Case Study Spotlight: Commuting Revolution at Hilti

Hilti, founded in 1941 in Liechtenstein, is a global leader in construction technology. It develops, manufactures, and markets products for construction, building maintenance, energy, and manufacturing sectors. Known for innovation and a direct sales model, Hilti invests heavily in R&D and maintains close customer relationships through on-site consultations. With about 34,000 employees in over 120 countries, Hilti is family-owned and committed to advancing productivity, safety, and sustainability in the construction industry.

Hilti faced several challenges in their operations. The first major issue was attracting top talent to Hilti due to the cumbersome commute. For companies like Hilti in Liechtenstein, an international workforce is essential. However, due to residency restrictions, many international employees cannot live in the country and must commute from neighbouring countries. Limited transport infrastructure combined with large commuter inflows leads to substantial traffic jams and time-loss for both car and bus commuters. Second, Hilti has multiple buildings across the country. These sites are located a few kilometers apart, making it difficult to move between the sites. Thirdly, Hilti had set an ambitious goal to become CO2 neutral by 2023, adding another layer of complexity to their logistical and environmental considerations. To address these challenges, in 2019, Hilti started their collaboration with a multimodal corporate mobility platform, Urban Connect.

Hilti implemented a comprehensive mobility solution with Urban Connect to address their commuting and sustainability challenges. Originally 20 shared e-bikes (now 40) with a full service solution were introduced, including booking software, maintenance services, insurance, and a 24/7 customer support helpline. This initiative not only provides a convenient mode of transportation but also ensures that the e-bikes are well-maintained and accessible at all times.

Urban Connect established a charging station for each e-bike, spread across three different Hilti locations. This strategic placement ensures that employees can easily find and charge the e-bikes, promoting their usage and convenience.

To maximise the benefits of this initiative, Urban Connect organised an onboarding event aimed at increasing user engagement and awareness among Hilti employees. This event was designed to familiarise employees with the new e-bike system, encouraging them to incorporate this eco-friendly transportation option into their daily routines.

Over the past five years, a total of 18’000 bookings were made, achieving an impressive utilisation rate of 83.4% per e-bike. With a total of 2’061 registered users, 94% of Hilti employees are using the service. A recent survey at the company revealed several insights into employee commuting habits and the Urban Connect services, 94% of employees reported that they like the e-bike sharing service and 82% would recommend it to their friends. Notably, 63% of respondents use the service between several times a month to several times a week. Since it is also less than daily, it allows the e-bikes to be efficiently and frequently shared between unique users. Half of the kilometres currently covered by the e-bike fleet were previously traveled by cars and buses, highlighting a significant shift towards more time- and emission-efficient commuting options.

Initially, Hilti stored the e-bikes during the winter, assuming they wouldn’t be used. However, starting in 2022, the e-bikes were made available year-round and they were increased from 20 to 30 E-bikes, resulting in up to 156 bookings in February 2023. In response to the high demand for e-bikes, which has led to a consistent shortage as many employees wanted to adopt them, Hilti increased its fleet once more from 30 to 40 e-bikes in January 2024. This upgrade highlights the strong positive reception of the service among employees. This past winter there were bookings of up to 225 in February of 2024. This demonstrates the employees’ strong willingness to use the service despite the colder weather.

Through these efforts, Hilti not only enhanced employee commuting experiences and increased their satisfaction, but also achieved their goal of becoming CO2 neutral by 2023.