such as parking types and pricing schemes.’

The research reveals that shared micromobility services are widely available in urban areas in 52 countries, ranging from Europe to North and South America – with data also from e.g. Japan, Saudi-Arabia and New Zealand.

The study also finds that globally, shared micromobility is diversifying both in technology and in business models. Alongside bicycles and e‑scooters, shared cargo bikes and e‑mopeds are increasingly entering the market, widening the range of everyday use cases and helping to move beyond purely leisure or last‑mile trips. Operators range from small, city‑specific firms to national services linked to rail companies and large multinational players backed by venture capital.

‘In the Nordic context, Finland resembles Sweden and Norway in that e‑scooters  dominate the shared micromobility offering, while Denmark relies more on bike‑sharing,’ says doctoral researcher Merja Kajava from Aalto University. 

From free‑floating scooters to virtual parking zones

Parking is one of the most visible and contentious aspects of shared micromobility in cities, but researchers have good news.

‘Free‑floating systems, where vehicles can be left almost anywhere, have been widely criticised, as scooters block pavements and entrances. The new study shows that free‑floating parking remains the most common model globally, but its dominance is slowly eroding,’ Mladenović says.

According to the study, currently 38 per cent of micromobility systems globally operate with free‑floating vehicles, while 30 per cent use ’virtual stations’ – GPS‑defined parking spots that require vehicles to be parked in designated locations, but do not rely on physical docks.

‘Designated drop zones are a far more effective way to manage micromobility parking than free-floating systems, and our research shows that virtual stations are becoming increasingly common, especially in large European cities,’ Kajava says. 

In the Nordics, Norway has been leading the way in adopting virtual stations, with many cities introducing strict parking regulations for e-scooters and bikes. Some 59 per cent of Norwegian micromobility systems use virtual stations, compared with close to 50 per cent in Finland and Sweden.

Reshaping Finnish city streets for cycling and walking

The rise of shared bikes, e-scooters and cargo bikes offers Finnish cities a real opportunity to redesign streets to support everyday cycling and walking, not just car traffic, Mladenović argues. 

‘This is especially relevant for Finland, where many streets are already due for major renovation. Micromobility is particularly well suited to short trips and for connecting to public transport, and it can help us cut emissions while improving quality of life,’ he says.

The researchers note that micromobility is now in an evolutionary phase, with growing technological and operational diversity. They argue that public authorities should take an active role in shaping this development, rather than treating micromobility as a passing trend. That includes setting clear rules for parking and safety, requiring operators to share data in open standard formats, and integrating micromobility into long‑term transport and street‑design strategies.

‘As micromobility is here to stay, municipalities can no longer afford to wait and see,’ Mladenović says. ‘If Finnish cities and national authorities work together to steer this development, shared micromobility can become a powerful tool for creating cleaner, safer and more livable cities.’

Work still to be done on Finnish micromobility legislation

In 2025, Finland introduced legislation allowing municipalities to use a micromobility license to guide the deployment of shared services. The researchers welcomed this development, noting that several cities have already taken relevant action. However, many practical details still need to be worked out. 

‘We need unified basic requirements on issues such as parking and speed limits,’ Mladenović says. ‘In addition, the impacts of the micromobility license should be properly evaluated. Our previous study in 2024 found positive effects on traffic safety following e-scooter restrictions in Helsinki. A similar assessment should be carried out this year, now that the new legislation is in place’.

Read more: 

Exploring diversity of shared micromobility market: A comparison across 52 countries