Hardware overview for shared micro-mobility (2/3): IoT & GPS devices, connectivity

Hardware overview for shared micro-mobility (2/3): IoT & GPS devices, connectivity

At ATOM Mobility, we know there is a lot to consider when starting a mobility company. To help make the process easier, we’ve put together a breakdown of some most frequently recommended manufacturers of IoT, GPS and connectivity on the market that are currently integrated with ATOM Mobility. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.

 

 

To remotely control and monitor kick scooter, e-bike, moped, car or any other vehicle you will need to install so called IoT device which allows to remotely send commands to the vehicle and execute them, as well as monitor real-time location and track possible errors. What IoT & GPS devices are the in the market?

 

Teltonika

Teltonika is used by the largest shared mobility operators in the world. The company has sold more than 10 million IoT devices during their 10+ years on the market and has more than 500 employees. IoT devices by Teltonika can be used for kick scooters, scooters/mopeds, e-bikes, cars, trucks and even forklifts. The list of supported vehicles is very long. Some examples:

EMB100

Teltonika EMB100 is an e-bike IoT with GNSS, GSM and Bluetooth connectivity. Integrated ECU data reading will expand your capabilities even more.

E-Scooter Tracker

Teltonika E-SCOOTER TRACKERPLUS is a small, professional and waterproof tracker for a variety of electric scooters. The device has internal high gain GNSS/GSM antennas, Bluetooth and high capacity internal Li-ion battery and 10-97 V power supply range for integration variety.

 

TST100 by Teltonika

 

TST100 by Teltonika

TST100

Teltonika TST100 is a kick e-scooter tracking device with integrated GNSS, GSM and Bluetooth connectivity, designed for sharing applications. TST100 enables the possibility to read information from kick e-scooters ECU and control them remotely.

FMB130

FMB130 is tracker with internal GNSS, GSM antennas, configurable digital/analogue inputs/negative input/impulse inputs, three DOUT outputs, Bluetooth connectivity and backup battery.

Suitable for: kick scooters, scooters, mopeds (both gasoline and electric), e-bikes, cars, trucks and more.

Price: 60 USD - 120 USD / 50 € - 120 € depending on model and quantity. No monthly fees.

 

Omni

Company based in China and provides IoT devices mostly for kick scooters and bikes. It is widely used by vehicle manufacturers that use Omni IoT as a default built in option (like Segway, Acton and many others).

Suitable for: kick scooters, bikes and e-bikes.

Price: 45 USD- 85 USD / 40 € - 80 € per piece depending on model and quantity. In some cases manufacturers that use Omni IoT by default may charge some monthly fee for connectivity.

 

Comodule

Comodule is rapidly growing startup headquartered in Tallinn (Estonia), with business development offices in Berlin (Germany) and Taipei (Taiwan). They worked with many large companies including Jump and Bolt. Comodule provides both IoT device and cloud server with API. This is why they have additional monthly fees.

Suitable for: kick scooters and e-bikes.

Price: 80 USD - 150 USD / 80 € - 130 € depending on quantity + monthly fees.

 

Lightbug

We decided to add to the list also Lighbug device that is actually not an IoT device (not connected to the vehicle), but can be used in some cases just to monitor real-time location and trigger alarm sound if needed. Lightbug’s remote GPS solutions can be used in cases if you do not want to integrate to the vehicle. Model has battery that lasts 30-60 days if send location data every minute and up to 10-15 years if update regularity is lower. Great result! You can attach GPS basically everywhere, not only on a vehicle.

 

Lightbug Pro is industrial grade tracker, designed to have a battery life of up to 15 years

 

Lightbug Pro is industrial grade tracker, designed to have a battery life of up to 15 years

Suitable for: real-time location tracking of any asset or person

Price: 95 USD - 115 USD / 89.90 € - 104.00 €

  

Connectivity and data

Each IOT device will require a SIM card that has data capability in order to send and receive commands. While some manufacturers offer IoT devices together with SIM cards and data, other give you more flexibility to choose from. Data usage varies depending on IoT device you use and configurations, but in general every SIM card will consume around 5-30 MB/month. Local SIM card providers can offer you a price estimation which should be around 0,5 - 2 EUR/month per SIM card. Some global connectivity providers that focus on shared mobility market:

 

Twilio

Straightforward pay-as-you-go pricing in 180+ countries. In average around 2 USD/month per SIM card + data.

 

1ot

1oT has great coverage all over the world and flexible pricing without monthly fees (you pay only for data usage).

 

1nce

The 1NCE IoT Flat Rate is an all-inclusive price model for IoT connectivity. It is a pre-paid offering to connect IoT devices for up to 10 years at a price of 10 EUR, including all necessary features such as data allowance, SIM card cost, APN, OpenVPN and SMS (250 sms). For 10 EUR you will get sim card with 500 MB (most probably will be enough for 1,5 - 2 years). If you are ready to pay upfront 10 EUR/sim this is the best offer available.

 

Truphone

Truphone is another great alternative to take a look at. For 12 EUR per SIM you will get 250 MB to use within 3 years.

 

 

This is the second part of hardware overview. In next blog post we will cover list of popular smart locks. Contact ATOM Mobility for any additional questions or inquiries you may have about available products and suppliers. 

ATOM Mobility - We empower entrepreneurs to launch vehicle sharing platforms.

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💸 ATOM Mobility launches “Offer your price” - a rider-controlled pricing feature. Riders can suggest higher or lower fares within pre-set limits. Boosts demand & helps stand out in competitive ride-hail markets 🚖🌍

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The ride-hailing market is always changing. From Latin America to Eastern Europe, platforms like inDrive have popularized a new norm: letting riders suggest what they want to pay. Now, in response to this growing global trend, ATOM Mobility is proud to introduce: Offer your price – a fully configurable pricing feature built right into your rider app.

💡How It works

Available on all ride-hail projects, this feature lets riders propose a price – higher or lower than the default fare – within operator-set limits. Drivers can then accept or decline based on the offer.

Here’s how it reshapes the experience:

In the Rider app:

  • A new "Offer your price" button appears when selecting a vehicle class.
  • Riders can slide or tap “+/-” buttons to adjust price:
    • e.g. +30% to get a faster ride 🟢
    • or -10% to save on a flexible trip 🔵
  • For scheduled rides, this feature is disabled to keep things predictable.

Smart logic behind the slider:

Your admin dashboard defines the limits – say, up to +500% from regular price and down to -30% – and the app calculates step sizes automatically:

  • +500% limit → 1 step = 5%
  • +100% limit → 1 step = 1%
  • +200% limit → 1 step = 2%

Slider position adapts dynamically, depending on your defined range. And yes – the button color and style can be customized to match your brand 🎨.

On the operator dashboard:

You’ll find complete control and clarity:

  • Enable/disable the feature per vehicle class
  • Set custom % limits for price increase/decrease
  • Price card, exports and ride activity logs are all updated with the adjusted ride price
  • New ride status - Ride requested (adjusted ride price) for transparency in reporting

What drivers see:

In the driver app:

  • Price offers are marked clearly (e.g. 🔻 "Discount requested" or 🔺 "Extra fee offered");
  • Final earnings are adjusted accordingly and logged in driver stats.

Who's already doing this – and winning?

Real-world companies are already proving that rider-defined pricing works:

🚘 inDrive (LATAM, Africa, Asia)
Now one of the top global ride-hailing players outside the U.S. (over 200M downloads, active in 700+ cities across 45+ countries), inDrive built its brand around rider-negotiated pricing. It helps them stand out in price-sensitive markets and win over both drivers and passengers with more transparent pricing dynamics.

🚖 Comin (France)
A local success story, Comin has embraced flexible rider pricing to gain traction in several French cities (onboarded 6,000+ drivers). The feature gives them an edge against larger platforms, offering more freedom for users and better utilization for drivers.

These examples show that letting riders bid their price isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a growth strategy.

From our previosu blog “How to Find Your Niche in the Ride-Hail Market”, we saw how localisation and user control drive loyalty and conversion.

This new pricing flexibility supports:

  • Emerging markets with income-sensitive riders
  • Driver shortages, where riders can tip in real-time
  • Brand positioning, letting you stand apart from competition

🚀 Ready to lead the market?

This is just one of the 300+ features available in ATOM’s white-label ride-hailing platform.

Let’s talk about how to launch or upgrade your app with “Offer your price”, advanced pricing logic, and more tools to dominate your niche.

👉 Contact our team and explore how to become the market leader: www.atommobility.com

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Is car sharing profitable in 2025?
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🚗💡 Is car sharing still a profitable business in 2025? Short answer – yes, if done right. From rising fleet costs to smarter user behavior and green transport trends, the shared mobility game is changing fast. Learn what makes a car sharing business work today – and why some succeed while others shut down. 👉 Real stories, data-backed tips, and practical advice for operators and mobility founders.

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In 2024, the global car-sharing market was valued at approximately €8.9 billion, with Europe accounting for over 50.2% of that total. Analysts forecast it will grow at a CAGR of 11.8% between 2025 and 2033, reaching roughly €24.4 billion by 2033. This blend of urbanization, environmental regulation and a growing preference for flexible mobility continues to create fertile ground for operators - yet not every service finds a clear path to profitability.

Success hinges on your location, business model, fleet, operations and local market dynamics. There are strong success stories, but also many high-profile failures. Here’s a closer look at what really affects profitability in today’s car-sharing market - and what you can learn from real-world cases.

What makes a car-sharing business profitable?

Profitability in car sharing boils down to securing enough paid usage while keeping costs under control. Every unused hour or unnecessary expense erodes margins.

Key factors:

  • Fleet utilization – the most important metric. Cars need to be in use several hours each day to cover fixed costs.
  • Operational efficiency – cleaning, charging, relocation, maintenance and insurance add up quickly.
  • Fleet acquisition – leasing usually optimizes cash flow and scalability, but still carries fixed monthly expenses.
  • Pricing and competition – too low cuts margins; too high drives away users. Finding the right balance is essential.
  • Tech stack – a robust platform automates operations, improves customer experience and reduces support costs.

The operators who win are those who combine solid daily usage with lean operations.

❌ PANEK S.A. suspends its car-sharing service to focus on rental

29 March 2025 marked the end of Panek’s car-sharing experiment. Despite peaking at 2 700–3 000 vehicles, Panek never turned a profit in over seven years.

About Panek

  • Launch: Car sharing added in 2017 by Maciej Panek, entirely internally funded (no VC)
  • Fleet mix: City cars, hybrids, EVs, cargo vans and vintage models
  • 2023 acquisition: Regional Rent (+ 45% fleet), making Panek Poland’s largest integrated rental/operator

2024 performance

  • Revenue split: Car sharing ≈ 20 % of total. Traditional rental 80 %
  • Utilization: 0.7–1.0 rides/car/day
  • Maintenance & overhead: Up to €690/car-month
  • Profitability: Negative since inception

Why it failed

  1. Under-utilization: < 1 ride/day vs. ~ 2-4 rides/day needed to cover fixed costs
  2. Price wars: Fierce competition in Warsaw eroded margins and drove up customer-acquisition costs
  3. High OPEX: Parking, maintenance, insurance and vandalism pushed costs > €690 per car each month
  4. Tech drag: Two-year outsourced app development cycle meant poor UX and slow feature delivery
  5. No public support: Missed out on parking incentives or EV subsidies

Faced with persistent losses, Panek’s leadership refocused on profitable core segments: daily/weekly rentals, corporate leasing and Fleet-as-a-Service.

🚗 WiBLE Spain finds its profitable lane in Madrid

WiBLE (50/50 joint venture between Kia Europe and Repsol) launched in 2018 and has just closed its second consecutive year with positive EBITDA.

  • Fleet: 600+ plug-in hybrids (Kia Niro, XCeed, Ceed Tourer)
  • 2024 revenue: €6.93 million (+ 5% vs. 2023)
  • Usage: ~1 500 trips/day ⇒ 2.5 rides/car/day
  • Diversification: Monthly rentals (€599+) now 5% of revenue
  • Market share: ~19% of Madrid’s car-sharing market

Key enablers:

  1. Higher utilization – rides up 15% YoY, driving a 10% lift in core revenue
  2. Fleet scale efficiencies – added 150 vehicles in 2 years, lowering per-unit costs
  3. Service diversification – multi-day and monthly rental options opened new revenue streams

After five years of absorbing fixed-cost drag and depreciation, WiBLE now leverages Madrid’s regulatory environment (low-emission zones, parking benefits) and delivers lean, tech-driven operations.

🚗 SOCAR South Korea: scale + longer rentals

SOCAR (backed by SoftBank, SK Inc. and Lotte Group) operates 20 000 vehicles, generates nearly €300 million in annual turnover and has 20% of South Koreans signed up.

  • Model: Station-based, pay-per-minute with average rental duration of a whoping 12 hrs
  • Segmentation trick: Aging cars shift from on-demand sharing to long-term monthly rentals (10% of revenue), extending resale life with minimal depreciation impact

By pairing massive scale with savvy car lifecycle management, extra-long rental duration, SOCAR converts high utilization into robust profitability.

🚗 Carguru (Latvia)

30 August 2024: Carguru (est. 2017) acquired EV-focused OX Drive (est. 2021), adding 200+ Tesla to the fleet.

  • Growth: From just 30 cars and total budget below 500 000 EUR (2017) to over 1 000 cars (mid-2025) via leasing and strategic partnerships
  • 2023 turnover: €4 million; 435 000 trips (+35.9 %); 7 million km driven; profit €375 600

Outcome: A combined ICE, hybrid and EV fleet—backed by local expertise and strategic acquisitions - has driven strong growth and high utilization.

🎯 Core suggestions for aspiring operators

  1. Target 2–4 rides/day per vehicle
    • Leverage dynamic/off-peak pricing, B2B partnerships (hotels, offices) and event tie-ins.
  2. Contain OPEX via automation
    • Use predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics and gig-economy cleaning/relocation.
  3. Secure municipal support early
    • Negotiate parking incentives, EV charging access and low-emission zone permits.
  4. Choose your tech wisely
    • Build an in-house development team for full control with higher costs, or adopt a proven white-label platform for speed to market, stability and lower costs.
  5. Validate unit economics before scaling
    • Prove break-even utilization in one zone before expanding to others.

With clear benchmarks and smart execution - drawing on lessons from Panek, WiBLE, SOCAR and Carguru - car sharing can still be a highly profitable component of a modern mobility portfolio.

If you’re planning to start or improve your service, ATOM Mobility is ready to help. We’ve built the platform and supported dozens of teams worldwide - reach out, and we’ll share what we’ve learned.

Image credit: https://kursors.lv/2018/03/13/carguru-palielina-autoparku-un-paplasina-darbibas-zonas-mikrorajonos

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