A Short History of Carsharing in the 90'S (original) (raw)
Related papers
One-way carsharing’s evolution and operator perspectives from the Americas
Transportation, 2015
Classic roundtrip carsharing has been documented as a strategy to reduce car ownership and vehicle miles/kilometers traveled in urban areas. The expansion of carsharing and other forms of shared-use mobility have led to a growing interest in understanding the latest models. In recent years, one-way carsharing has gained momentum across the globe with 18 operators providing services in ten countries worldwide. One-way carsharing does not require its users to return the vehicle to the same location from which it was accessed (in contrast to roundtrip carsharing). Users typically pay by the minute versus the hour and do not require a reservation. There are two one-way models: free-floating and station-based. Free-floating carsharing allows vehicles to be picked up and left anywhere within a designated operating area, while stationbased requires users to return vehicles to an available station. In Fall 2013, the authors conducted a survey of 26 roundtrip and five one-way carsharing operators in the Americas (U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil) to understand their perspectives on one-way carsharing and its future. Almost 70 % of roundtrip operators viewed one-way carsharing as a complement to roundtrip carsharing, while 19 % viewed it as a competitor. Twelve percent perceived it as both a complement and competitor. Operators noted public transit, smartcard, and electric vehicle integration as key to this model's expansion. Half of respondents believed one-way and roundtrip carsharing have similar social and environmental impacts. Given limited understanding of its impacts, more research is needed to document the benefits of one-way carsharing and to help inform policymaking and urban mobility.
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2006
Carsharing provides members access to a fleet of autos for short-term use throughout the day, reducing the need for one or more personal vehicles. More than 10 years ago, carsharing operators began to appear in North America. Since 1994, 40 programs have been deployed—28 are operating in 36 urban areas, and 12 are now defunct. Another four are planned to launch in the next year. Carsharing growth potential in North America is examined on the basis of a survey of 26 existing organizations conducted from April to July 2005. Since the mid-1990s, the number of members and vehicles supported by carsharing in the United States and Canada has continued to grow, despite program closures. The three largest providers in the United States and Canada both support 94% of the total carsharing membership. Growth potential in major metropolitan regions is estimated at 10% of individuals over the age of 21 in North America. Although carsharing continues to gain popularity and market share, the autho...
Carsharing: Niche Market or New Pathway
Berkeley, University of California, 2000
The premise of carsharing is simple. Households access, as needed, a fleet of shared-use vehicles. Individuals gain the benefit of private car use without the costs and responsibilities of ownership, and society gains large economic, environmental, and social benefits as a result of more efficient vehicle usage. But will these benefits be realized? The answer is unknown due to limited international experience and a virtual absence of credible analysis. It may be, however, that the more important benefits of carsharing are its indirect and unforeseen consequences. It may be that carsharing is best seen as facilitating intermodal travel and as the precursor of a new mode filling the gap between transit and private cars.
Worldwide Carsharing Growth: An International Comparison - eScholarship
2008
ally access vehicles by joining an organization that maintains a fleet of cars and light trucks in a network of locations (1, 2). Vehicles are most frequently deployed from lots located in neighborhoods, at transit stations, or at businesses. Carsharing members typically pay for use through hourly rates and subscription-access plans. Most carsharing operators manage their services with advanced technologies, which may include automated reservations, smart-card vehicle access, and real-time vehicle tracking (3). Today, carsharing is a truly global enterprise, operating in approximately 600 cities worldwide (4). This paper provides a global perspective of carsharing growth and developments. In mid-2006, the authors obtained survey data from 33 carsharing experts from 21 countries; 28 national experts participated, representing 15 of 18 countries where carsharing is currently operating. Four experts represented nations where carsharing is being explored, one where carsharing is in a pilot phase, and one where carsharing previously operated. Entrepreneurs in three nations investigating carsharing did not respond to the questionnaire. Regional experts estimated member and vehicle totals for Asia and Europe. The authors collected membership and fleet totals for North America and Australia from each of the existing carsharing operators in those regions in July 2006. This paper is organized in five sections. First, a historical overview of carsharing is provided, followed by a comparison of carsharing impacts, mainly from Europe and North America. Next, worldwide carsharing growth is examined. Then, a comparative analysis of carsharing operations worldwide, including similarities and differences among nations and regions, is presented. A summary of growth trends and anticipated developments concludes. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW One of the earliest European experiences with carsharing is that of a cooperative known as Sefage (Selbstfahrergemeinschaft), which started in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1948 and operated until 1998 (5). This early effort was motivated mainly by economics. Individuals who could not afford to purchase a car instead shared one. In Europe and the United Kingdom, a series of shared-car experiments were attempted but later discontinued:
U.S. Carsharing & Station Car Policy Considerations: Monitoring Growth, Trends & Overall Impacts
2004
Since the late-1990s, over 25 U.S. shared-use vehicle programs-including carsharing and station cars-have been launched. Given their presumed social and environmental benefits, the majority of these programs received some governmental support-primarily in the form of startup grants and subsidized parking. As of July 2003, there were a total of 15 shared-use vehicle programs, including 11 carsharing organizations, two carsharing research pilots, and two station car programs. Over the last five years, U.S. carsharing membership has experienced exponential growth. Despite this expansion, the social and environmental impacts and long-term sustainability of these services remain unclear. As part of their 2003 U.S. shared-use vehicle survey, the authors documented market growth and trends, as well as limited, systematic monitoring of program impacts among existing organizations. While 80 percent of shared-use programs implement internal customer surveys (initial or follow-up), only a handful of independent studies have been conducted to date. Across organizations, participant use and program benefits are measured using a variety of study tools and metrics. Given current shared-use vehicle growth and the ongoing interest of policymakers and government agencies in this concept, the authors recommend a systematic monitoring approach to better understand market developments, social/environmental impacts, and targeted policy strategies. Furthermore, the authors conclude that coordinated, program-wide data collection (consistent survey instruments and performance measures) could enhance overall market awareness and the credibility of shared-use vehicle organizations in leveraging additional public support.
2003
Shared-use vehicle services provide members access to a vehicle fleet for use on an asneeded basis, without the hassles and costs of individual auto ownership. From June 2001 to July 2002, the authors surveyed 18 U.S. shared-use vehicle organizations on a range of topics, including organizational size, partnerships, pricing, costs, and technology. While survey findings demonstrate a decline in the number of organizational starts in the last year, operational launches into new cities, membership, and fleet size continue to increase. Several growth-oriented organizations are responsible for most of this expansion. The authors explore several factors that challenge shared-use vehicle growth, such as high capital investment (or start-up costs), dramatic insurance rate hikes, and scarcity of cost-effective technologies.
Institute of Transportation Studies, 2010
Carsharing has grown considerably in North America during the past decade and has flourished within metropolitan regions across the United States and Canada. The result has been a new transportation landscape, which offers urban residents an alternative to automobility without car ownership. As carsharing has expanded, there has been a growing demand to understand its environmental impacts. This paper presents the results of a North American carsharing member survey (N = 6,281). The authors establish a "before-and-after" analytical design with a focus on carsharing's impacts on household vehicle holdings and the aggregate vehicle population. The results show that carsharing members reduce their vehicle holdings to a degree that is statistically significant. The average vehicles per household of the sample drops from 0.47 to 0.24. Most of this shift constitutes one-car households becoming carless. The average fuel economy of carsharing vehicles used most often by respondents is 10 miles per gallon (mpg) more efficient than the average vehicle shed by respondents. The median age of vehicles shed by carsharing households is 11 years, but the distribution covers a considerable range. An aggregate analysis suggests that carsharing has taken between 90,000 to 130,000 vehicles off the road. This equates to 9 to 13 vehicles (including shed and postponed auto purchases) for each carsharing vehicle.
The importance of carsharing as a way of moving around the city
Journal of Modern Science, 2021
It is becoming increasingly important for individuals to be able to access goods without owning them. This applies to various resources, including cars, which have become an integral part of many people's lives. Thus, companies enabling short-term vehicle rental were established. One of the forms is automobile rental priced e.g. by the minute called carsharing. This solution has become increasingly popular around the world for over a dozen years, and since 2016 it has also been available in Poland.