AXA — A SMARTLOCK manufacturer based out of The Netherlands that provides Electric Ring Locks (ERLs) for bike shares.
BACKEND — The portion of a fleet share software utilized by the owners/managers of the fleet to manage user data, vehicle data, payments, etc.
BLUETOOTH — Wireless technology designed for exchanging data over short distances.
C.A.S.E. — An acronym that stands for “Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric.” Assumed to describe the future of MICROMOBILITY.
COVERAGE AREA — The area within a region where a fleet share offers its vehicles for use.
DECK — The part of an electric kick scooter on which a rider stands.
DOCK — The physical mechanism that immobilizes a fleet share vehicle until it is released by a rider. Also known as a PORT.
DOCKLESS — Systems that do not require a docking station. Vehicles can be parked within a defined space or along the sidewalk.
FIRST/LAST MILE — Historically, a trip associated with the connection between a transit hub (i.e. bus, rail) and a beginning/final destination. More recently, a trip between any destination and another modality of transportation associated with longer journeys (i.e. ride share, parked automobile, etc.)
FLEET DENSITY — The ratio of the number of vehicles in a fleet based on the population in the coverage area (typically calculated on a per 1,000-person basis).
FLEET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE — The suite of programs (mobile apps and backend) used to enable a fleet share via a rider’s smartphone.
GDPR — An acronym standing for “General Data Protection Regulation.” GDPR is a regulation within the European Union that dictates the guidelines for how data must be stored in order to ensure security.
GEOFENCE — The digital boundaries created within a software platform that demarcate a coverage area or parking zones.
GIG ECONOMY — In the context of fleet share, the as-needed services of individuals to collect, recharge, and rebalance the vehicles associated with a fleet. Different terms apply to these individuals based on the associated fleet. EG. CHARGER = Bird, JUICER = Lime.
HARDWARE AGNOSTICISM — The ability of a platform to integrate with different hardware, either from different manufacturers or associated with different modalities of transportation.
IoT DEVICE — Internet of Things Device , an electronic device that connects something, in this case a vehicle, to the internet. The IoT device will transmit geolocation, real-time battery level, etc. depending on the vehicle and its connection to it.
MaaS — An acronym standing for “Mobility as a Service.” The combination of various transportation services from public and private providers through a unified gateway that creates and manages the trip, which users can pay for with a single account
MDS — An acronym standing for “Mobility Data Specification.” A data standard (set of definitions) and API specification created by the City of Los Angeles for mobility-as-a-service providers.
MICROMOBILITY — A form of transportation that is electric, below 500kgs, and used primarily for utility rather than pleasure. Term coined by Horace Dediu.
MOBILE APP — The smartphone app that enables a rider to unlock and utilize a vehicle on an enabled fleet share.
MODALITY (TRANSPORTATION) — The type of vehicle associated with a fleet share (EG. Bicycle, electric bicycle, electric kick scooter, etc.)
MOQ — An acronym standing for “Minimum Order Quantity.” The minimum amount of a product that a manufacturer will sell. Relevant for the hardware associated with any share fleet.
OPERATIONS — The day-to-day activities engaged in by the field staff and fleet managers responsible for a fleet share to ensure consistent availability and use by riders.
OPERATOR (FLEET) — The owner and manager of a shared fleet.
PARKING ZONE — A location within a coverage area that is marked by a fleet operator to indicate where vehicles should be dropped off following the completion of a journey.
PERMITS — The licenses granted by municipalities to allow operation of a fleet share within the geographic boundaries.
PESKIN RATIO — the ratio of “failed rides” to “successful rides” an average user experiences attempting to use a transportation service.
PRIVATE FLEET — A fleet only able to be utilized by pre-approved individuals. Access is usually gained via a code that can be inputted within the mobile app.
PRIVATIZATION — The colloquial term used when a fleet share vehicle is stolen or otherwise misappropriated for use by only one individual.
PUBLIC FLEET — A fleet of vehicles that can be accessed by anyone who downloads the associated mobile app and creates a user profile.
RANGE — The distance an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge.
REBALANCING — the process in which vehicles are redistributed throughout the service area to ensure that each hub has an optimal number of units based on the expected usage.
SEGWAY-NINEBOT — One of the most common manufacturers of electric kick scooters.
SERVICE AREA — see COVERAGE AREA
SHARE FLEET — a service in which vehicles are made available for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis. See also SCOOTER SHARE or BIKESHARE/BIKE-SHARE/BIKE SHARE
SMARTLOCK — The electronic locks attached to a bicycle that enable use in a dockless bikeshare platform.
STATION — A collection of DOCKS/PORTS that serve as a parking area for a fleet share.
STEM — The upright portion of an electric scooter that holds the handlebars.
UPTAKE RATE — The percentage of individuals within a COVERAGE AREA that use a fleet share system. Typically, estimates for calculations are made at 3%, 6% and 9%.
UTILIZATION — The usage of vehicles associated with a fleet share system.
WALLET — The account into which a user prepays in order to purchase “credits” that are used to ride the vehicles associated with a shared fleet.
XIAOMI — One of the most common manufacturers of electric kick scooters.
