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February 20, 2025
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Movability in the media
Movability publishes interviews with mobility leaders, op-eds and serves as mobility experts for media outlets in Europe. Take a look at some of our work below.
Sampo Hietanen: ‘It’s not a question of if Amazon and Apple will enter the mobility market, but when’
Sampo Hietanen, former CEO of MaaS Global and a pioneer within bundled mobility and subscription based transportation, has spent years working to replace private car ownership with seamless, subscription-based mobility.
Owning a car is more expensive than ever, and cities worldwide are pushing for shared mobility. Along came Sampo Hietanen, saying that people would be willing to pay a flat-rate monthly for all the mobility they could need in a city that would replace a private car.
However, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has struggled to take off. Why? Some say that people prefer pay-as-you-go in front of a bundle. We ourselves have promoted the term Public Mobility as a term for subsidizing shared mobility as an integrated part of transit.
But, private MaaS can work, as shown by Uber, Bolt and more. FREENOW and more have bundled transit with taxi, scooters and car-sharing.
Few people have more knowledge about private MaaS than Sampo Hietanen. He is the former CEO of MaaS Global and a pioneer within bundled mobility and subscription based transportation. Today, he sees the industry at a crossroads.
In this interview, we explore the challenges of making MaaS commercially viable, why great technology must be followed up by great user experience, and how big tech could ultimately change the game. We also discuss a bold vision for the future, one where mobility isn’t just a service, but a lifestyle.
Recent article from Movability:
Lars: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from launching MaaS?
One major realization is that just having multiple mobility options in an app, like a supermarket, isn’t enough.
Where it gets interesting, and also with a greater potential for profit, is if you make an app that offers a lifestyle. For example, instead of a car lease you get 52 kg/Co2 per month, and you can spend it however you want. This is a concept that excites people. Another approach can be a subscription where you can be underway in less than 10 minutes, no matter the mode. If you can offer an attractive lifestyle, you will have greater chances of outcompeting private car ownership.
However, a good solution won’t help if you underspend resources when developing the user experience (UX). If you don’t have an excellent UX, you shouldn’t launch.
Lars: One big challenge in MaaS is making bundled mobility services work commercially. What is your take on that?
That’s one of the biggest issues. Many people think bundling mobility is like bundling entertainment services, such as Netflix. But mobility is different. People use different modes of transport depending on the situation. A bus pass makes sense for some, while others may need a mix of public transit, car-sharing, and e-scooters. The key is to make the service convenient and flexible enough to meet these needs.
Also, it’s a challenge to offer a user experience that is both attractive and reasonably priced. People need to see clear value in switching from private car ownership to bundled mobility.
Lars: How do you prevent users from misusing unlimited ride bundles?
That’s a great question. Some people assume that if you offer unlimited taxis, people will take them all day. But in reality, that doesn’t happen. People don’t travel just for the sake of it. They use mobility to get to a destination they care about, not to sit in the back of a taxi all day.
Actually, we saw that users on unlimited packages started using more sustainable modes over time. When you can have a taxi anytime you want, using a shared bike to get wind in your hair can be a great variety. Those customers were sitting in taxi on a sunny day, seeing city-bikers smiling next to them and many of them changed because it was made easy for them.
Lars:While unlimited taxi rides may not lead to excessive use, e-scooters present a different challenge. In some cities, we’ve seen young riders take advantage of fixed-price subscriptions. How should companies address this?
Well, this is the fun world of mobility pricing, which is still very much unexplored. I think when a service reaches a critical mass, we will find models that balance cost and usage, so that it’s both a good deal for the user and profitable for operators. For example, you could introduce caps on riding.
Other articles from Movability:
Lars: You’ve criticized overregulation in Europe. How does it impact MaaS?
Any mobility technology that has a big disruption does not grow in Europe because of overregulation. In football terms, we have 11 players defending and no strikers. This means we focus too much on controlling new ideas rather than letting them grow.
For example, city regulators often impose more restrictions on shared mobility than on private cars. Instead of embracing shared models, regulators treat them as a problem to control. They should see this as an opportunity, not a threat. If we want MaaS to succeed, we need policies that support innovation while ensuring public transport remains a core part of the system. This can be achieved through tenders and licenses.
Having said that, in some fields regulation can actually open markets. For example, creating a retail market for trips needs regulation to get going, such as transit. We wouldn’t have had such a wide transit coverage in Northern Europe if it wasn’t for subsidies.
Lars: How do you see the role of big tech companies in mobility?
I believe the major tech companies will eventually move into mobility, as we’ve seen with other industries. They often wait until smaller players have tested the market and proven the model before they step in. We can already see signs of this. Companies like Amazon and Apple could integrate mobility services into their platforms seamlessly, offering transport options alongside their existing services. It’s not a question of if Amazon and Apple will enter the mobility market, but when.
Lars: How will they do it? What trends do you think will shape the future of MaaS for big corporations entering the mobility market?
I see a few key trends:
Number one is subscription-based mobility. People will move away from pay-per-use models and towards all-inclusive subscriptions, similar to how streaming services changed entertainment.
Secondly, I strongly believe mobility platforms will get better at learning user preferences and making smarter travel suggestions supported by AI.
My third prediction is integration with other services that is called Mobility as a Feature. Mobility will be bundled with other sectors, such as housing, events, and retail. For example, new apartment buildings could come with built-in mobility subscriptions instead of parking spaces. This embedded mobility means that instead of standalone transport apps, mobility services will be integrated into platforms we already use, like shopping apps or telecom providers.
Lars: If you had to sum up your vision for the future of MaaS in one sentence, what would it be?
Mobility needs to be as easy as electricity. You don’t think about how it works, you just use it when you need it.
Lars: Finally, what advice would you give to companies looking to enter the MaaS space?
Focus on user experience. Many MaaS projects fail because they don’t offer a seamless and simple experience. People don’t want to waste time figuring out transport options. Make it easy, make it reliable, and people will use it.
Also, don’t expect to succeed as a standalone MaaS brand. Look for ways to embed your service into a bigger ecosystem. The real future of MaaS is in integration, not isolation.
Conclusion
MaaS is still evolving, and companies are learning what works and what doesn’t. The key is to prioritize convenience and user experience. Whether through AI-driven recommendations, flexible pricing models, or deep integration with other services, the future of mobility will be built on simplicity. As Sampo Hietanen reminds us, the goal is to make transportation as effortless as turning on a light.
What do you think?
What are the biggest challenges in bringing MaaS to your city? Let’s discuss!
