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CARSHARING/
MARKET POLLS
source: www.communauto.com/
abonnes/SperlingShaheenW.html
www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm7.htm
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Several surveys of users have been conducted in Europe and North America by carsharing organisations…- a 1999 survey in Switzerland and Germany found that users (which includes some non-car-owners) were between 25 to 40 years of age with above-average education, were more likely to be male, earned a below-average income (in part due to the low average age of participants), and were sensitive to environmental and traffic problems;
- in a separate study, Stadtauto Drive reported similar characteristics: 65% male; average age of 33; well educated; and modest incomes (US$2,000 per month). Muheim and Partner reported that men have a greater tendency than women to demand a larger, more diverse fleet of vehicles for a wide range of trip purposes;
- in another European study, it was found that the principal reasons for not participating were the unprofessional image of many CSOs, an insufficient variety of products and services, higher costs than transit, a system that was "complicated, impractical and time consuming," and vehicles not readily available near home. In Portland, the top two reasons for joining carsharing include the need for an additional vehicle and financial savings.
- in the United States, according to an ABC News poll conducted in 2005, while just 8% of commuters currently car pool, 20% of solo drivers say they'd be interested in it - far from a majority, but enough to take plenty of cars off the road if they were to follow through. For most, though, that looks unlikely: just 6% are ‘very’ interested in a car pool arrangement. Asked the main reason they're not in carpools now, 51% say it'd be inconvenient, and an additional 22% give reasons related to convenience or privacy. 18%, though, say it's because they don't know anyone to carpool with; (1)
- as an indication of the economic attractiveness of carsharing, a 1999 survey found that travel expenses of early carsharing members were reduced by about US$440 per year and that carsharing is cost effective for users who drive fewer than 9,000 km per year.
The ultimate market for carsharing, and its derivatives and spin-offs, will include those who perceive economic and convenience benefits…- this overall market will include many market niches. It might include less affluent people who do not drive much but want access to a vehicle; richer people who value access to specialised vehicles; elderly people who do not want the responsibilities of owning and operating a vehicle; commuters who value inexpensive and/or guaranteed parking spaces at transit locations, shopping areas, and workplaces; and many other target populations that one can only guess at;
- indirect and non-market effects have little influence on the choice behaviour of most travellers (the notable exception in this case being the small number of initial car share users who are ideologically motivated). But it is important to determine the magnitude of these indirect and non-market effects, because their presence influences government (and sometimes industry) behaviour toward carsharing. If non-market and indirect effects are large – i.e., the market is seen to be undervaluing the benefits of carsharing - government, employers, and others will be encouraged to support carsharing initiatives;
- according to three carsharing surveys conducted between 1990 and 1994, the magnitude of these non-market and indirect benefits could be substantial. They found that approximately 30% of carsharing participants sell their cars upon joining. Autodate reports a 39% reduction in vehicles and in Oslo, Norway, 68% of individuals reportedly gave up a vehicle after participating in carsharing.
Reduced car ownership is critical because it generally translates into reduced driving… - various empirical studies find that, upon joining a CSO, users reduced their driving by about 1/3 to walking, biking, and transit. In Germany, a study reported that carsharing reduced private car mileage by 58%, from 7,044 km to 4,073 km per year, after membership, while a Mobility CarSharing Switzerland study reported that upon joining a CSO, the quantity of driving dropped 33 to 50% for individuals owning private vehicles. Former car owners in the Netherlands reportedly reduced their driving by 37% - from 15,907 to 10,095 km annually;
- surveys indicate that the reduction in driving was replaced in part by travel on public transport. Baum and Pesch, for instance, report that public transportation use by CSO members in Germany increased by 1,546 km per year, resulting in them using transit for 57% of their total travel, versus 13% for private cars;
- as an indication of vehicle utilisation, Stadtauto Drive reports that their vehicles average 34,200 km per year, compared to 14,600 km for the average German car. Vehicle trips tend to be of short duration and distance: 77% of Stadtauto Drive ‘rentals’ are fewer than 24 hours in length, and 56% range between 19 and 100 km. The average occupancy rate of a Stadtauto Drive vehicle is 2 persons, compared to the German average of 1.3. Vehicles were used fairly intensively, but individual members tended to be sporadic users, with Stadtauto Drive members driving less than half that of the average driver (4,025 versus 8,758 km per year).
- a 2003 study of San Francisco’s non-profit City CarShare by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley showed that car sharing reduces vehicle traffic by 13,000 miles (about 20,921 Km), saves 720 gallons (about 2,750 litres) of gasoline daily, and 20,000 pounds (about 9,071 Kg) of carbon dioxide emissions. According to the study, since joining City CarShare, 30% of its members had sold one or more of their cars, 67% have chosen not to purchase an additional car, overall automobile travel among City CarShare members has dropped 47%, and use of public transit, walking and bicycling by CarShare members has increased. (2)
(1) ABC News Poll, “Traffic in the United States”, analysis by Gary Langer, February 13, 2005.
[ abcnews.go.com/Technology/Traffic/story?id=485098&page=2]
(2) The study followed hundreds of members of City CarShare over an 18-month period.
[ www.citycarshare.org/about/news/archives/000014.shtml]
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