총 4부 중 마지막 편인 이번 4부 ‘미래에 마이크로모빌리티는 어떤 모습일까?’에서는 미래에 마이크로모빌리티가 어떤 역할을 하고 새로운 기술이 등장하는 것에 따라서 솔루션들이 어떻게 개발될지 마우저 일렉트로닉스의 마크 매트릭이 대답한다.
“Autonomous Driving and AI Lead the Future Micro-Mobility Market”
Reduced energy use, reduced travel time, rapid market growth
High-performance electronic components drive the development of micromobility technology
[Editor's Note] In this final part of a four-part series, "What Will the Future of Micromobility Look Like?", Mark Mattrick of Mouser Electronics answers the question of what role micromobility will play in the future and how solutions will be developed as new technologies emerge.
[Order of contributions]
Part 1: On Micromobility
Part 2: Urban Infrastructure and Micromobility
Part 3: Personal Transportation and the Challenges for Consumers
Part 4: What will micromobility look like in the future? ■ Some larger solutions Most micromobility products used today as personal transportation are small, single-person solutions, such as electric bicycles or electric scooters, that are operated and controlled by the user. But the future could look different. A wider range of solutions that can carry more than one person or carry additional cargo are already emerging. In addition, micromobility products are starting to include autonomous functions.
◌ Electric bicycle for cargo transport
One type of bike that is growing rapidly is the e-carrying bike. This is a two-wheeled or three-wheeled bike with an extended frame in front or behind the rider, allowing for additional seating or cargo (Figure 1). According to the British Cycling Association, sales of e-carrying bikes increased by 37 percent between May 2021 and May 2022.

▲Figure 1: Electric cargo transport bicycle with loads loaded on the front (Source: David Fuentes/stock.adobe.com)
Originally developed for commercial use in the late 19th century, cargo bicycles are nothing new, but they are experiencing a renaissance thanks to drivetrain electrification.
Traditionally, the weight of cargo bikes has been a barrier to their widespread adoption. However, the availability of electric assisted bicycle drivetrains has eliminated this barrier. With electrification, many specialized cargo manufacturers, as well as traditional bicycle manufacturers, are introducing electric cargo models.
In response to this trend, cargo bicycles are growing in popularity for both commercial and personal transportation. Personal applications could allow users to transport cargo or passengers over short distances by using these bikes instead of cars or public transportation.
For commercial use, these bikes can be used for last-mile delivery. Now, companies ranging from small businesses to giant distribution companies like Amazon are using electric bikes to haul cargo, reducing carbon emissions during deliveries and increasing efficiency in densely populated areas.
◌ Microcar Electric cargo bikes are not the only solution that can replace traditional freight and multi-person transport. In the future, demand for light electric vehicles (LEVs) will increase, especially in urban areas.
In Japan, low-power compact cars called Kei cars are very popular. These cars even have internal combustion engine drivetrains. Similar electric microcars like the Renault Twizy are also successful.
Technically classified as a quadricycle, LEVs like the Renault Twizy and the new Citroen Ami are designed to be more efficient in cities by being smaller and lighter. They consume less energy to run and require less raw materials to produce. Citroen is also launching a cargo-carrying version of the Ami model for commercial last-mile deliveries.
The Ami is already a fairly minimalistic vehicle, but here it is stripped down to just the bare essentials, making this single-seat cargo hauler an agile and energy-efficient alternative to larger delivery vans.
■ Evolution of auxiliary and autonomous functions It’s difficult to predict exactly how micromobility solutions will evolve as technology advances, but a look at the automotive industry may provide some clues.
◌ Autonomous cars In addition to powertrain electrification, the automotive industry is also undergoing a major transformation in terms of vehicle intelligence, with progress continuing toward advanced assistance features and fully autonomous driving.
While bicycles may not be autonomous, commercial LEV applications such as delivery services and micro-taxi services could be, and such examples are already emerging (Figure 2).

▲Figure 2: Autonomous cargo robots are making last-mile deliveries. (Source: Julia/stock.adobe.com)
For example, Starship, an autonomous delivery robot platform, has completed more than 5 million deliveries to date. Traveling at 4 miles per hour (6.43 kilometers per hour), Starship’s tiny robots use GNSS tracking and 12 onboard camera modules to navigate urban environments, with locked chambers that open only when their location is known. Because of their low speed, electric powertrain, and intelligent perception, Starship’s robots can use the city’s spiderweb-like pavement (unlike many current delivery solutions), making up for their slow travel speed by taking more direct routes.
◌ Advances in Micromobility It is also possible to improve existing solutions such as electric bicycles, electric scooters, electric hoverboards and electric skateboards by increasing performance and safety through technological innovation.
Recognising that e-bikes and e-cargo bikes are heavier than traditional bicycles and therefore require more intelligent braking systems – especially in adverse conditions – Bosch introduced the bike anti-lock braking system (ABS) in 2018.
Designed for a variety of situations, from mountain biking to urban deliveries, the system combines wheel-speed sensors with brake modulation technology borrowed from car and motorcycle ABS to prevent front wheel lockup. If all e-bikes had ABS, Bosch says it could prevent up to 29 percent of accidents each year.
■ Conclusion Micromobility has the potential to transform existing commercial and personal transportation solutions, reducing energy use and travel times. Both the public and delivery sectors are already recognizing these benefits, and micromobility solutions have seen significant growth in recent years.
However, there are challenges that need to be addressed for micromobility to continue to expand in the future. New regulations and technological innovations will help improve safety and performance and unlock new possibilities, allowing this market to continue to advance and thrive.
We are already seeing this shift. High-performance electronic components are enabling autonomous delivery robots and improving the safety systems of electric bicycles. This trend will continue. Powerful innovations such as AI will bring even more opportunities to the already powerful micromobility market.
※ About the contributor
Mark Patrick is part of Mouser’s EMEA team and joined Mouser Electronics in July 2014. Prior to that, he held a senior marketing position at RS Components. Prior to RS, he spent eight years at Texas Instruments in applications support and technical sales roles. He holds a first class honours degree in electronic engineering from Coventry University.