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Vinagre Diaz, Juan JoseAuthorRodriguez Gonzalez, Ana BelenAuthorFernández Pozo, RubénAuthorWilby, Mark RichardAuthor

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Time-Based Utilization Rate of the Fleet: Measuring Deep Inefficiencies in E-Scooter Services in Atlanta and Rome

Publicated to:Ieee Transactions On Intelligent Transportation Systems. 25 (6): 1-0 - 2024-06-01 25(6), DOI: 10.1109/TITS.2023.3330572

Authors: Díaz, JJV; Pozo, RF; González, ABR; Wilby, MR

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Abstract

E-scooter services have been deployed in cities worldwide, as a clean, flexible, and enjoyable mobility mode that contribute to reaching sustainable objectives. Given its recent advent, we still need to understand its actual operation and efficiency, and the corresponding result from users. This work contributes to this aim, providing a novel metric, the time-based utilization rate of the fleet, to measure the performance of e-scooter services. Its time-based nature implies a novel approach in the field, separating from traditional approaches that use the number of trips as the basic variable. We will mathematically demonstrate that these metrics are approximations of the exact value we provide as they intrinsically depend on the time interval they select for the calculation. In order to feed our method, we have retrieved e-scooter data from an operator (Helbiz) in Atlanta (USA) and Rome (Italy), corresponding to February 2021. These data include the state of each e-scooter in time, which allows us to precisely know whether they were used, out of service, or parked. Results show utilization rates of the fleet of $0.2021\,\%$ and $0.3310\,\%$ , respectively and high percentages of out of service vehicles that exceed $25\,\%$ . However, this inefficiency was not reflected in the profitability of the business. The economic analysis we conducted shows revenues close to $1$ million euros in Rome, which may detach profitability from efficiency.

Keywords

economic analysisefficiencyelectric scooter sharing servicesutilization rate of the fleetAutomobilesCostsEconomic analysisEfficiencyElectric scooter sharing servicesMeasurementMotorcyclesProfitabilityShared mobilityShared transportUrban areasUsageUtilization rate of the fleet

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Ieee Transactions On Intelligent Transportation Systems due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2024 there are still no calculated indicators, but in 2023, it was in position 6/72, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Transportation Science & Technology. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 1.53, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions May 2025)

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-05-29:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 3 (PlumX).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Diaz JJV, Pozo RF, Gonzalez ABR, Wilby MR) and Last Author (Wilby, Mark Richard).