Car sharing adoption intention in urban areas: What are the key sociodemographic drivers?

• Published in: Transportation research. Part A, Policy and practice Vol. 101; pp. 218 - 227
• Main Authors: Prieto, Marc, Baltas, George, Stan, Valentina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2017
• Subjects: Car ownership; Car sharing; Carpooling; Collaborative consumption; Ridesharing; Sociodemographic factors; Collaborative consumption; Car ownership; Carpooling; Sociodemographic factors; Car sharing; Ridesharing
• ISSN: 0965-8564; 1879-2375
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.05.012

•This paper investigates how sociodemographic factors explain adoption intention of car sharing systems.•The results reveal generation effect in adoption intention of car sharing services.•Preferences for peer-to-peer and car clubs are driven by distinctive socio demographic profiles.•The city center is the best location to recruit new users of car sharing services.
In recent years, car sharing has become an international transportation trend and has shown the potential to change the way people use cars. Sociodemographic variables are the key drivers of mobility patterns and travel modes and may determine the diffusion of car sharing services in the urban population. The present paper considers the impact of sociodemographic variables on car sharing behavior and explores individual choice between car clubs and peer-to-peer car sharing services. We carry out an international survey and analyze a representative sample of 2733 car owners in four major metropolitan areas: London, Madrid, Paris, and Tokyo. The empirical analysis identifies key drivers of car sharing behavior and choice. The findings yield practical insights for business practitioners and transportation planners.