How eHUBS can influence the future of mobility

E-cars, e-bikes or even e-scooters are now familiar terms for the majority of the population and firmly integrated into German usage. But what about the meaning of the word eHUBS? Not everyone would have the right explanation right away. Reason enough to ask our expert Emma Costa. She represents Bayern Innovativ as a partner in the EU project "eHUBS".

Emma, what are eHUBS anyway?

Emma Costa: eHUBS refers to places where various sustainable e-vehicles are available for shared use (e. g. E-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-scooters , e-cars). There are different concepts, from so-called mini-hubs with only one or two parking spaces to large stations that have several means of transportation and are located, for example, at train stations or important transport hubs.

What advantages do eHUBS offer the user?

Emma Costa: The user can choose from an attractive range of different electromobility services. Thus, the abandonment of the own car is easier, especially in cities . This, in turn, has a positive effect on well-being and the environment: because cities become cleaner, more livable and more pleasant due to lower CO2 emissions.

What is the goal of the EU project "eHUBS" and what is Bayern Innovativ's role as a partner in the project?

Emma Costa: The eHUBS project is a consortium of seven cities and 15 European partners, including organizations, universities and e-mobility service providers. Led by the city of Amsterdam, the project aims to increase the share of shared and electric mobility , making urban transportation more environmentally friendly and efficient.
Bayern Innovativ supports the city of Kempten, the only German city in this project, in establishing the eHUBS. In addition, based on the project experience gained, we are creating a guide for other cities to use when setting up mobility stations .

What role does psychology play in behavioral research around eHUBS?

Emma Costa: The psychology plays a hugely important role in behavioral research around eHUBS. In this context, our project partner, the Psychology for Sustainable Cities research group at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, has developed ten recommendations to increase the use of eHUBS, or mobility stations. The biggest challenge initially is to convince citizens to stop using their own cars - after all, people are creatures of habit. The key to success lies in behavioral change. So, you try to change the mobility patterns of citizens, especially drivers, through specific measures.

What do such measures look like in practice?

Emma Costa: Basically, it's about the formula "Know - Use - Motivate", which makes a switch more likely. That is, citizens must know how eHUBS work, nothing should stand in the way of easy and convenient use, and citizens should be motivated to use eHUBS.

"Increasing the attractiveness of eHUBS" was, after all, also a topic at the ADAC Bar Camp, where Bayern Innovativ was represented with you:

Emma Costa: Yes, exactly. That was a really exciting session that we were allowed to host here. The exact task was: "How can mobility stations, so-called eHUBS, be made more attractive so that a rethink takes place in the population" . For this purpose, a whole range of ideas and suggestions were developed by the participants in order to optimally design eHUBS. In doing so, it became fundamentally apparent that eHUBS offer more than just a place with various electric mobility solutions . Rather, the idea is to create a "community meeting place" or "Mobi neighborhood" with other attractive offerings, thus making the eHUBS the hub of the city's social life. It would also be conceivable to offer other sustainable services, such as workshops or recycling/upcycling stations. Now it's a matter of testing such concepts in the pilot cities to find out which of them can be realized.

The project will continue until fall 2022 - Can you already report something about the "lessons learned"

Emma Costa: First of all, it's very exciting to be actively involved in this multidisciplinary consortium and to network different means of transport both physically and digitally. But it is also particularly interesting for us to show the "learnings" that arise in such a project. This includes, for example, defining the individual steps, visions, target groups and goals that municipalities need to establish mobility stations. The choice of a suitable location should also be well thought out. In addition, the question of suitable sharing providers and cooperation with various stakeholders plays an essential role. Finally, it is about making the alternatives to owning a car as attractive as possible for the user.

Are these lessons learned already available or usable?

Emma Costa: We are working on it right now. As part of our tasks in the eHUBS project, we are creating a digital learning tool that is all about the process of building mobility stations. This tool will serve as "Blueprint" for other cities - so-called replication cities - and is intended to help successfully install mobility stations, setting them on the right path to sustainable mobility . The eHUBS Blueprint for Cities is expected to be ready by the end of this year.  If you would like to participate as a "replication city", please feel free to contact me.