Skip to main content

Rising awareness of car sharing concept set to increase uptake

According to Frost and Sullivan, whilst car sharing as a concept has existed for several years, the uptake rates and emergence of new players in the traditional as well as peer to peer (P2P) car sharing market has proliferated in the last five years. Member numbers increased by over 90 per cent between 2008 and 2012, growing from 500,000 to over 940,000 and, says Frost & Sullivan, this trend is set to continue. In an forthcoming web conference, Car Sharing – The Voice of the Consumer, on Tuesday, 14 May 201
May 7, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
According to Frost and Sullivan, whilst car sharing as a concept has existed for several years, the uptake rates and emergence of new players in the traditional as well as peer to peer (P2P) car sharing market has proliferated in the last five years. Member numbers increased by over 90 per cent between 2008 and 2012, growing from 500,000 to over 940,000 and, says Frost & Sullivan, this trend is set to continue.

In an forthcoming web conference, Car Sharing – The Voice of the Consumer, on Tuesday, 14 May 2013, at 3.00 p.m. BST, Frost & Sullivan mobility programme manager, Mr Martyn Briggs, and programme manager, Mr Mohamed Mubarak, will present the latest findings from a customer research study on consumer profiles of members currently using car sharing services, including their preferences and aspirations for the car sharing concept in future. The idea of this voice of the consumer study was also to understand from non-members what would encourage them to join such new mobility services, as well as their idea of a ‘winning concept’.

A targeted survey of over 2,300 people was conducted in a total of 12 cities in the UK (London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh), France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse), and Germany (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne). The study used the ‘adaptive choice based conjoint’ methodology that enables the possibility to create different simulations of car sharing models and generate the respective pricing and market share. The web conference will now give an overview regarding transport usage and commuting profiles, the customer’s/member’s perspective on the current and future usage of car sharing services and the willingness to pay for the service, existing car sharing member profiles, as well as familiarity, interest and adoption amongst non-members.

“Our research revealed a potential for over 15 million car sharing members in Europe alone by 2020, but there is a lot of education and behavioural change amongst consumers’ mobility patterns that need to take place to achieve such growth,” outlines Mr Briggs. “The voice of the consumer survey yielded interesting results; for example, the majority of car sharing members (53 per cent) were under 34, degree educated (67 per cent), and did not own a car (51 per cent).”

The survey also illustrates that the market for P2P car sharing is still in its nascent stage and is expected to co-exist with traditional car sharing. The interest in using someone else's car is higher than the interest to providing own car to be used by others. Surprisingly, there exists a correlation between the interest in becoming a car sharing member and the interest in providing the own car to be used by others.

From those of the whole sample, who currently own a car and are considering joining a car sharing service, over 40 per cent would consider selling their vehicle. This underlines the continued downward trend in car ownership in major cities that adopt car sharing services.

To participate in the complementary web conference, or receive a recorded version of the briefing, please email full contact details to Katja Feick at katja.feick@frost.

Related Content

  • eCall mandate: a cost burden for car manufacturers?
    May 14, 2015
    The European Parliament has mandated that all newly approved car and light-van models will have to be equipped with eCall boxes as standard fitment from 31 March 2018. eCall boxes are emergency call devices enabling rescue services to respond with faster road assistance based on knowledge of the exact location of the accident. The 2014 ban on telephone roaming charges across Europe will establish a favourable scenario for an interoperable eCall or telematics solution. However, while the European Commissi
  • Self-learning AI poised to disrupt automotive industry
    December 15, 2016
    Self-learning artificial intelligence (AI) in cars is the key to unlocking the capabilities of autonomous cars and enhancing value to end users through virtual assistance, according to Frost & Sullivan. It offers original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) fresh revenue streams through licensing, partnerships and new mobility services. Simultaneously, the use-case scenarios of self-learning AI in cars are drawing several technology companies, Internet of Things (IoT) companies and mobility service providers to
  • EV sales prospects in central and eastern Europe
    June 15, 2012
    Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a region with a population of over 100 million people and a solid macroeconomic environment, are anticipated to cross the 60,000 mark by 2017 and witness even stronger growth post 2017, generating revenue opportunities for existing and new market participants in the e-mobility area.
  • The move towards shared telematics platforms
    February 27, 2013
    Is the end for dedicated, in-vehicle telematics systems now in sight? Some seemed to think so at the recent Telematics Munich 2012 conference… Geoff Hadwick reports. Forget smartphone apps – leave that sort of thing to Apple and Google,” Roger Lanctot, associate director of the global automotive practice at consultancy Strategy Analytics told more than 700 delegates in Munich last month at the Telematics Munich 2012 conference. They are a waste of time and money, he said. Forget putting too much data on das