Effects of peer-to-peer carsharing on vehicle owners’ travel behavior

Abstract

Peer-to-peer (P2P) carsharing is a system where car owners rent their vehicle out to other individuals, usually through a facilitating company. One public policy objective of carsharing is to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT), which happens as members (renters) reduce car ownership. With a P2P system, VMT reductions could also occur if vehicle owners leave their car to be rented when they would normally drive. This paper assesses how participation in P2P carsharing affects the driving behavior of participating car owners. Data are from 235 car owners in Portland, Oregon who enrolled in a P2P program. The analysis is based on surveys, vehicle use data collected via in-vehicle GPS, and in-depth interviews. Overall, vehicle owners made very few changes to their driving behavior according to the GPS data, with average vehicle use increasing slightly. However, a subset of owners (39%) did decrease their driving by 10% or more one year after the baseline. Factors associated with this reduction in use included higher baseline vehicle use, higher rental activity, income constraints, and more flexibility in daily travel. In addition, some owners appear to use P2P as a catalyst to change travel behavior, including increased use of other modes.