Most cars carry one person and are used for less than 1 hour per day. A more economically rational approach would be to use vehicles more intensively. Carsharing, in which a group of people pays a subscription plus a per-use fee, is one means of doing so Carsharing may be organized through affinity groups, large employers, transit operators, neighborhood groups, or large-carsharing businesses. Relative to car ownership, carsharing has the disadvantage of less convenient vehicle access but the advantages of a large range of vehicles, fewer ownership responsibilities, and less cost (if vehicles are not used intensively). The uncoupling of car ownership and use offers the potential for altering vehicle usage and directing individuals toward other mobility options. The perceived convenience (e g, preferred parking) and cost savings of carsharing have promoted a new modal split for many carsharing participants throughout the world. Societal benefits include the direct benefit of less demand for parking space and the indirect benefits arising from linking costs to actual usage and matching vehicles to trip purpose. The experience of carsharing in Europe, North America, and Asia is reviewed, and its future prospects through expanded services, partnership management, and advanced technologies are explored.

Most cars carry one person and are used for less than one hour per day. A more economically rational approach would be to use vehicles more intensively. Carsharing, in which people pay a subscription plus a per-use fee, is one means of doing so. Carsharing may be organized through affinity groups, large employers, transit operators, neighborhood groups, or large carsharing businesses. While carsharing does not offer convenient access to vehicles, it does provide users with a large range of vehicles, fewer ownership responsibilities, and less cost (if vehicles are not used intensively). Societal benefits include less demand for parking space and the indirect benefits resulting from costs being more directly tied to actual usage and vehicles being matched to trip purpose. This article reviews the experience with shared-use vehicle services and explores their prospects for the future, focusing on the trend toward expanded services and use of advanced communication and reservation technologies.

Most cars carry one person and are used for less than 1 hour per day. A more economically rational approach would be to use vehicles more intensively. Carsharing, in which a group of people pays a subscription plus a per-use fee, is one means of doing so. Carsharing may be organized through affinity groups, large employers, transit operators, neighborhood groups, or large carsharing businesses. Relative to car ownership, carsharing has the disadvantage of less convenient vehicle access but the advantages of a large range of vehicles, fewer ownership responsibilities, and less cost (if vehicles are not used intensively). The uncoupling of car ownership and use offers the potential for altering vehicle usage and directing individuals toward other mobility options. The perceived convenience (e.g., preferred parking) and cost savings of carsharing have promoted a new modal split for many carsharing participants throughout the world. Societal benefits include the direct benefit of less demand for parking space and the indirect benefits arising from linking costs to actual usage and matching vehicles to trip purpose. The experience of carsharing in Europe, North America, and Asia is reviewed, and its future prospects through expanded services, partnership management, and advanced technologies are explored.

From:

A Short History of Carsharing in the 90's. Journal of World Transport Policy & Practice 5 (3), 18 - 40

The vast majority of automobile trips in U.S. metropolitan regions are drive-alone car trips. In 1990, approximately 90 percent of work trips and 58 percent of nonwork trips in the United States were made by vehicles with only one occupant (United States Department of Transportation, 1995). Vehicles are unused an average of 23 hours per day. This form of transportation is expensive and consumes large amounts of land.

Private vehicles are attractive. Their universal appeal is demonstrated by rapid motorization rates, even in countries with high fuel prices, good transit systems, and relatively compact land development. But the environmental, resource, and social costs of widespread car use are also high. One strategy for retaining the benefits of car use while limiting costs is to create institutions for sharing vehicles.

The principle of carsharing is simple: Individuals gain the benefits of private cars without the costs and responsibilities of ownership. Instead of owning one or more vehicles, a household accesses a fleet of vehicles on an as-needed basis. Carsharing may be thought of as organized short-term car rental. Individuals gain access to vehicles by joining organizations that maintain a fleet of cars and light trucks in a network of vehicle locations. Generally, participants pay a usage fee each time they use a vehicle.

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