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

  • First year of growth in demand for public transport in EU ‘since economic crisis’
    June 21, 2016
    The use of public transport in the European Union has reached its highest level since 2000, with a total of 57.9 billion journeys made in 2014, according to a new study released today by UITP (International Association of Public Transport). 2014 was the first year of distinct growth in demand for public transport after years of stable demand following the start of the economic crisis in 2008. The highest total demand in 2014 for bus, tram, metro and suburban rail was recorded in Germany (10.9 billi
  • GE researchers developing at-home refuelling station for NG vehicles
    July 20, 2012
    In what could help fuel widespread adoption of natural gas-powered (NG) vehicles in the US and globally, GE researchers, in partnership with Chart Industries and scientists at the University of Missouri, have been awarded a programme through Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to develop an affordable at-home refuelling station that would meet ARPA-E’s target of $500 per station and reduce re-fuelling times from 5-8 hours to less than 1 hour. Natural gas prices are at an all-time low and t
  • Tenerife opts for contactless ticketing
    March 24, 2015
    Indra has been awarded a US9.9 million contract by Tenerife's regional government to implement the latest public transportation management technology in its urban and inter-city services. Indra will install an operation assistance system (OAS) to manage a fleet of 530 buses on the island and an integrated contactless-ticketing solution for its buses and streetcar services. Indra's new multimode contactless-ticketing system means that the ticket has only to be passed over a reader, replacing the current magn
  • Siemens to build streetcars for Atlanta
    April 25, 2012
    Siemens Industry has been awarded a US$17.2 million contract from Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), on behalf of the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, to provide Atlanta with four new streetcars. The first car is expected to be delivered in September 2012 with revenue service beginning in early 2013. These will be the first streetcars in Atlanta since 1949 and will mark Siemens entry into the streetcar market in the United States.