Assessing variables supporting and impeding the development of car sharing

Panel: Panel 3: Mobility and Transport

Authors:
Sophie Attali, International Consulting on Energy
Harold Wilhite, Ressurskonsult A/S

Abstract

Car sharing, the practice in which anywhere from a few to thousands of people decide to share access to the driver's seat of one or more automobiles, constitutes a major innovation in automobility without carrying with it a need for any major infrastructural changes. A car sharing organisation can be set up with a minimum of new technology, organisational know-how and capital investment. At the same time, car sharing takes pressure off of expanding infrastructure by reducing the number of cars on the road. There is also evidence that members reduce their person-kilometres significantly, thus reducing energy use and emissions. In this article, we report the main findings of a study of car sharing carried out for ADEME by Ressurskonsult A/S, Oslo, and ICE, Paris. The point was to assimilate information on car sharing developments, with emphasis on elements of success and barriers to making it work. The investigation shows that the number of car sharing organisations around the world are growing and that memberships are increasing. As organisations become more established, attitudes are also changing. While the environmental aspects are still emphasised, there is a recognition that professionalism in organisation, practical routines, service and marketing are essential to member loyalty and to growth. New forms of "mobility management", which link car sharing, public transportation and car renting cast car sharing as an improvement on reliance on the private car, with its parking problems, maintenance fees, depreciation, insurance costs, etc. Car sharing has lead to increases in public transportation, taxi and car rentals in every city in which these have been assessed. Governments could give a boost to nascent car sharing organisations through marketing the mutual benefits of car sharing and public transport, and in providing seed money to get through the difficult establishment phase.