Micromobility has matured quickly over the past few years. Vehicles last longer, cities are more structured, and operators are closer to sustainable business models. Yet one major challenge continues to sit at the core of operations charging. It remains one of the most expensive and complex parts of running a fleet, and solving it could significantly shift the economics of the industry.

On the Micromobility Podcast, Prabin Joel Jones speaks with Marcus Adolfsson, CEO, Standab about why charging has become such a critical piece of the puzzle and how infrastructure can help reduce costs for operators while improving outcomes for cities and users.

Early Lessons in Stockholm

Standab’s journey began in Stockholm when shared scooters entered the city at scale. Around 20k scooters appeared on the streets with little supporting infrastructure, leading to disorder and confusion around parking.

The company initially focused on solving this problem by building parking infrastructure. These early deployments helped cities organize fleets and improve street conditions. Over time, Standab expanded to 45 cities across Europe, working closely with both municipalities and operators.

This proximity to daily operations revealed a deeper issue. Parking could be managed, but charging remained inefficient and expensive.

Why Charging Is Still a Problem

Charging in micromobility has gone through multiple phases, but none have fully solved the problem.

Early models relied on collecting vehicles and charging them manually. Battery swapping improved efficiency, but it still requires significant labor and logistics. Batteries, typically between 800 W and 1.5 kW, need to be replaced frequently, often every three to seven days.

For operators, this creates a continuous cycle of handling, movement, and cost. Charging is not just a technical issue. It is one of the largest cost drivers in the business.

Building a System That Works for Everyone

Standab’s approach is built around three stakeholders users, cities, and operators.

For users, the experience needs to be simple and intuitive. Parking and charging should not add friction. For cities, the focus is on order, visibility, and better use of public space. For operators, the priority is reducing operational costs and improving efficiency.

The solution consists of two main components. An adapter that is attached to the vehicle, and a charging receptacle integrated into street infrastructure. The system is designed to work across roughly 80% of existing micromobility vehicles, making it adaptable to different fleets.

Retrofitting is quick, taking between three and 12 minutes per vehicle, which allows operators to integrate the system without major disruption.

Data Driven Deployment

A key part of Standab’s strategy is precision.

Before installing infrastructure in a city, the company analyzes two to three years of ride data. This includes parking behavior, movement patterns, and idle times. The goal is to identify exactly where charging stations will be most effective.

The infrastructure itself is modular and can be scaled depending on demand. This ensures that investment is focused where it delivers the highest impact.

A Model That Removes Upfront Risk

Standab has also taken a different approach to its business model.

Instead of asking cities or operators to invest upfront, the company takes on the capital expenditure. It builds and operates the charging network and charges operators based on usage.

Cities do not pay for the infrastructure. Operators pay only when they use it.

As Marcus explains, the model is designed so that Standab earns revenue when operators are saving money.

Real World Impact

The results from live deployments have been strong.

Operators using the system have been able to reduce charging related costs by around 50%. These savings come from reduced manual handling, fewer battery swaps, and more efficient operations overall.

Charging infrastructure also becomes part of the operational toolkit. It can be integrated into fleet management and rebalancing strategies, improving how fleets are run on a daily basis.

The system provides additional value through data. It can detect irregularities in battery performance and alert operators early, helping prevent issues before they escalate.

Natural Adoption by Users

Cities have also seen improvements in user behavior.

Simply installing charging infrastructure has led to better parking patterns and more organized streets. These changes have happened without incentives or enforcement.

Users tend to choose the easiest option available. When infrastructure is intuitive, adoption follows naturally.

Expanding Across Europe

Standab is currently live in cities across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. These deployments began as pilots and are now moving into commercial operations with major operators.

The company is now looking to expand further across Europe, with Germany identified as a key next market.

Scaling infrastructure comes with challenges. Hardware development takes time, and working with cities requires trust and coordination. Capital is also a key factor, as the company funds deployments upfront.

The Role of Charging in the Next Phase

Micromobility is entering a new phase where profitability and efficiency matter more than rapid expansion.

Vehicles have improved and are lasting longer, often six to seven years. Operators are getting closer to sustainable unit economics. But reducing operational costs remains essential.

Charging is a central part of that equation.

Standab’s approach suggests that infrastructure can do more than support micromobility. It can actively improve how the system works for cities, operators, and users.

If charging costs can be reduced at scale, it could play a major role in making micromobility a durable and profitable part of urban transport.