Skip to main content

Peer-to-peer car sharing expected to become the next big thing in the market

Frost & Sullivan’s recent customer research study on car sharing in select European cities reveals that the market is fast gaining ground. Residents in a number of cities in France, Germany as well as in the UK are currently multi-modal transport users. While only one out of four claim familiarity with the car sharing concept, once familiar, the interest levels in these services zip to 38 per cent.
October 22, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
RSSFrost & Sullivan’s recent customer research study on car sharing in select European cities reveals that the market is fast gaining ground. Residents in a number of cities in France, Germany as well as in the UK are currently multi-modal transport users. While only one out of four claim familiarity with the car sharing concept, once familiar, the interest levels in these services zip to 38 per cent.

The survey-based study, Car Sharing End User Analysis in Selected European Cities, finds that traditional car sharing will increase from 0.7 million members in 2011 to more than 15 million members in 2020. The major interest groups include the young, the well-educated, the office goers, and university students, with no children.

“The car sharing trend is catching on rapidly due to its convenience and all-inclusive nature,” said Frost & Sullivan Automotive & Transportation Research Analyst Ricardo Moreira. “The deal clincher, however, is its cost efficiency, which was cited by 61 per cent of the respondents.”

The rising popularity of car sharing services has expectedly eaten into the share of other modes of transportation, but that is not to say it will nudge them out. Potential car sharers reported that they would – for the time being - consider replacing one out of three trips with car sharing. Between 25 to 40 percent of current drivers claimed they would give up their cars and about 60 percent of non-owners said they would refrain from buying a car.

The growing of the trend can further be observed in the Frost & Sullivan forecast that traditional car sharing in Europe will reach nearly 0.24 million vehicles by 2020. Basic and small vehicles are currently popular options among car sharing operators (CSO).

The future of the market however, will be determined by peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing. Though only 18 per cent of respondents seem willing to share their own cars, P2P car sharing has been growing rapidly since 2008, having recorded 100 per cent growth between 2010 and 2011. As a result, the market is expected to have nearly 0.31 million vehicles in operation and more than 0.74 million members by 2020.

Related Content

  • Strategy for public transport in Greater Rabat outlined by IBM
    June 13, 2012
    A team of experts funded by an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant has provided government leaders with initial recommendations for a more effective and efficient public transport system in Rabat and nearby Sale and Temara, in Morocco, by 2020. Rabat won a Smarter Cities Challenge grant from IBM which sent some of its top employees to work and live in the city for three weeks. There, they studied the area's transportation opportunities and created a plan to improve the urban public transport system.
  • EVs on a roll
    October 8, 2014
    A recently updated report by IDTechEx, Electric Vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2015-2025, indicates that the global market forecast for all hybrid and pure electric vehicles is expected to exceed US$533 billion in 2025. Sales of the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S pure electric cars are rising rapidly, with Tesla holding back demand because it cannot produce enough for at least a year. Those are premium priced vehicles. The major problem with mainstream pure electric cars is price. However, App
  • Collaborations with technology providers offer European automotive OEMs new growth opportunities
    January 3, 2017
    Improvements in advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensors are driving automation features in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicles, according to Frost & Sullivan’s new research, Market Analysis of Premium European OEMs ADAS and Automated Driving Strategies. By collaborating with leading technology providers in the autonomous driving space, OEMs have an opportunity to transform into mobility service providers and introduce levels 4 and 5 autonomous cars earlier than expected. With several
  • Kenya plans road toll tenders
    March 25, 2015
    Kenya plans to start tendering in May for toll-road contracts estimated by the government to be worth $2 billion to improve the efficiency of the East African nation’s biggest commercial routes, according to Bloomberg. The contracts will be in addition to the 45 deals worth about US$3.2 billion that the government will start awarding as early as next week, to double the nation’s paved-road network through an annuity program. The government is planning to introduce five toll projects covering about 800 kilom