Explaining carsharing supply across Western European cities

Abstract

Carsharing can partially replace private ownership of vehicles with a service that allows the use of a car temporarily on an on-demand basis. In this study, we analyze the supply of shared cars across 177 cities in five Western European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom), while distinguishing between the traditional business-to-consumer (B2C) business model and the more recent peer-to-peer (P2P) business model. The data on carsharing supply is individually collected of all operators in the respective cities, while data of city characteristics is drawn from international or national statistical databases. We explain carsharing supply using comparable data of 14 explanatory variables. The results indicate that carsharing is popular in cities with a high educational level or university presence and, in the B2C case, with many green party votes. Furthermore, carsharing is less popular in cities with many car commuters. Particularly striking are the differences between countries, with peer-to-peer carsharing being especially popular in French cities and business-to-consumer carsharing in Germany. We reflect on the findings in the light of (sustainable) mobility policy options.