Crafting tomorrow’s commute: Product teams in future mobility

What is future mobility?

Future mobility refers to the evolving ways in which people and goods will move from one place to another in the coming years. This includes innovation in transportation systems like electric vehicles (EVs), advanced air mobility (AAM) and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

An autonomous vehicle self-driving in San Francisco. (Source: Unsplash}

As the UK plans to reduce carbon-intensive activities by 2050, innovations in future mobility can help by tackling congestion and pollution. For example, the government actively promotes EV adoption as demonstrated by initiatives like the EV Plug-in Grant and banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035.

The value of product teams to future mobility

We came together on a product community day to discuss the different points of view on future mobility and explore how product teams comprising product managers (PMs) and user-centred design (UCD) practitioners can help shape the future.

Image taken from our product community day on 22/06/2023.

Our community recognised that UCD practitioners blend user empathy, accessibility, usability, and aesthetics to drive the adoption of new technologies. Product managers support their contributions by creating roadmaps aligned with business goals, regulations, and policies, whilst balancing other initiatives.

This article highlights the community’s top three themed ideas about how product teams can drive future mobility innovation, with a focus on the value-adding activities they might do in this space.

1. Soaring on the wings of inclusion

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is an aspect of future mobility that utilises electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also known as ‘flying taxis,’ to offer on-demand, short-distance air transportation in urban areas.

eVTOLs take off and land vertically at ground facilities called ‘vertiports,’ eliminating the need for traditional runways and providing a sustainable solution to traffic congestion.

An example of an eVTOL (Source: Aviation Today)

Our community’s first idea was that accessibility and inclusivity need to be considered from the outset when designing for AAM, especially as there may be a legal expectation to accommodate users with accessibility needs.

• This could include implementing measures at vertiports such as step-free access, accessible signage, visual and tactile cues, and more.
• Software such as flight booking apps or in-flight entertainment systems should also be accessible.

Product teams can conduct user research and develop a range of user archetypes or mindsets to better understand the diverse needs of users like passengers and vertiport staff. This includes users with accessibility needs, different age groups and varying preferences to inform the design of the eVTOL aircraft, vertiports and associated user interfaces.

Product teams can also support from a commercial perspective, helping eVTOL operators develop a profitable business model by:

• Conducting market research and formulating revenue strategies that make AAM scalable and affordable, balancing the need for profitability to provide accessible transportation services.
• Implementing Agile principles in traditional waterfall engineering project environments, to deliver increments of AAM value faster.
• Exploring innovative business models like subscription services, partnerships, and loyalty programs that go beyond traditional aviation.

Even Santa might be tempted to replace his sleigh with an eVTOL.

2. One login to rule them all.

With flying taxis and autonomous vehicles on the horizon, we will be spoilt for choice on how we can get to our destinations. Additionally, Google Maps already offers us options of routes for walking, public transport, bicycles, or cars.

For a particular journey, you might need a combination of transport methods for the best route, however, booking tickets from multiple different vendors can be frustrating.

But what if we could book them all in one place?

In the future mobility context, this is called ‘multimodal journey integration’, where platforms unify various modes of transportation, from public transport to ride-sharing. Users could register their ID on an app to book journeys across several transport modes. This resembles the principle of “GOV.UK One Login”, where users register once and then use the same account to access different government services online.

A user could book a multimodal journey via an app. (Source: ITS World Congress)

This brings us to our community’s second idea, which is that product teams are well-placed to create platforms that offer users a unified and convenient experience to plan and pay for multimodal journeys.

A product team can achieve this by:

• Utilising service designers to create blueprints and user journeys for the entire user experience across various transportation modes.
• Having the business analysts and technical architects identify application programming interfaces (APIs) and define solution architectures that support multi-vendor communication.
• Ensuring seamless access to information for users on future mobility apps through collaboration between content designers, user researchers, and UX designers.
• Exploring the use of generative AI to create content such as travel itineraries, journey notifications, or FAQ articles based on operator-passenger conversations.

3. United by a common driveway

Shared mobility is a future mobility concept that involves users sharing transport services and resources, either simultaneously or one after another. For instance, Cuvva facilitates car sharing by providing temporary insurance for driving another person’s vehicle. Another example is JustPark, where individuals lend parking spots or driveways, optimising urban space use for convenient and affordable parking.

Our community’s third idea is that product teams can play a crucial role in shaping shared mobility by:

• Defining user needs and pain points related to resource sharing — potentially with strangers. This could be addressed by embedding safety features in digital interfaces and physical spaces to enhance user confidence.
• Incorporating design elements that promote sustainable behaviours, like shared rides or using EVs.
• Implementing technologies like blockchain for secure transactions associated with vehicle usage, EV charging or parking management.

Electric vehicle charging. (Source: Unsplash)

So, are we nearly there yet?

Although the term future mobility would have you think it is yet to arrive, plenty of developments in this space are well in motion, and our journey is far from over.

Innovation in this area demands a harmonious partnership between product thinking and user-centred design expertise, to truly drive a future where mobility meets the highest standards of efficiency, safety, and user satisfaction.

Are you ready for the ride?