Going Green – Intermodally

There’s no doubt about it: mobility is on the brink of far-reaching change. This shift has multiple causes: the stagnating automobile market; an increased willingness, particularly among the younger generations, to use public transport; and new types of mobility facilitated by smartphones. essential media is in favour of e-mobility, and one of its projects has involved helping Taxizentrale IsarFunk, a Munich-based taxi company, to launch Germany’s first electric taxi service.

Most developments begin in metropolitan areas, but we are focused on the countryside, an area where new projects tend to fail due to low population and usage density. That said, rural regions are where action is most needed. With no client brief, we took it upon ourselves to research mobility in the region. In doing so, we came across the concept of intermodality, the idea of using multiple methods of transport to get from A to B – and of doing so, as far as possible, without using your own car.

Portals for Intermodal Mobility

In rural areas, one car (or often, two cars) per family is the norm. Numerous communities are, however, trying to solve the rural mobility problem. Pilot projects are studying ways to turn public buses into taxis, and car sharing is finding its way into the countryside via Dorfauto (“village car”) schemes. In addition to traditional modes of transport, several regions are also testing combinations of e-mobility and intermodality.

Two concerns are already very active in intermodality: Daimler (Moovel) and Deutsche Bahn (Qixxit). Although these projects are technically sophisticated and very user-friendly, the extent of their intermodality remains to be seen.

More information on concepts and pilot projects relating to mobility in the region is available as a whitepaper. Use the contact form on the right to request a copy.

(Foto: Fotolia)