Skip to content

Ushering In New Mobility With User-Centered Design

By Edward J. Klock-McCook, Allison Crow, and Lynn Daniels

Jump to Section

Three core new-mobility technologies—autonomy, shared ride platforms, and electric powertrains—offer the promise of cheaper, cleaner, safer mobility for everyone, and are advancing by the minute. Still pundits and technologists foresee many years passing before new mobility is a real and common solution for consumers. So why aren’t we all using smartphone apps to summon electric, driverless chauffeur services to whisk us around?

The problem is twofold:

(1) the technologies are not yet perfect (and even well-tested technologies are not yet available for public use), and

(2) perhaps more important, new mobility services do not yet deliver a complete mobility package.

This report describes a path to usher in new mobility that reduces personal-vehicle ownership faster and at scale by:

1. introducing the application of design thinking to the design of both the physical vehicle and the service offerings

2. showing how mass customization can unlock the new mobility market potential

3. illustrating early applications of design in the industry

About the Authors

Allison Crow

Lynn Daniels

Help build the clean energy future. Donate today.

Independent research. Real-world solutions. Supported by donors.

RMI can pursue the highest-impact climate and energy solutions because we’re supported by people who believe change is possible. Every gift helps advance the work needed to make clean energy the default choice worldwide.

For other ways to give to RMI, including checks or gifts of stock, please visit Other Ways to Give.