Car sharing can contribute to reducing car ownership, car use and the number of kilometres vehicles travel. This study highlights the role of users in maintaining a positive attitude towards alternative transport practices. It demonstrates that willingness is central to mobility transitions.
Commercial car sharing is a positive shared transport innovation of the past decade, with evidence suggesting that car sharing reduces rates of car ownership, frequency of car use and the number of kilometres vehicles travelled. A range of business models underpin car sharing, including cooperatives (such as car clubs), commercialised peer-to-peer lending of vehicles or for-profit businesses (such as ZipCar and Car2Go). People who are members of car-sharing organisations are less likely to own a private car and more likely to use public and active (walking and cycling) transport modes. Car sharing can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita and decrease household vehicle ownership. It can also be seen as an important factor necessary for the transition to sustainable mobility. One key question for urban policy, is how to encourage news ways of being mobile such as car sharing.
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Source: TRIMS, European Commission
