Behavioral factors impacting adoption and frequency of use of carsharing: A tale of two European cities

Abstract

Innovative mobility services have emerged in many urban areas, causing a notable change in transport supply. Particularly, free-floating carsharing has allowed gaining short-term access to cars on an as-needed basis. In Europe, carsharing has experienced remarkable growth in the past few years and is often perceived as a shift towards sustainable mobility. While an increasing number of studies have analyzed individuals’ behavior, most authors analyze carsharing in contexts where this service is not available yet. Furthermore, little attention has been given to exploring the role played by psychosocial aspects. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by exploring carsharing usage in two European cities (Madrid and Munich), cities with a different timespan implementation. Based on the individual-level dataset from a survey campaign conducted in 2019, we develop a Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) that estimates how sociodemographic characteristics, mobility-related attributes, and psychological attitudes affect carsharing usage. The research identifies a higher use of free-floating carsharing among males, young, wealthy, well-educated individuals, and those who reside in inner and denser districts. Interestingly, the model results suggest that people with a high sharing propensity, variety-seeking lifestyle, and preference for driving have a significantly higher familiarity with carsharing services, while pro-environmental behaviors reduce carsharing usage. This research shows the importance of the background and sociodemographic context on carsharing usage by comparing the results obtained for each city. Finally, the paper provides interesting policy implications, helpful for planners and policymakers to better understand the factors impacting carsharing usage and its potential effects on travel behavior and sustainability.