New mobility study: larger free-floating systems are more efficient

THI Business School is pleased to announce the publication of a new scientific study on the efficiency of mobility systems. Lisa Urban and Prof. Dr. Alexander Baur, professor for Innovative Mobility Concepts and Business Models of Artificial Intelligence at THI Business School, have published their findings in the renowned journal Transportation Research Part C in collaboration with researchers from Universität der Bundeswehr in Munich.

Entitled “Scale matters – Why the efficiency of free-floating vehicle sharing systems depends on the system's scale,” the study analyzes structural causes of inefficiencies in free-floating sharing systems. The results clearly show that the larger the system, the more efficient utilization and the higher the service level. The authors refer to this phenomenon as “matching efficiency of scale.”

The study thus provides valuable insights for the planning, scaling, and regulation of shared mobility services in urban areas.

The full article is available in English via Open Access at the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X25001731