The Austrian start-up MOBILITY MARKET is targeting workshops, mechanics, tire services or repair shops with a new sharing concept. “We connect the analog world with the digital world,” says managing director Walter Birner, summing up the business idea. “Special tools that are urgently needed for repairs but expensive to purchase can be ordered on demand via a customer-friendly online platform. Delivery is overnight and pickup is also included in the price.”
Without the right tools, repairs take hours longer – an additional expense that no workshop customer pays for – or they are impossible altogether. With MOBILITY MARKET’s demand-based rental concept, workshops no longer have to either purchase expensive tools themselves or even send the customer away when a more complicated repair is due.
Reducing costs for workshops
Manufacturers are increasingly designing their vehicles in such a way that in many cases they can only be repaired with special tools. For more complex repairs, workshops then have to use these special tools to help their customers. The purchase of rarely used tools is expensive. This is because special tools, although not often used by the individual workshop, can cost up to 3,000 euros. This special tool therefore only comes at a high cost to the workshop, sits around without being used and then when it is needed, it cannot be found immediately. In any case, renting is cheaper, because it costs only five to eight percent of the purchase price.
With MOBILITY MARKET’s offer, automotive professionals, mechanics or workshop owners can order tools via our website If ordered by 4 p.m., overnight delivery is guaranteed. The tools always arrive at the customer’s site – securely packed in a case – in top condition and checked for functionality before delivery.
Rent tools and instructions online
“We know the concerns and needs of workshops,” says Walter Birner, who looks back on more than 30 years of management experience in the automotive aftermarket. “With our new sharing approach, we help workshops offer their customers the service that makes them happy. At the same time, we’re using it to help repair shops and mechanics succeed in business.”
To do this, it is important that not only the special tools are in the workshop on time. It is just as important to include instructions that explain how to use them correctly. For this purpose, each toolbox has a QR code that leads directly to the instructions.
“MOBILITY MARKET charges on a per-day basis,” says startup founder Birner. If a tool is needed longer than planned, then an uncomplicated extension is possible at any time.
Further projects in the pipeline
Tools on demand is just the first step into the sharing economy for automotive workshops, because there are many things that are missing in workshops besides tools this is preventing a quick repair: This starts with the correct fault or damage diagnosis and ranges from unrestricted access to repair-relevant data to specialist personnel or expertise in how to carry out complex repairs. In the future, MOBILITY MARKET will offer further on-demand sharing solutions for workshops.
MOBILITY MARKET is already working on another innovation: Each registered customer can already access Haynes Pro Dataworkshop data for two months free of charge. At the end of the free trial period, MOBILITY MARKET will offer this digital service on demand for 24 hours at a time. This offer is also based on the same sharing approach and provides information for maintenance and repair on a digital basis: Workshops order urgently but rarely needed support at short notice – and for a limited time – to carry out the repair.