Mobility-as-a-Feature (MaaF): Why and how ride-sharing platforms have evolved into super apps

Abstract

With Mobility-as-a-Feature (MaaF), transportation scholars propose an extension of the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept. Leveraging the ongoing trend of platformization, MaaF intends to integrate mobility with unrelated services such as food delivery, grocery delivery, financial services, or e-commerce and shopping. In this research, I show that some ride-sharing platforms basically already provide MaaF functionality. Uber, Grab, Didi Chuxing, Bolt, and others have transformed into super apps, offering a wide range of services beyond their core ride-sharing business. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into which ride-sharing platforms are actively pursuing the super app strategy and shed light on the motivations driving their expansion into diversified service offerings. While the phenomenon of super apps is already established in the global South, it is now gaining interest in Europe and the U.S. This trend could initiate a significant shift in how people access mobility and other services, emphasizing the necessity of including super apps in future lines of transportation research.