The Development of Mobility as a Service in China and its Impact on Automobile Manufacturers: A Business Model Innovation

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is the latest buzzword and a driver for disruptive change in the automotive industry. The aim of this paper is to suggest new business models for automobile manufacturers to capture the opportunities and overcome the threats due to the development of MaaS. We first analyze the current situation of the Chinese MaaS market based on three different levels: country level, industry level, and customer level. Based on all the findings, three new business model options: B2B asset provider, Mobility service provider, and Autonomous mobility experience pioneer, are proposed using the 4I framework. After examining the three proposed business models, it is essential to mention that they are not mutually exclusive but complementary and can be used by automobile manufacturers, though not all at the same time. In the short term, automobile manufacturers can modify the business model to become the B2B asset provider. Once the company’s IT infrastructure is developed and ready, it can become a Mobility service provider by offering digital car rental services. In the long-term, autonomous mobility experience pioneers may help to address the issue of declining demand for human-driving vehicles. JEL Codes: M10, M13