New report from FREE NOW reveals emerging mobility trends across
Europe
● Demand for electric taxi trips growing – 104% average increase in electric trips in
2021 versus 2020 across Europe & 48% increase across Ireland
● 58% of passengers in Ireland think there are too many private vehicles on Irish roads
● 40% of FREE NOW passengers intend to use eScooters for everyday transport use
in 2022
03 February 2022 – FREE NOW, Europe’s Mobility Super App has launched a new report
revealing emerging transport trends across Europe and changing consumer preferences in
Ireland for 2022, with the data drawing on passenger trips and insights among its 54 million user
base spanning 16 countries including Ireland and the UK.
Rise of Multi-mobility
The report highlighted the growing popularity of alternative forms of transport in Europe which
passengers are using as part of a multi-modal approach to daily transport – with eScooters,
eMopeds, eBikes, taxis, private hire vehicles and car sharing among the options available for
booking with FREE NOW. The data shows a 483% year-on-year increase in eScooter, eBike
and eMoped trips and a 931% rise in car sharing bookings on the FREE NOW app across
Europe in 2021 compared to the previous year. This increased use of car sharing, eMopeds and
eBikes aligns with the transformation of FREE NOW into a fully integrated multi-mobility platform
with ride hailing at its core and new partnerships with SHARE NOW, TIER, Cooltra and Dott.
Their vehicles are available across Europe within the app as well as existing partner brands
emmy, VOI and MILES.
While interest in new transport options is rising across Europe, consumer demand for taxis as a
key public transport option also remains strong. Indeed FREE NOW data shows a 45% increase
in taxi trips across Ireland last year compared to 2020.
Increasing demand for electric rides
Across Europe, the average annual increase of electric taxi bookings in 2021 doubled compared
to 2020. Last year in Ireland, FREE NOW recorded a growing national demand for electric taxis
with 48% more passengers making ECO bookings than in 2020, meaning more passengers
were choosing EV and Hybrid vehicles. This increase aligns with FREE NOW’s regional
expansion of its ECO bookings service last September in Cork, Galway and Limerick, having
first launched in Dublin in 2020. The ECO fleet now comprises 30% of FREE NOW’s nationwide
taxi offering in Ireland.
This growing consumer interest in electric trips reflects data showing that three-quarters of
FREE NOW passengers think that Ireland needs more sustainable, electric transport options in
line with other European countries**.
Popularity of micro-mobility options
With 58% of FREE NOW passengers sharing the view that there are too many private cars on
Irish roads*, a shift towards new transport approaches might also be on the horizon in Ireland.
Interest is growing in micro-mobility options like eScooters – in line with the introduction of
eScooters to Irish roads later this year, 40% of FREE NOW passengers intend to use eScooters
for everyday transport use in 2022**.
FREE NOW plans to launch micro-mobility options for passengers in Ireland in 2022 and
partnerships have been confirmed with mobility providers including TIER mobility, Dott and Zipp
Mobility to facilitate aims of eScooter integrations on the FREE NOW app. This forms part of
FREE NOW Ireland’s aim to build a single, multi-mobility app like other European markets. To
this effect, FREE NOW Ireland also launched a public transport trip planner on the app last year
integrating google maps, with the goal of providing passengers with a range of transport options
to choose from when planning trips – including public bus, LUAS, train and FREE NOW taxis.
Niall Carson, General Manager FREE NOW Ireland commented,
“At FREE NOW we are aiming to provide passengers with a dynamic range of sustainable,
low-emission and efficient transport options across Ireland.
Insights from our European network allow us to gauge what the future of transport in Ireland
might look like in line with the integration of varied transport options to our app - including a
growing electric fleet and eScooters which will launch later this year.
Looking at the big picture, the number of private cars in Europe is set to rise to 273 million by
2025, compared to 263 million today. It is estimated that these 10 million new private cars could
remain parked approximately 95% of the time and would require additional parking space
equivalent to the size of Dublin. A shift away from private car ownership is becoming apparent
with more people considering multi-mobility, or a blended approach to daily transport as a real
alternative to meet their everyday travel needs.
The transport sector has ambitious sustainability targets to meet as per our Climate Action Plan,
but with growing public appetite for sustainable transport and a collaborative effort from
transport providers across the country to deliver electric and multi-mobility options, we can
hopefully bridge the gap between where we stand currently and where we need to be by 2030.”
ENDS
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Ina Gonzalez | Orlaith Shinnick
Teneo
freenow@teneo.com087 123 2983 | 087 7411 536
About FREE NOW
FREE NOW is Ireland’s leading mobility app and has been active in the market for nine years.
Next to ride hailing, FREE NOW also offers a range of mobility services such as eScooters,
eBikes, eMopeds as well as car sharing across Europe. Moving over 16 million people a year,
operating in over 20 towns and cities across Ireland offering drivers a pay as you go solution to
their business and passengers the opportunity to pay by card, business account or cash if they
wish. FREE NOW is part of the FREE NOW Group, the multi service mobility joint venture from
Mercedes-Benz Mobility and BMW. The Group attracts 41 million users in 17 markets and more
than 150 cities. This makes the FREE NOW Group the biggest ride hailing provider in Europe
and the fastest-growing in Latin America. Niall Carson is the General Manager of FREE NOW
Ireland, the CEO of the FREE NOW Group is Marc Berg.
About the European report cited
The results reported in the FREE NOW’s Mobility as a Service Report are based on newest
external studies, surveys and internal data points of trips and the fleet.
Countries surveyed in FREE NOW’s Mobility as a Service Report include, Ireland, Germany,
Poland, Austria, Rumania, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and the UK.
About the Irish research cited
(*) The research referenced was conducted by FREE NOW amongst a representative sample of
9,791 participants in Ireland in September 2021.
(**) The research referenced was conducted by Red C among a nationally representative
sample of 1,000 people in Ireland in April 2021.
https://www.free-now.com/fileadmin/Markets/Ireland/Press_Ireland/New_report_from_FREE_NOW_reveals_emerging_mobility_trends_across_Europe.pdf
