The Future of Travel Isn’t Ownership – It’s Access
Shared mobility refers to transport services that give people access to vehicles without needing to own them. This includes options like ride sharing, ride-hailing, bike sharing, eScooters, and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). These services allow users to choose the best mode of transport for each trip, support multimodal journeys, and help fill in the gaps left by public transport.
By reducing the need for private cars, shared mobility improves convenience, offers more choice, and makes travel more affordable; particularly for those who can’t or don’t want to own a vehicle. It also brings wider benefits: easing congestion, lowering emissions, and supporting more sustainable travel. Ultimately, shared mobility gives people flexible transport solutions that adapt to different needs and contexts.
This shift toward access over ownership is becoming especially noticeable among younger generations. A 2025 report by PYMNTS found that many younger adults, particularly 'zillennials' (those born between 1991 and 1999), are beginning to downplay the importance of owning a vehicle altogether.
For this group, major purchases like cars can feel out of reach - and often unnecessary. The report found that 14% of zillennials cited saving for a down payment as the biggest hurdle to car ownership. With high upfront costs a major barrier, shared mobility is becoming an increasingly appealing alternative. It provides access without long-term financial commitments, challenging the long-standing assumption that a car is something everyone needs to own.
Of course, shared mobility has its trade-offs. What it can’t quite replicate is the personal freedom that comes with owning a car; being able to get in and go, anytime, anywhere. For those with daily commutes, regular errands, or the need for spontaneous travel, a private vehicle still holds strong appeal.
However, car ownership comes at a price. Insurance, maintenance, depreciation, and initial purchase costs quickly add up. Shared services offer more flexibility, spreading costs among users and removing the burden of upkeep. While they may not always be as instantly available or exclusive as private vehicles, they offer a strong value proposition for many users - particularly in cities.
What Influences the Access vs Ownership Decision?
A few key factors tend to shape how people feel about car ownership versus shared services:
- Urban vs. rural needs – Shared mobility thrives in cities, where demand is high and infrastructure is already in place. In contrast, rural areas often lack coverage, making car ownership the more practical choice.
- Environmental impact – Access-based models reduce the number of vehicles on the road, lower emissions, and promote more sustainable travel patterns.
- Infrastructure – Reliable shared mobility depends on solid infrastructure. Without it, adoption can stall, and reliance on private vehicles continues.
- Lifestyle and preference – Urban residents often benefit most from shared mobility, with easy access to public transport and less day-to-day need for a personal car. Convenience, flexibility, and sustainability often win out in busy city environments.
The Growing Role of Micromobility
Micromobility - including eScooters and bike-sharing schemes - is helping to reshape how people think about travel, especially in cities. These options offer a convenient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly way to replace short car trips. In some cities, studies show that up to 24% of micromobility journeys are directly displacing car use.
They also pair well with public transport, making multimodal journeys easier and helping reduce the need for personal vehicles. This improves air quality, reduces traffic, and gives urban residents more affordable ways to get around.
And while micromobility has so far made the biggest impact in urban settings, it’s starting to gain traction in rural areas too. In regions where buses or trains are limited, shared micromobility can provide a valuable link to jobs, schools, and local services. Programmes like KANcycle in Kansas show how rural communities can successfully integrate bike-sharing into their wider transport networks; improving access and encouraging more active travel.
In the UK, most micromobility schemes are still concentrated in towns and cities, but there’s real potential for rural expansion. For places often left behind by traditional transport models, shared bikes and scooters could offer a practical, affordable alternative.
What’s Next?
As we discuss in our upcoming research, access-based mobility will continue to grow in importance; especially in urban environments. As transport networks become more connected and digital services expand, shared mobility is already reducing dependence on private cars.
Further investment in rural infrastructure - from digital connectivity to charging points - will help close the gap outside city centres. Meanwhile, younger generations are driving a cultural shift toward cost-effective, on-demand transport that fits into their digital lifestyles and environmental values.
Micromobility is central to this shift. It challenges the assumption that car ownership is the only route to reliable transport and proves that flexible, accessible options can work for a wide range of people. As these services continue to expand and improve, they’ll play a major role in reducing car dependency, improving sustainability, and shaping the future of travel for everyone; whether you live in a city, town, or rural community.
As a Research Analyst, Thomas delivers timely trend analysis, sharp evaluations of the competitive landscape, and detailed market sizing across dynamic sectors such as Shared Mobility, Heat Pumps, and Renewable Energy Technologies. His insights help clients stay ahead in industries shaped by innovation and rapid change.
Latest research, whitepapers & press releases
-
ReportOctober 2025Fintech & Payments
Digital Identity Market: 2025-2030
Juniper Research’s Digital Identity research suite provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of this market; enabling stakeholders, including digital identity platform providers, digital identity verification providers, government agencies, banks, and many others, to understand future growth, key trends, and the competitive environment.
VIEW -
ReportOctober 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
Travel eSIM Market: 2025-2030
Our comprehensive Travel eSIMs research suite comprises detailed assessment of a market undergoing rapid growth. It provides insight into how travel eSIM providers can differentiate their services to maximise success in the market over the next two years.
VIEW -
ReportOctober 2025IoT & Emerging Technology
Direct to Satellite Market: 2025-2030
Juniper Research’s Direct to Satellite research suite provides satellite providers, investors, and partners, such as Mobile Network Operators, with an extensive analysis and insights into the direct to satellite market.
VIEW -
ReportSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
Instant Payments Market: 2025-2030
Juniper Research’s Instant Payments research suite provides a wide-ranging and strategic analysis of this market; enabling stakeholders - from banks, infrastructure providers, regulators, and businesses - to understand future growth, key trends, and the competitive environment.
VIEW -
ReportSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
Anti-money Laundering Systems Market: 2025-2030
Our AML Systems research suite provides a detailed and insightful analysis of this evolving market; enabling stakeholders from financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies and technology vendors to understand future growth, key trends, and the competitive environment.
VIEW -
ReportSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
A2A Payments Market: 2025-2030
Our A2A Payments research suite provides detailed analysis of this rapidly changing market; enabling A2A payments service providers to gain an understanding of key payment trends and challenges, potential growth opportunities, and the competitive environment.
VIEW
-
WhitepaperOctober 2025Fintech & Payments
How Digital Identity is Going Mainstream
Our complimentary whitepaper, How Digital Identity is Going Mainstream, assesses the trends that are moving digital identity to be increasingly popular, and challenges to digital identity growth.
VIEW -
WhitepaperOctober 2025IoT & Emerging Technology
Beam Me Up: The Direct to Satellite Revolution
Our complimentary whitepaper, Beam Me Up: The Direct to Satellite Revolution, evaluates the future key services that satellite providers must offer in the direct to satellite market.
VIEW -
WhitepaperOctober 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
Why Operators Are Launching Travel eSIMs in 2026
Our complimentary whitepaper, Why Operators Are Launching Travel eSIMs in 2026, examines the outlook of the travel eSIMs market over the next five years.
VIEW -
WhitepaperSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
From Detection to Prevention: The Next Era of Anti-money Laundering
Our complimentary whitepaper, From Detection to Prevention: The Next Era of Anti-money Laundering, examines the state of the AML systems market; considering the impact that a changing regulatory environment and a growing number of use cases is having on the market. Additionally, it includes a forecast summary of the total value of the AML systems market in 2030.
VIEW -
WhitepaperSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
3 Key Trends Driving Instant Payments
Our complimentary whitepaper, 3 Key Trends Driving Instant Payments, assesses how key trends are driving the evolution of the instant payments market, and which challenges these resolve. Additionally, it includes a forecast summary of the global transaction values via instant payment schemes by 2029.
VIEW -
WhitepaperSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
Ascending-to-Ailing: The Deceleration of A2A Adoption
Our complimentary whitepaper, Ascending-to-Ailing: The Deceleration of A2A Adoption, examines the state of the A2A payments market; considering the impact of this payment method and how it is shaping the modern payments landscape through lower fees and enriched user experience.
VIEW
-
Telecoms & Connectivity
Fraud Prevention APIs to Generate $5bn for Operators Globally by 2030, But Diversification of API Applications Needed
October 2025 -
Sustainability & Smart Cities
Smart Building Interoperability Frameworks to Drive $21bn Global Platform Spend Next Year
October 2025 -
Fintech & Payments
Digital Identity Market to Exceed $80 Billion by 2030 Globally, Accelerated by Regulation & Hybrid Strategies
October 2025 -
Telecoms & Connectivity
Direct-to-Device, 5G Advanced, & AI RAN to Redefine Global Connectivity in 2026
October 2025 -
Travel eSIMs Surge as Roaming Alternative - Up 85% in 2025
October 2025 -
Fintech & Payments
Juniper Research Unveils 2025’s Fintech & Payments Awards Winners
October 2025