Exploring diversity of shared micromobility market: A comparison across 52 countries

Shared micromobility is undergoing a rapid global evolution due to an interplay of several factors, such as new vehicle technology, the market entrance of new service providers, and user adoption patterns. Most recent studies focus on understanding shared micromobility in specific locations, while often analyzing shared bikes and e-scooters separately. In contrast, only few worldwide comparisons of shared micromobility systems and operators have been conducted. In order to understand the global evolution in its current phase, this study identifies spatio-temporal dynamics of the shared micromobility systems and operators in 52 countries, over four continents. The dataset is based on open standard data from 1,212 shared micromobility systems between the years 2022 and 2025. Comparative analysis methods included cluster analysis and network analysis, accounting for diversity and phasing in technological evolution. The results show an increase in vehicle technology diversity over time, and a change in parking modes based on the adoption of virtual stations, especially in Europe. Operators were classified based on their spatial diffusion into three types, namely multinational and national companies, alongside a large number of regional operators. Similarly, systems were classified into six clusters based on their characteristics, and the largest cluster contained multimodal systems offering both bicycles and e-scooters. This study informs different governance actors about the current evolutionary phase of shared micromobility technology, with recommendations for further actions.