Over the past few years, increasing demand for economical, flexible, and convenient alternatives for commuting and micromobility has fuelled the bike and scooter sharing market. Advancements in communication technologies, rising congestion, and a focus on sustainability have propelled the market. Dockless bike sharing in particular has gained prominence due to its ease of use (in terms of locating and tracking) through a smartphone application. China, Europe, and the US are the key markets with successful systems operated by Bird, Bolt, and Lime amongst others.
This report summarises the status and forecasts from the Bike and Scooter Sharing Application Group found in the Transforma Insights Connected Things IoT forecast. The report provides a description of what is covered in the Application Group, as well as top-level figures from the forecast that provide details on how many connected devices will be installed, the types of communication technology used and the total revenue opportunity. Full details are accessible through the IoT Forecast tool.
This section first claims that the global bike sharing market witnessed significant growth after 2008, when Hangzhou’s district authorities launched a public bike sharing scheme in the region with 4,900 bicycles that expanded to 50,000 within a year.
It further explains that since then, several bike schemes have proliferated various countries and then, in a long tabular format, it explains the major bike sharing schemes across various countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For instance, in the United States, Citi Bike (New York City) has a network of 33,000 bikes as of 2023, Divvy (Chicago) has a network of 17,000 bikes as of 2024, Capital Bikeshare (Washington D.C.) has a network of 8,000 bikes across 800 stations (as of 2025), and Bluebikes (Boston) has 5,300 bikes as of 2025.
It then shifts its focus to e-scooters and explains that e-scooter sharing is also gaining popularity in certain parts of the world, especially in places where trips are short, tourists are abundant, and car use is not promoted. It then discusses the popularity of e-scooter sharing in terms of geography and how this popularity is impacted due to the current regulations about the same. Case in point, in the Netherlands, shared bikes are widespread, but shared e-scooters are uncommon due to a recently lifted ban imposed, because Dutch cities face the problem of congested bike lanes. In a tabular format, it then lists the major scooter sharing schemes across various countries, including Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States. To cite an example, in Helsinki (Finland), there are around 10,000 e-scooters operated by multiple operators (Lime or Dott) as of 2025. Besides, around 6,000 e-scooters are operated by multiple companies in Tampere and around 3,000 e-scooters are operated in Lahiti.
The report then examines key factors that are influencing the development of the market, including:
This section of the report traces the rise of the dockless model and charts the advantages of this model over the docked or station-based bike sharing model (like being more flexible). It then talks about the features of dockless bikes (such as being equipped with GPS) and talks about how their adoption has fared over time. It then explains that scooter sharing services have mostly been dockless, largely due to the emergence of e-scooter technology after the success of dockless bike-sharing models.
This section of the report lists some of the drivers behind the rising adoption of Bike & Scooter Sharing (like the additional transportation flexibility it provides users) and claims that local authorities are likely to introduce measures to alleviate congestion and reduce urban pollution. For instance, as per the US Department of Transportation, bike sharing is expected to reduce traffic congestion by as much as 4%. It explains how micromobility schemes make them a compelling short-term solution for cities looking to reduce congestion or ease the burden on their public transport networks. It also explains how bike and scooter sharing is also being increasingly used by e-commerce companies these days. For instance, in India, food delivery companies have integrated rental bikes into their delivery operations.
This section begins with an explanation of how the lack of support or sympathy from local authorities has resulted in the mixed success of bike and scooter sharing schemes, leading companies like Ofo and Bluegogo to face bankruptcy.
It then talks about how this scenario has gradually changed since 2017, which witnessed the introduction of new regulations, which are crucial to avoid oversaturation, maintain goodwill with the governments, keep the public onside, and ensure long-term success of the market. Case in point, developed markets like China, the US, and the UK mandate commuter registration, restrict services for children under 12, and encourage operators to use geofences to ensure orderly parking, avoid pedestrian areas, and prompt removal of non-functional bikes. It also states that the rising number of shared bicycles launched by micromobility service providers that increased beyond market capacity has also increased regulatory reforms in the industry.
Furthermore, it claims that safety concerns may also result in further regulatory action in some instances and may also dissuade some potential users, and charts the steps taken by various governments to support better cycling infrastructure and encourage greater bicycle usage. For instance, as of August 2023, approximately EUR3.2 billion (USD3.5 billion) had been invested in cycling projects across Europe as per the 2021-2027 EU structural funding period.
This section of the report examines some of the barriers that restrict the adoption of bike and scooter sharing systems.
This subsection explains that in some countries, bike and scooter sharing prices are similar or higher than other public transportation options, which makes it a less attractive option. For instance, in India, bikes and buses are priced similarly, but if convenience, availability, and docking infrastructure are taken into consideration, buses become a preferable option.
It explains that other smart rental solutions like e-mopeds are also gaining popularity, which may negatively impact the adoption trend. For example, Yulu began to offer bikes and e-bikes to the Indian market in 2018; however, it has since pivoted towards electric mopeds and experienced greater success.
This subsection explains that various regulatory concerns have started to cause issues for end users. For example, in 2025, e-bike users in London were unable to complete journeys without changing providers because of differing regulations between boroughs.
This section first talks about the growth of the micromobility market in the past 5 years and charts some of the important features of these vehicles, including automatic emergency calls and integrated navigation. It then discussed the technologies that are used to manage bike and scooter sharing systems and their benefits. For instance, Bluetooth SoCs (Systems on Chips) are used to track bikes and scooters, and NFC (Near Field Communication) tags are used for identification and communication.
It also discusses the impact of the emergence of low power wide area (LPWA) networks on this market. For example, LPWA technologies ensure cheap support for bikes and scooters through regular maintenance tracking and updates of the vehicle and in-service diagnostics and logistics. It then gives some examples of relevant IoT deployments in this application, including Telit partnering with Kumpan to create a telematics ridesharing e-scooter solution, and Yulu leveraging Vodafone’s IoT and Global Data Service Platform (GDSP) to reduce commuting issues.
The key vendors section lists some of the main providers of products and services related to the market, such as Bird, Bolt, Cooltra, Lime, Lyft, Capital Bikeshare, DiDi, and Tier Mobility. The report provides profiles of the various vendors including aspects most relevant to this Application Group, such as product offerings, pricing, financial results, and technology.
In the market forecasts section, we provide a summary of the forecasts from the Transforma Insights IoT Forecast Database:
The report charts the growth in the number of bike and scooter sharing devices, which will grow from 18.3 million in 2024 to 29.5 million in 2034.
Transforma Insights forecasts are compiled on a country-by-country basis. This report includes a regional summary, showing splits between Australasia, Greater China, North America, Europe, Japan, Latin America, MENA, Russia & Central Asia, South East Asia, South Korea, India & South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Transforma Insights’ IoT forecasts include splits between the various connectivity technologies as follows: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G mMTC, 5G non-mMTC, LPWA (non-mMTC), Satellite, Short Range, and Other.
This section discusses which technologies will be used in the bike and scooter sharing application group.
This part of the report discusses the market growth in terms of revenue (module revenue, service wrap revenue, and VAC revenue). Transforma Insights estimates that the revenue in the Bike & Scooter Sharing Application Group will grow at a CAGR of 7%.
