Driving factors behind station-based car sharing use in the Netherlands

Abstract

In light of growing environmental challenges, the need to reconsider how we approach personal transportation is becoming increasingly evident. A shift from a private car-focused mobility system towards a more sustainable and equitable transportation system is desired. Car sharing is considered a means to achieve this. However, car sharing use and its related impact are not entirely understood, as many studies do not consider the car sharing motives of individuals and treat the car sharing population as a homogeneous group. This study aims to reveal distinct car sharing usage profiles to gain a thorough understanding of car sharing utilisation and its related impact. Six distinct user profiles are uncovered using a Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCCA) based on station-based car sharer data gathered through an online survey (N=1281). This segmentation underscores the diversity in car sharing motives and reveals that the impacts associated with car sharing use differ across the identified user groups. The cluster profiles show that environmentally motivated car sharers use the shared car as a complete replacement for their private car, causing a substantial decrease in car ownership and use. More utility-focused car sharers, and especially initially carless individuals, show a less substantial decrease in car ownership and sometimes even an increase in car use. This study concludes with recommendations based on these findings and discusses its limitations.