Last year, Norway opened its first ever ‘Mobility Hotel’ in the city of Oslo.
Six months later and the operator of the hotel has secured investment from Europe’s major sustainable mobility ecosystem provider e-Mobility Rentals.
With around half of all vans in Oslo’s city centre used for services and last-mile deliveries, the ‘Kaia Mobility Hotel’ aims to be a central hub for bike-based urban logistics that encourages couriers to shift to sustainable modes of transport.
And with e-Mobility Rentals’ stake in the game, the switch from car to cargo bike just got a whole lot easier.
Inside the Kaia Mobility Hotel
Co-financed by the MOVE21 EU project, the Kaia Mobility Hotel is a public-private collaboration executed and managed by Oslo-based Mobility Solutions. This is a collaboration between global last-mile delivery company Wolt, the City of Oslo, Norwegian postal service Posten Bring and facility management company Nordic FM Group.
In offering a whole suite of green mobility services, the hotel aims to be a single point of contact for bike-based urban logistics in Oslo.
On the hardware side, these services include vehicle purchases, financing, service and maintenance, and vehicle modifications. It also includes charging solutions, small-scale consolidation, and an outdoor battery swapping station.
On the human side, the hub offers a worker’s rest area where staff can grab a coffee with colleagues and charge their phones, alongside a planned micro storage area for service deliveries.
Off the back of the fresh funding Mobility Solutions has secured from e-Mobility Rentals, the pair are strategically positioned to one-up the offering even further – in the Kaia Mobility Hotel and beyond.
“By bringing our technology and know-how to Norway’s first integrated mobility hub, we’re creating a one-stop solution for sustainable urban logistics,” e-Mobility Rentals CEO Eduard Anghel tells Zag Daily.
“We’re making urban deliveries cleaner and more efficient and we’re actively contributing to Norway’s zero-emission targets for 2030.
“Crucially, we want to set a new standard for sustainable mobility that other cities can follow.”
Enter e-Mobility Rentals
Bucharest-based e-Mobility Rentals’ strategic investment in Mobility Solutions sets the stage for the expansion of sustainable logistics across the whole of the Nordics.
e-Mobility Rentals is known for the complete electric mobility ecosystem it provides to European businesses, from electric vehicles and charging solutions, to insurance and maintenance.
“At the hotel, we’re implementing our complete package: vehicle purchasing and financing options, maintenance and storage facilities, our universal battery swapping stations, dedicated rest areas for workers and end-to-end logistics support.
“Not only do couriers have access to fully supported infrastructure but they also benefit from smoother, more predictable operations.
“This creates a strong incentive for couriers and other operators to switch to our electric vehicles, knowing that their daily workflow will be far less interrupted.”
e-Mobility Rentals’ universal battery is compatible with more than 20 different vehicles in its fleet. Operators will be able to swap their batteries at the Kaia Mobility Hotel in seconds using its proprietary solar power backed-up Swap Stations, designed to balance urban mobility needs with renewable energy.
“By offering a reliable and efficient electric fleet with rapid battery swapping capabilities, we’re making it much easier for operators to move away from traditional combustion engines.
“Operators will simply swap a depleted battery for a fully charged one in seconds – significantly reducing their downtime. This model is designed to make the transition to sustainable logistics seamless, and cost and time effective.”
Scaling sustainable logistics across the Nordics
e-Mobility Rentals’ journey in Oslo is just the start.
The Kaia Mobility Hotel’s potential in bringing the capital closer to its goal of being a zero-emission city by 2030 leaves Eduard excited about where else this impact can be made.
Currently, e-Mobility Rentals is making its own impact with 173 vehicles and 23 Swap Stations operational across its multiple markets.
“The success we see at the Kaia Mobility Hotel gives us great confidence in expanding our model across the whole Nordic region in close collaboration with Mobility Solutions,” Eduard says.
First on the roadmap is Sweden with investments such as Gothenburg’s Mobility Hotel on E-Mobility Rentals’ radar, as well as other mobility hubs it plans to set up alongside Mobility Solutions.
“We’re closely monitoring opportunities that align with our sustainable mobility vision and are committed to replicating our successful model wherever it can drive down emissions and boost urban logistics efficiency.”
