The transportation industry is undergoing a seismic shift. As urban centers struggle with congestion, pollution, and decarbonization, and individuals strive to stay on budget, shared mobility has emerged as a compelling solution. Shared mobility has the potential to offer flexible, cost-effective, and efficient vehicle access. However, despite its promise and clear potential, further optimization is needed for widespread integration.

Today’s shared mobility systems face operational inefficiencies, user friction, and uneven access. The full potential of shared mobility seems just out of reach, but autonomous vehicles (AVs) can change that. By removing the limitations that weigh down today’s shared-mobility systems, AVs can radically improve the user experience, fleet performance, and sustainability for these systems.

Autonomous cars are the key to unlocking shared mobility at scale.

 

Current roadblocks to shared mobility

Shared mobility has grown tremendously in the last decade, offering an alternative to car ownership, but there are still roadblocks to overcome to achieve mass adoption.

Vehicle vicinity is a make-or-break case for car-share users. It is often difficult for users to find a vehicle in close proximity, especially during peak times or in less dense areas. If the car is just 200 m away, extreme weather from heatwaves to freezing temperatures, or added travel time to get to the vehicle, discourages customers from opting for this shared vehicle.

Parking is another major pain point. Particularly in dense urban environments, parking can be time-consuming and frustrating. This last step of the journey is often when drivers are panicked or fatigued and vehicles are damaged due to tight parking spaces, limited nighttime visibility, or rushed drop-offs under pressure.

Operational costs are another bottleneck for shared vehicles. Each vehicle must be cleaned, recharged, repositioned, and maintained by the workforce. Today, human operators primarily manage these tasks. The result is higher costs, slower turnaround, and a fleet that is unavailable or out of service. A car that sits idle waiting for maintenance is not creating value, and when operational processes rely heavily on human intervention, scalability becomes extremely difficult, especially in cities with high labor costs or complex regulations.

Today’s shared mobility is still too dependent on people for systems that should be dynamic, responsive, and seamless.

 

How AVs change everything

Autonomous vehicles remove the weakest link in today’s shared mobility: human limitations. From fleet logistics to customer experience, autonomy transforms what is possible.

AVs transport themselves where they are needed, without a driver behind the wheel. The system can reposition vehicles in real-time, based on predictive demand, ensuring availability where and when it is needed most. In shared-vehicle fleets, AVs move idle cars from low-demand zones, eliminating the need for customers to walk to find a vehicle.

With AVs, fleet operations become radically more efficient. Cleaning, charging, maintenance, and even fleet balancing is done with minimal human intervention. AVs can drive to service hubs during low-demand hours, optimizing uptime and reducing the number of vehicles out of rotation. This reduces operating costs and increases fleet utilization, two major levers for shared mobility profitability.

In addition, AVs facilitate smooth drop-offs. Instead of searching for a parking spot, users can hop off at their destination and let the vehicle park itself or head directly to its next ride. This eliminates one of the biggest issues in current free-floating systems.

AV availability is 24/7, without labor constraints. No shifts, no drivers, no hours of limited coverage. Autonomous shared vehicles can serve cities non-stop, with consistency and reliability that current models simply cannot match.

The AV user experience is seamless. From door-to-door routing to real-time vehicle arrival, autonomy unlocks a true on-demand service. It is no longer about finding a car; it is now about the car coming to you.

Autonomy turns shared mobility from a service you adapt to, into a service that adapts to you.

 

Unlocking new use cases

Autonomous vehicles do not just fix today’s shared mobility—they unlock tomorrow’s possibilities, expanding vehicle access beyond city centers. So far, shared mobility has been limited to dense urban cores, but AVs make it possible to serve suburban areas and mobility deserts where traditional models struggle. Fleets can adjust dynamically to demand, no longer limited by human organization or cost constraints.

Shared autonomous vehicles can reduce car dependency and reinforce multimodal, low-emissions transport networks. They augment public transportation use, acting as feeders to trains and metro stations.

Vehicles that come to you, drive for you, and adapt to your needs redefine what accessible transportation means. Elderly users, people with disabilities, or those without a driver’s license can gain independence through AV-powered services.

And autonomous shared vehicles are not just for passengers, they can also support last-mile logistics and dynamic delivery, filling gaps between existing infrastructure and on-demand consumer expectations.

With autonomy, shared mobility is no longer a niche—it becomes a connective network for the entire city.

 

The human-centered future

While technology is at the core of autonomous shared mobility, its greatest value lies in what it gives back to people: time, space, and peace of mind. People regain time, with direct, simplified transportation that reduces stress.

Cities become redesigned for people, not for cars. Autonomous shared vehicles reduce the need for parking infrastructure, repurposing vast amounts of urban space for parks, bike lanes, outdoor cafés, and green zones, reshaping cities into places where people want to live.

By optimizing routes, reducing congestion, and shifting to electric vehicles, shared AVs tackle both noise and air pollution. The collective impact? Healthier cities, cleaner air, quieter streets, and more livable communities.

With mobility as a service that adapts to each user, regardless of age, ability, or income, it becomes a force for inclusion and equity, which is an added advantage.

The future of mobility isn’t about machines—it’s about making life better for everyone.

 

Challenges ahead, call to action

Despite the transformative potential of autonomous vehicles in shared mobility, challenges remain. Regulatory frameworks need to evolve to accommodate AVs, ensuring safety and integration with existing infrastructure. Public perception and trust in autonomous technology must increase through transparency and demonstrated reliability. Robust cybersecurity measures are crucial to protect users and systems from potential threats.

Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among governments, industry leaders, and communities. By working together, we can overcome these obstacles and pave the way for a future where autonomous shared mobility is a seamless, sustainable, and inclusive part of urban life.

The journey toward this future is complex, but the destination promises a transportation ecosystem that is safer, more efficient, and more equitable for all.

 

Ahmed Mhiri, Co-CEO of Stellantis’ Free2move, wrote this article for Futurride. An IT and cybersecurity engineer and a visionary entrepreneur in the mobility sector, Mhiri founded the TravelCar car-sharing platform in 2012, which was acquired in 2019 by Stellantis and became the Free2move global mobility platform dedicated to individuals and businesses.