The future of mobility: From driver's licenses to platform economies – 123fahrschule, BYD, Uber

123fahrschule: This revolution comes from Cologne

It is no surprise that BYD has become the global market leader within just a few years, with its own battery production and the largest sales market on its doorstep. Nor is it news that the tech company Uber is now one of the most important players in the mobility sector with its app and pure ride-hailing service. What is surprising, however, is the success of the franchisor 123fahrschule. For years, the media has been full of headlines about how fewer and fewer young people are getting their driver's license. 123fahrschule has picked up on this trend and is making the most of it. The digitization of learning content and simulator training help keep the cost of getting a driver's license manageable. This means that 123fahrschule's offering appeals to a larger target group.

The Company, founded in Cologne in 2016, also benefits from demographics with its franchise model. As in many industries, driving instructors are approaching retirement age, and successors are urgently needed. 123fahrschule can step into the breach here and benefit from the upcoming generational shift. "Driving schools in Germany are very old school. We have a heavily aging driving instructor workforce and a highly fragmented and outdated market. That is where we come in as 123fahrschule. We are digitizing the business processes in driving schools and consolidating the market,"says Boris Polenske, CEO of 123fahrschule. Since simulator-based driving lessons are to be recognized from 2026, there is additional potential for a driving school chain with the appropriate infrastructure.

BYD: Technology that impresses

The electric vehicle giant BYD has also recently hinted at additional potential. The Company has unveiled a fast-charging system that can charge an electric vehicle battery in just five minutes with up to 1,000 kW. BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu has long been committed to what he calls "oil-electric parity": "Our goal is to make charging electric vehicles as fast as refueling a combustion engine, thereby completely eliminating user concerns about charging," he said. BYD's blade battery technology also scores highly in terms of safety. When it comes to technical gimmicks, the Chinese have long since left their German competitors behind: German premium models do not yet offer a snooze mode that allows drivers to take a short break during their lunch break or in traffic jams, complete with "white noise" and massage.

Even if such gimmicks are primarily successful in Asia, the trend toward more vehicle technology points the way forward: The more sensors and processors a vehicle has, the sooner solutions for autonomous driving and AI will become established in the automotive industry. Here, too, the Chinese, and BYD in particular, are ahead of the game.

Uber is waiting for autonomous driving

When it comes to innovative business models in the field of mobility, there is no getting around Uber. The Company offers an app that allows customers to book taxis. The barriers to driving for Uber are deliberately kept very low. This creates competition and reduces costs for users. In the medium to long term, Uber plans to evolve from a platform model into a network-based service of autonomous vehicles. The opportunities offered by such a network are enormous: from higher utilization rates through ride-sharing and courier services to the use of Uber vehicles as decentralized energy storage units, many things are conceivable. According to Christoph Weigler, Uber's head of operations in Germany, another focus will be on sustainability: "As the largest mobility platform in Europe, we have an important role to play in combating climate change and promoting emission-free mobility," said the General Manager DACH several years ago.

A comparison of the share performance of all three companies clearly shows that mobility is also in demand on the stock market – all three shares rose significantly over the course of a week, achieving returns of over 8% across the board, with 123fahrschule even rising by more than 13% on the stock market. Even over a six-month period, the Cologne-based company is pulling ahead of the competition. There are several reasons for this: A vehicle is still the number one means of transportation in Germany, especially in rural areas. The designated Federal Minister of Transport, Patrick Schnieder from Rhineland-Palatinate, is likely to share this view. In addition, 123fahrschule is benefiting greatly from demographic change and can take over existing driving schools.