Executive Summary

Shared micromobility services (e-bikes and e-mopeds) have become an increasingly important part of the urban transport mix in the Netherlands. However, profitability and adoption depend heavily on understanding which attributes drive choice and how preferences differ across consumer segments.

This study applies Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) to quantify how individuals (primarily aged 18–40) trade off:

• Price
• Travel time
• Walking distance to the vehicle
• Vehicle sustainability (CO2 lifecycle emissions)

In addition, the analysis explicitly tests for preference heterogeneity, examining whether these trade-offs vary based on income and self-reported sustainability focus.

Key Findings

• Allowing nonlinear effects and adding interaction terms substantially improves model fit.
• On average, respondents place positive value on higher sustainability levels, implying that greener vehicle options can increase consumer preference.
• Interaction results suggest segmentation is critical:
  • Price × income indicates higher-income users are less price-sensitive.
  • Age × walking distance suggests older users are more willing to pay for reduced access distance.

Managerial Recommendations

• Firms should decide on and optimize for a clear target segment, because willingness-to-pay and attribute sensitivity vary.
• Sustainability should be made visible at the point of choice:
  • A practical low-cost intervention is to add a CO2 / sustainability label sticker on vehicles, which can shift demand toward greener options and justify stronger pricing.
• The interaction effects also suggest that premium pricing and carefully placed mobility hubs may perform best in areas with:
  • higher incomes
  • older consumer populations
  • stronger valuation of reduced walking distance

Limitations (and Why the Study Still Matters)

This research includes several important limitations:

• Attribute levels are modeled categorically, limiting extrapolation beyond tested values.
• The study would benefit from more attribute levels, a larger sample, and multiple pilot rounds.
• The absence of an opt-out alternative may bias choice estimates upward.

Despite these limitations, the study provides a useful benchmark for shared mobility research in the Dutch context by:

• quantifying core trade-offs (price/time/distance/sustainability)
• demonstrating the value of richer model specifications (nonlinearities + interactions)
• delivering actionable segmentation and sustainability-marketing insights

Overall, it serves as a solid reference point and methodological baseline for future shared micromobility studies.