Skip to main content

Evolving commuters' demands to pave the way for car-sharing business models

Physical integration of public transit systems with car-sharing will enhance convenience and drive growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan's Mobility Team. Its latest study, Future of Car-sharing Market to 2025, says that with vehicle automation rapidly gaining currency, cars-haring operators (CSOs) are developing novel business models to address the evolving mobility demands of commuters. They will initially offer self-parking services, allowing members to drop off vehicles at designated parking lo
October 5, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Physical integration of public transit systems with car-sharing will enhance convenience and drive growth opportunities, finds 2097 Frost & Sullivan's Mobility Team.

Its latest study, Future of Car-sharing Market to 2025, says that with vehicle automation rapidly gaining currency, cars-haring operators (CSOs) are developing novel business models to address the evolving mobility demands of commuters. They will initially offer self-parking services, allowing members to drop off vehicles at designated parking lots, and gradually roll out short-distance parking service, wherein self-driven vehicles will be driven into parking lots. Finally, once complete automation is possible, collaboration with key players and convergence with public transport will change the mobility industry.

As automated driving will dilute the need for personal ownership, traditional car owners will gravitate toward car-sharing services. Furthermore, the worsening levels of traffic congestion and pollution due to the development of mega-cities and urbanisation foster a favourable environment for efficient travel services.

"The convenience, flexibility and security of car-sharing services make a strong case for the adoption of integrated mobility services," said Mobility senior research analyst Krishna Achuthan. "This, in turn, will lead to a number of mergers and acquisitions among industry majors that recognise the market benefits of offering such systems and digital platforms."

In addition to market consolidation, technology advances and government initiatives will give a huge boost to car-sharing services, with the number subscribers expected to cross 36 million by 2025 from 7.9 million in 2015. However, to achieve optimum market potential, CSOs need to counter the high insurance cost and inadequate demand in areas with low population density.

1731 BMW's 6452 DriveNow and ReachNow, 2069 Daimler's 4190 Car2Go, 3874 Zipcar, Bollore Group and GM currently are the prominent players in the space. This pool of competitors is set to expand with advances in public transit systems.

"Physical integration of public transit systems with car-sharing will allow users to book both cars and train tickets through one single mobile app and thereby, enhance convenience and drive member growth," noted Achuthan. "In future, car-sharing models are likely to expand to include peer-to-peer and corporate services on the same platform, as well as consolidate with adjacent mobility services like leasing, car rental and bike sharing."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK government to investigate best practice for travel information
    January 30, 2012
    The UK Government has been advised by an internal inquiry that it should investigate examples of best practice in travel information services. So where might it look? Jon Masters reports. Publication of a UK Government report on road congestion this year has highlighted a need to look beyond home borders when searching out answers to pressing problems. With regard to issues of travel information in particular, UK transport professionals would do well to look overseas for solutions they can emulate.
  • Big data, virtualisation to dominate smart transportation says ABI Research
    January 6, 2015
    ABI Research’s latest report, Smart Transportation Market Research, covers ITS data, physical roadside transportation infrastructure virtualisation technologies and a systems approach to transportation management, as well as relevant connectivity, analytics, cloud platform, security and identity technologies. Traditional smart transportation approaches to address traffic congestion, safety, pollution, and other urbanisation challenges are expected to hit scalability and efficiency obstacles by the end of
  • Google AV in collision with public transit bus
    March 1, 2016
    According to a report made by Google to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), one of its autonomous vehicles (AV) has been in collision with a municipal bus in California. The crash happened on Valentine’s Day, when the Lexus RX-450H was travelling in autonomous mode in the right-hand lane approaching an intersection. It moved to the far right lane to make a right turn, but stopped when it detected sand bags sitting around a storm drain and blocking its path.
  • Munich to launch on-demand public transportation service
    May 25, 2018
    The Munich Transport Company (MVG) will launch an on-demand ride-pooling service in the city. Powered by smart mobility provider Door2Door it will begin in June, with the stated aim of reducing the number of cars on the city’s roads. The MVG IsarTiger service is intended to complement Munich’s public transport options. Door2Door’s platform uses algorithms and data to calculate the fastest ride-pooling routes