Moia Is The Electric Taxi Startup That Uber Has Already Made Redundant
If only we had some kind of affordable taxi service for major cities. A service that could be accessed via an app, provide a vehicle on demand and take you to where you want to go. Alas, such a thing does not exist.
Except for Uber. A multinational leviathan, which, despite its flaws, is regularly used and loved by tens of millions of urbanites around the world. Ahem.
Nonetheless, plucky Berlin startup Moia, owned by Volkswagen, has come up with this; an electric bus that can carry up to six people across the city in apparent space and comfort. They might be a group of friends, or they could be six strangers. You book it via an app, algorithms do their dance and the minibus with the route that most closely matches your needs comes to collect you.
The marketing strapline for this is ‘one million cars off the road.’ The thing is, people who use services like Uber aren’t often people who would normally drive instead. Either they want to drive and they drive, or they don’t want to drive and they use public transport. The Moia system looks like an appealing alternative to crowded trains and the Tube, so the marketers might be closer to the mark with ‘one million people off public transport’…
The bus is new, all designed in-house by Moia using a Volkswagen Transporter as the rough base. They call it a car, but ignore that. The seats are, or can be, standalone; good for comfort and avoiding the public transport weirdos you always seem to get on buses. Each seat has dimmable reading lights, USB ports and all passengers have access to the on-board WiFi.
It’s set to make its debut in the impressively forward-thinking city of Hamburg next year, where Moia will be trialling various models for commercial viability. Good luck, guys. You may need it.
Comments
I would never use uber or any other service like that if I could drive myself, but if it gets more people off the road and frees up traffic, Im all for it
Yep. Well said
The downside to having the masses start using electric/selfdriving Uber all the time, is that it raises the cost of car ownership at every level. Suddenly gas is more expensive because there’s less customers for it but they still need the same profit margins. Sames goes for car insurance, cars themselves, etc. So we, as car people, should be against Uber and their long-term goal of turning cars into a transportation subscription service.
Except Uber, well technically is against the law. You provide taxi service, without a taxi license. There’s a reason why Taxis are so expensive you know, strict regulations and taxes are one of them.
Tbh, those rules are outdated.
The sole reason an everyday chap buys a car is for privacy. Therefore ride sharing, especially in urban localities is silly.
I think they mean 1 million cars off the road as in, “We’re going to kill off Uber with this idea, that’s 1 million less taxis on the road.” in theory. Which, if the algorithm works in a cost effective way, I imagine could be true.
Too bad it won’t be legal in Norway. Uber is already illegal.
Is that a wood floor?
Looks more like a crafter rather than a transporter to me Matt
RIP Public Transport
I hate Uber so much
Since Uber is illegal in Germany Moia could be quite an interesting alternative here.
With VW behind them I doubt that they will have legal problems ahem
It’s illegal in Germany ?? When I lived there 2 years ago it wasn’t 🤔
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