Sweden’s first Mobility Hotel has opened in Gothenburg combining micromobility and micro-logistics services to transport people and goods around the inner city.
It is located in Sweden’s largest shopping and business centre, Nordstan where 6,000 people work and 70,000 pass through every day.
Co-financed through the EU project MOVE21 which transforms European cities into zero emission nodes for mobility and logistics, the Mobility Hotel is a collaboration between the City of Gothenburg’s Urban Environment Administration, Business Region Göteborg and Nordstan’s business centre.
“The Mobility Hotel offers a shared fleet of vehicles and bikes for service providers and a shared store where different mobility companies sell and serve bikes and electric scooters,” Suzanne Green, Project Manager at City of Gothenburg’s Urban Environment Administration, told Zag Daily.
“It also offers a battery swap station for electric mopeds, a cargo bike hub for goods consolidation and last-mile delivery, and a 24/7 unmanned warehouse for craftsmen.
“This unique model fosters collaboration among all actors, allowing them to share risks and successes while developing new services.”
Currently present in the store premises are bike retailers Bike Fixx and Urbancorner, battery swap service GoCiklo, last-mile delivery company Pling, and wholesaler Ahlsell.
“The unique thing about the Mobility Hotel is the high level of innovation,” said Anastazia Kronberg, Process Manager at Business Region Göteborg.
“In addition to combining personal mobility and micrologistics in the same place, we now give craftsmen and service companies good opportunities to use micromobility and bicycles to perform their services. We also build bridges between mobility companies, the city, retail and the real estate industry.”
Nordstan CEO Helena Lindqvist added: “The Mobility Hotel’s services will be a great asset for all our tenants, but also for other actors in the inner city.”
Located in the densest part of the city, the Mobility Hotel also has direct connection with Nordstan’s underground loading street which facilitates efficient reloading for last-mile delivery of goods by light electric vehicles.
The Mobility Hotel will support Gothenburg as part of the EU Mission: 100 Climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 that aims to slash emissions through innovative approaches.
According to Suzanne, Central Gothenburg faces challenges such as congestion, environmental quality and safety. One target set by the City’s Environment and Climate Programme is a 25% reduction in motorised traffic by 2030.
“Shifting from cars to micromobility will make the city centre more spacious, cleaner, and more pleasant. There’s potential for a large impact on inner city transportation,” Suzanne added.
“The Mobility Hotel benefits not only logistics and mobility but also the real estate sector, construction industry, and the city itself. By incorporating multiple perspectives, we create new connections and business opportunities, reducing risks for individual actors while showcasing that these kinds of solutions are possible.”
