Understanding user attitudes and economic aspects in a corporate multimodal mobility system: results from a field study in Germany

Günther, Madlen; Jacobsen, Benjamin; Rehme, Marco; Götze, Uwe; Krems, Josef F. · 2020 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1186/s12544-020-00456-0

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Summary

This study investigates user attitudes and the economic viability of a Corporate Multimodal Mobility as a Service (CMaaS) system in Germany. The research addresses the need for sustainable, efficient corporate travel solutions that integrate battery electric vehicles (BEVs), pedelecs (electric bicycles), and public transport. While shared mobility offers environmental and health benefits, there is limited empirical evidence regarding user acceptance and the economic efficiency of such multimodal systems in a corporate context. The authors aim to determine how usage influences attitudes toward these transport modes and service tools, and whether CMaaS offers economic advantages over conventional per-journey accounting systems. The researchers conducted a 22-month naturalistic field study involving 93 employees of the Technische Universität Chemnitz. Participants used a CMaaS platform comprising four BEVs, eight pedelecs, and access to public transport for business travel only. The system utilized a web-based booking tool, keyless vehicle access via employee ID cards, and an online ticketing system linked to a corporate account. Data were collected through objective usage logs from the booking tool and subjective online questionnaires administered after four and six months of usage. The study analyzed 799 journeys totaling 12,024 kilometers. Economic evaluations employed life cycle costing, incorporating direct operational costs and opportunity costs related to administrative overhead and transit time differences. Results indicated that participants held consistently positive attitudes toward all transport modes and service tools, with no significant changes between the two measurement points. BEVs and the keyless access system received the highest preference ratings, significantly higher than public transport. Usage behavior correlated with attitude shifts: increased mileage with BEVs, pedelecs, and public transport was associated with more positive attitudes toward those respective modes and the booking tool. Economically, the study found that integrating diverse transport modes could significantly reduce mobility costs. However, shifting a higher proportion of travel to pedelecs, while environmentally beneficial, increased total costs due to higher opportunity costs from longer transit times compared to cars. The conventional per-journey accounting system incurred substantial administrative overhead, which the CMaaS model effectively reduced. The findings suggest that CMaaS systems can enhance user acceptance through hands-on experience and provide economic benefits by streamlining administrative processes. The study highlights a trade-off between environmental sustainability and total economic cost, particularly regarding the use of slower transport modes like pedelecs. These insights assist fleet owners and policymakers in designing viable corporate mobility concepts that balance user satisfaction, economic efficiency, and sustainability goals. The research underscores the importance of considering both psychological acceptance and comprehensive economic factors, including opportunity costs, when implementing multimodal mobility solutions.

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