Regulations play a key role in the growth of the micromobility market. In March 2020, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency launched the Accessible Streets Regulatory Package, which consists of rules designed to enhance the accessibility and safety of footpaths, shared paths, cycle lanes, cycle paths, and roads and increase the usage of e-scooters, e-bikes, and other such automobiles. Due to the aforementioned factors, the New Zealand micromobility market is projected to generate $2,395.1 million revenue in 2030, advancing at a CAGR of 64.3% during the forecast period (2021–2030).
The COVID-19 pandemic has been impacting a large portion of the people around the world, bankrupting corporations and plunging the global economy into turmoil. Although shutdown steps and quarantine orders are helping contain the coronavirus, considerable financial distress has been witnessed. However, the pandemic has made micromobility significantly popular, as the vehicles reduce the risk of infection due to the self-driven nature of the concept, thus positively impacting the micromobility market of New Zealand.
The New Zealand micromobility market is categorized into e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds, e-pods, bikes, and scooters, based on vehicle type. Among these, the scooters category is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. This will mainly be due to the increasing use of these services for a quick ride to nearby destinations, in order to optimize the travel time and expenses. Furthermore, these services are used as multimodal transit systems to reach a boarding point of another transportation service.
Moreover, the market is bifurcated into first- and last-mile and multimodal, on the basis of model. Of these, the first- and last-mile category is expected to hold the larger market share in the coming years. This can be attributed to the supportive government measures, along with the enormous adoption rate of micromobility services. Further, bikes and e-scooters have been helpful in solving the difficulties in first- and last-mile commute, as they connect people between their home/office/college to metro stations, bus stops, and other mass transit hubs cost-effectively.
Furthermore, the micromobility market in New Zealand is categorized into docked and dockless, on the basis of sharing system. Between the two, the dockless category is expected to witness the faster growth during the forecast period. This will mainly be due to the growth in the usage of the dockless sharing systems by major players in response to the challenges faced by traditional station-based sharing systems regarding convenience, accessibility, and the availability of space. The pressure of drop-off restrictions and space limitations around public transit stations are comparatively lower in a dockless system.
Players in the New Zealand micromobility market have been involved in the expansion of their business and operational area, to remain competitive and improve their position. For instance, in January 2020, Flamingo Technologies Limited, a dockless e-scooter sharing company, expanded its fleet from 525 to 630 e-scooters in Auckland. The additional 105 e-scooters are being operated in central Auckland suburbs, including Mount Albert, Mount Roskill, and Glendowie, as well as in the North Shore, including Takapuna, Glenfield, and nearby areas.
Similarly, in July 2019, Beam Mobility Holdings Pte. Ltd., an e-scooter sharing company, launched its operations in several countries, including New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington).
Some of the major players operating in the New Zealand micromobility industry are Lime, Neuron Mobility Pte. Ltd., Flamingo Technologies Limited, Beam Mobility Holdings Pte. Ltd., Bird Rides Inc., Ningbo MYWAY Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd., Segway Inc., and Vmoto Limited.