Insights and news from the ATOM Mobility team
We started our blog to share free valuable information about the mobility industry: inspirational stories, financial analysis, marketing ideas, practical tips, new feature announcements and more.
We started our blog to share free valuable information about the mobility industry: inspirational stories, financial analysis, marketing ideas, practical tips, new feature announcements and more.
🛵 Thinking about launching a mobility business? One key decision can shape your entire growth path: go with a franchise or build your own brand with a white label solution. 🔍 This guide breaks down the pros and cons of each model – and shows how you can even grow your own partner network under your brand with ATOM Mobility’s white label platform.
Starting a new mobility business comes with many decisions, but one of the most important is choosing the right model for growth. Whether you're thinking about launching an electric scooter fleet, a ride-hailing app, or car sharing in your city, there are two main paths to consider: joining a franchise or building your own brand using a white label solution.
Both models offer clear benefits – and both have downsides. What works best depends on your goals, experience, and long-term vision.
Franchising means joining an existing brand and operating under their name, systems, and technology. For example, a local taxi fleet might become a Bolt ride-hailing partner, gaining access to Bolt's technology, user base, and reputation. Similarly, in the micromobility space, some brands allow local entrepreneurs to launch electric scooter or bike-sharing services as franchisees.
This model is popular because it can significantly reduce the time and effort needed to launch. Instead of developing your own technology, brand, marketing strategy, and operational systems, you get a package, a “ready to use” business, from a brand that already knows the ropes.
The main advantage of franchising is speed and simplicity. You don’t need to build everything from scratch. You operate under a recognized name, which can make marketing easier. Often, you also get operational support and a clear playbook to follow.
But there are also downsides. As a franchisee, you don’t fully control the brand, customers and the technology. You may have limited flexibility to experiment or adapt the service to your local needs. Franchise fees or revenue sharing models can also reduce your profit margin. And if the brand suffers reputational issues elsewhere, it can impact your local business – even if you’re doing everything right.
LEVY, an US-based electric scooter-sharing company, has successfully expanded through a franchise model by partnering with local operators across USA. Entrepreneurs can launch and operate Levy-branded services in their cities, leveraging LEVY’s tested software, hardware, and operational know-how. This model has helped LEVY scale quickly while maintaining a consistent brand and service quality.
Nextbike, based in Germany, is one of the world’s leading public bike-sharing providers. It works with cities and franchise-like partners to operate local services under the Nextbike brand. These partners handle operations on the ground, such as maintenance and customer service, while benefiting from Nextbike’s established platform, brand, and international experience. With a presence in over 300 cities, it’s a clear example of how a micromobility business can scale through distributed partnerships.
A white label solution allows you to launch your own mobility platform – under your own brand – using someone else's ready-made technology. This means you can create a ride-hailing app, car-sharing service, or scooter fleet that looks and feels 100% yours, but without needing to build the software from scratch.
If you’re not familiar with how white label works, here’s a good explanation.
With white label, you take ownership of your brand and operations, while leveraging reliable, tested software that’s been used in dozens of markets. You’re not just a local operator – you’re the brand owner.
The biggest benefit of a white label approach is independence. You control the brand, the marketing, pricing, partnerships, everything. You can build a unique business that reflects your vision and local market needs. There’s no revenue sharing or ongoing franchise fees.
However, white label also means more responsibility. You have to manage marketing, customer support, local partnerships, and operations yourself. While the software is provided, the business is yours to run. It requires more involvement but also brings more potential reward.
If you want a fast, low-risk way to enter the market with support and clear systems, franchising may be a good fit – especially if you’re new to mobility or want to test the waters.
If you want to build a long-term business under your own brand, with full control and higher potential margins, white label is likely the better option. It gives you room to grow and adapt without being tied to someone else’s rules.
Many successful businesses start with white label software to speed up their launch, then focus on building a strong local brand and user base. Over time, this approach can offer more strategic freedom and better returns.
One advantage of choosing a white label provider like ATOM Mobility is that you’re not just building for yourself. With ATOM’s platform, you can also expand by inviting partners to operate under your brand in other cities or regions.
This means that you can launch as an independent operator and, over time, create your own franchise-style network. ATOM’s software allows you to add partners to your platform, assign them specific territories, limit access to data, and manage operations from one central system. Your partners operate under your brand – and you stay in control of the bigger picture.
This is exactly how several of our clients have grown. They started locally, proved the model, then expanded by partnering with others – all without giving up their brand or independence.
Both franchising and white label are valid ways to launch a mobility business, and both come with clear advantages. But if your goal is long-term brand ownership, flexibility, and the ability to scale on your own terms, white label is often the smarter path.
With ATOM Mobility’s platform, you can launch fast, operate efficiently, and even build your own network of partners under your brand – creating a franchise model that works for you.
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 smart locks and docking stations on the market. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.
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 smart locks and docking stations on the market. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.
Spin tested solar-powered charging stations by Swiftmile in a pilot program
While free-floating model (when scooters and bikes can be parked anywhere within the parking zone) is experiencing a growing demand, it also faces some challenges such as the problem of discharged vehicles, vandalism and pressure form the municipality. In some cases smart locks or even docking/charging station is a good option to take a look at. In this short article we will give a brief overview of manufacturers that in our opinion can provide quality solution for this problem.
Smart locks
Omni is one of the leading providers of smart locks for bike sharing, it is used by companies like Ofo, Mobike and many others. Affordable price and built-in GPS is a winning combination. Optional solar recharge capacity means unlimited time standby and no need to worry about battery life.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 50-70 USD/ 45-65 EUR depending on model and quantity. Will require SIM card with data to track location
Omni smart lock
Linka has two main models - Original and Leo. The difference is that Original lock has not built-in GPS, which means that you will rely on user phone data and will not have real-time information about bike location. This is why we prefer Linka Leo - which is high-quality product with great design.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 169 - 269 USD / 150 - 250 EUR depending on model and quantity. Leo model requires SIM card with data to track location
Lattis offers U-type lock with special case and chain for scooters. It is high quality product, but similarly as with Linka original it does not have bult-in GPS. However, we believe it can be a good additional security layer for scooter sharing (where you already have Iot with GPS data).
Suitable for: scooters, bikes and e-bikes
Price: 150 - 199 USD / 160 - 180 EUR depending on accessories and quantity
Lattis smart lock
Axa from Netherlands has been on the market for a while and their locks are used by Donkey Republic and Zagster. Unfortunatelly, these locks also do not have GPS, so you will need to rely on user phone data.
Suitable for: bikes and e-bikes
Price: 130 USD / 115 EUR
Docking and charging stations
If you are interested in charging/docking station you need to take into account that the average price of 1 charging pot for 1 scooter is approximately 650 - 1100 USD / 600 - 1000 EUR. So if you have a small fleet of 100 scooters and you want to have a docking/charging place for 30% of them your budget will be around 30 000 EUR.
Swiftmile is the leader in charging and docking stations for scooters with successful pilots with larger shared mobility operators. They support both docked and dock-less scooter systems and operate using either solar, battery powered or plug-in power systems. Their software is suitable for integration via API. You can connect 4, 8, 12 or 16 scooters/ports to one station.
Duckt modular charging and docking solution is a piece of art, it is small and compact and will look visually appealing almost everywhere. This is why we love it. Another cool thing is that solution is flexible and you can place these modules one by one (1,2,3 and so on).
Knot is a European player that provides charging stations for Segway scooters. It is affordable and by using 1 station you can charge up to 8 scooters.
Kuhmute charging station works with many scooter types, e-bikes and even skateboards. Another cool thing is that they offer monthly subscriptions if you do not want to pay for the stations upfront.
Meredot has very interesting concept for wireless scooter charging (however no docking provided). At the moment startup runs few pilots with first customers.
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.
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.
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 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:
Teltonika EMB100 is an e-bike IoT with GNSS, GSM and Bluetooth connectivity. Integrated ECU data reading will expand your capabilities even more.
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
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 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.
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 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.
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
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:
Straightforward pay-as-you-go pricing in 180+ countries. In average around 2 USD/month per SIM card + data.
1oT has great coverage all over the world and flexible pricing without monthly fees (you pay only for data usage).
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 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.
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 and vehicle models on the market that are currently integrated with ATOM Mobility. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.
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 and vehicle models on the market that are currently integrated with ATOM Mobility. Contact us in case you need a guidance or more information.
What are the most reliable vehicles that are available right now on the market?
Scooters
Acton specializes in electronic scooters specifically designed for fleet operations. The company currently offers two different e-scooter models, as well as one e-bike model.
The Acton M Pro robust design includes industry-leading strength ratings, heavy duty welds, and proprietary aluminum extrusions.
Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 30.9 KMPH
Range: 30 miles / 48 km
Charge: 6 hours
Price: Contact us or ACTON directly
The Acton Topswap is e-scooter designed to include a patented battery swap system (on the same Acton M Pro model basis)
Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 30.9 KMPH
Range: 30 miles / 48 km
Charge: 6 hours
Price: Contact us or ACTON directly
Located in Hangzhou of China. Fitrider is an innovative high-tech company with variety of products: escooters, ebikes, swappable battery solutions, IoT/GPS, smart locks and docking/charging stations.
FitRider Scooter T2S with swappable battery design, 10’inch wheels, solid tyres and drum/disc brakes.
Top speed: 15.5MPH / 25 KMPH
Range: 20 miles / 35 km
Charge: 4-5 hours
Price: Contact us
Freego is the largest manufacturer and the first exporter of self balancing scooters from South China.
Top speed: 15.5MPH / 25 KMPH
Range: 30 miles / 48 km
Charge: 3-5 hours
Price: 600 USD / 556 EUR
Zhejiang Okai Vehicle Co., Ltd. produces professional high quality scooters, both electric and gasoline. Scooters of this company is widely used by largest scooter sharing companies in Europe.
The ES400 model is specifically designed for highly efficient sharing platforms. Swappable battery, very durable and fully hidden cables.
Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH
Range: 16Ah = approx. 32 miles / 51.5 km, 9.6Ah = approx. 24 miles / 39 km
Charge: 3-4 hours
Price: ES400 - 700 USD / 650 EUR, ES200 (non swappable battery) - 595 USD / 550 EUR
Segway Inc. is the worldwide leader in personal electric transportation. Almost all major sharing companies using or used scooter manufactured by Segway.
The Segway Ninebot ES4 model was the first model widely used for sharing. It comes with a dual-battery offering and solid design. However, the durability of this model is low comparing to other vehicles in this review.
Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH
Range: 28 miles / 45 km
Charge: 6-7 hours
Price: 300-400 USD / 250-350 EUR
The 10-inch pneumatic tires on the Kickscooter MAX can climb slopes that have a 20% incline. Special cable protection. Durable model with option to upgrade to PRO with swappable battery function.
Top speed: 18.6 MPH / 29.9 KMPH
Range: Approx. 23 miles / 37 km
Charge: 6-7 hours
Price: 480 - 580 USD / 440 - 540 EUR
Superpedestrian offers the first micro mobility platform built on intelligent electric vehicles and cloud tools.
The Superdestrian model by US based mobility company of the same name offers a 12+ months vehicle lifetime, real-time safety checks, active protection systems and a robust design offering.
Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH
Range: 56 miles / 90 km
Charge: 7 hours
Price: -
Electric Bikes / Mopeds
Designed specifically for shared fleet services, this electronic bike model will launch in spring 2020 with fully integrated IoT.
Top speed: 21.75 MPH / 35 KMPH
Range: 35 miles / 56 km
Charge: 6 hours
Price: Contact us or ACTON directly
NIU delivers electric vehicle in the two-wheel class powered by a Bosch Electric Motor and Panasonic Lithium Battery.
Designed specifically for shared fleet services, this electronic bike model will launch in spring 2020 with fully integrated IoT.
Top speed: 28 MPH / 45 KMPH
Range: 35-45 miles / 50-70 km
Charge: 6 hours
Price: 2593 USD / 2400 EUR
The Gonbike Pab model is a fully integrated e-bike, with native IoT integration and high battery capacity up to 49.7 m / 80 km.
Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH
Range: 50 miles / 80 km
Charge: 6 hours
Price: 995 USD / 930 EUR
FitRider M2 ebike
Swappable battery design, 14 or 16 ’inch wheels, strong frame, drum brake and build-in IoT/GPS.
Top speed: 15.5 MPH / 25 KMPH
Range: 45 miles / 70 km
Charge: 3-5 hours
Price: Contact us
This is the first part of hardware overview. In next blog post we will cover IoT/GPS devices and then 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.
The mobile sharing industry is projected to grow at a rapid rate over the next several years. The economic shift towards micro mobility has shown that bike and scooter use is going to grow from USD $2.5 billion in 2019 to USD $10.1 billion by 2027. With an increasing demand for affordable mobility services, industry leaders are making adjustments to their financial models to accommodate changing regulations, as well as, growing production costs.
The mobile sharing industry is projected to grow at a rapid rate over the next several years. The economic shift towards micro mobility has shown that bike and scooter use is going to grow from USD $2.5 billion in 2019 to USD $10.1 billion by 2027. With an increasing demand for affordable mobility services, industry leaders are making adjustments to their financial models to accommodate changing regulations, as well as, growing production costs.
We put together a breakdown of the expenses that are currently going in to establishing a profitable MaaS company along with some other considerations to keep in mind.
The pricing levels for different services being offered around the world vary based upon initial upfront costs, cost per allotted time and total ride duration. These prices are also subject to change depending on the regulatory requirements of each location.
Scooter sharing:
Bike sharing:
At ATOM Mobility we have a specific calculation to determine the total income a scooter or bike sharing service makes based on ride time and pricing fees. This allows adjustments to be made for the different price levels each company offers.
Income Equation: (Unlock Fee + (Average Ride Time X Minutes)) = x
x = Average Price per Ride
Ridership is impacted by a multitude of factors, including availability to travel lanes, density of charging/docking stations, level of integration within the overall transportation network, along with the extent of rider outreach and vendor education. Vehicle use rates tend to increase based on volume of available scooters/bikes and ease of access to stations. The systems with larger fleets, as well as wider spread sharing infrastructure tend to experience higher ridership.
According to research conducted by the National Association of City Transportation Officials, scooters are making up to two times more rides per vehicle per day compared to bikes. Bike services complete anywhere from 0.5 to 2.5 rides per day at an average of 1, with trends showing a shift away from traditional pedal bicycles as the interest in e-vehicles continues to grow.
Image source: nacto.org
The region where services are being offered can also influence ridership. Across our partners at ATOM Mobility for scooters, we are seeing from 1.8 to even 5 rides per vehicle per day, with even higher rates in colder regions where the proper infrastructure is in place.
Image source: City of Chicago, E-scooter Pilot Evaluation
An evaluation of the City of Chicago’s E-scooter pilot program found that over time the number of trips per day decreased from an average of 3.7 to 2.5. This aligns with the seasonality of mobility vehicles, which has been proven to impact ridership. Our research found that there can be decreases between 30 to 50 percent during the off-season.
The average rides per day you can count on for bike sharing services is 0.5 to 2.5, and 1.8 to 5 for scooter sharing services.
Once we have determined how many rides are being taken and the average price, we can calculate the average income per vehicle per month and outline cost positions. To begin growing revenue, mobility companies need to determine ways to extend the lifespan of their vehicles or off-set the costs once the limit is met. These factors are a major component in developing a successful financial model. In addition, it’s important to review the other expenses that impact vehicle maintenance and usage when constructing an accurate forecast.
Seasonality refers to the time of year a service operates as a result of environmental or weather factors. For mobility services, the usage season usually begins when the average temperature in a month is +10 Celsius or more.
The number of rides each vehicle is taking in a day will impact both revenue but also maintenance and lifespan costs.
The rate for each ride will need to be considered when developing an overall financial plan for a company.
Maintenance of the vehicle fleets is required and may vary depending on usage, as well as vehicle model.
Whether the fleet uses docking stations or offers free floating services, the cost of charging the vehicles is necessary for continued use.
This includes any of the banking fees that are acquired.
Promoting the services being offered is an essential expense for business growth and expansion within the market.
Most mobility services are offered through mobile apps that require regular support from customer service representatives to resolve customer inquiries and help with reputation management for the company.
These services include IoT systems, sim cards, data, software and other technological requirements needed for the vehicles to operate.
Mobility companies like any other vehicle service are subject to additional costs such as insurance, city permits and/or other resources.
To help determine the overall impact of fluctuating costs for scooter and bike services, we developed a financial model that breaks down costs based on a percentage. Through this Excel-based Model we are able to maintain a proportionate evaluation of the expenses for each service.
source: ATOM Mobility
To make calculations we assume an average ride time of 20 minutes then apply that to our Excel-based Model. Costs are shown as a percent from the ride price. Since cost and prices differ country by country, this model allows for the proportions to remain the same. For accurate forecast planning, we recommend using the average of two to four rides per vehicle per day on a period of wholesale. To learn more about our model, please email us.
Mobility as a service is expected to continue growing as additional opportunities for expansion and profitability open in the market. At ATOM Mobility, we want to help your business thrive in the exciting new world of transportation services. There has not been a better time to join other industry leaders than right now. Reach out to us today so we can start building for the future, starting with our scooter sharing software.