Abstract
The sharing economy has become prominent in the policy, business and academic discourse as a way to achieve greater levels of resource efficiency in sustainability transitions. An example is carsharing, which is regarded as a potential lever for change in sustainable mobility transitions. In this article we, apply the “ecologies of business models” perspective to investigate how carsharing initiatives have coevolved in Sweden. We focus on the city context as a useful unit of analysis to investigate carsharing in four Swedish cities: Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå. Through qualitative case research, we investigate the following: How did carsharing business models coevolve in the studied cities? It was found that early notions of carsharing date back to the 1970s, but the concept has changed significantly over time, particularly with the emergence of (Internet) technology-based platforms. The findings suggest that carsharing is complementary to existing private car usage in cities, rather than a replacement. Based on this, we suggest pathways for local policymakers to consider when implementing sustainable carsharing solutions. The contributions are threefold: providing an empirical study on the theoretical ecologies of business models concept; understanding how carsharing coevolved in Swedish cities and in relation to wider sustainability and mobility trends; and giving novel insight into the role of local governments.
Highlights
The sharing economy and related business models have become prominent in the sustainability discourse [1,2]
This article will contribute to advancing the understanding of the development of carsharing business models in an urban context and the role played by local governments
This study investigated how carsharing business models coevolved in four Swedish cities
Summary
The sharing economy and related business models have become prominent in the sustainability discourse [1,2]. There are high expectations on sharing cities and sharing business models as ways to drive sustainable development [9,10,11]. Various sharing business models have emerged in cities, but the actual impacts on society, the environment and the economy have been debated [2,11]. There is great interest in smart cities and using digital platforms [12] These developments are nascent and the full potential for sustainability and wider impact are little understood. This article will contribute to advancing the understanding of the development of carsharing business models in an urban context and the role played by local governments. Sustainable business models are about “how an organization creates, delivers and captures value for its stakeholders in a way that supports a safe and just operating space for humanity and all living entities to flourish” ([22], p. 2)
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