Berkeley, December 5, 2012 – Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC), a leading provider of independent shared-use vehicle research, announced the release of their carsharing market outlook. Dr. Susan Shaheen and TSRC have been tracking carsharing developments worldwide since 1997.
Shaheen, Susan, Adam Cohen (2012). “Innovative Mobility Carsharing Outlook: Carsharing Market Overview, Analysis, and Trends."
By the year 2030, the number of people over the age of 65 in the United States is expected to reach 57 million. The Baby Boomer population tends to drive more kilometers annually than previous generations, have wider interests, and will likely be active and healthy well past retirement. This paper examines an electric vehicle (EV) carsharing (short-term vehicle access) service as an alternative to private vehicle ownership for older adults living in a gated community. Research was conducted between Winter 2009 and Spring 2011.
Shaheen, Susan, Lauren Cano, and Madonna Camel (2012). “Electric Vehicle Carsharing in a Senior Adult Community in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Carsharing (or short-term auto use) provides a flexible alternative that meets diverse transportation needs across the globe, while reducing the negative impacts of private vehicle ownership. More than 65 years ago, carsharing began appearing in Europe. It has expanded to approximately 1,100 cities worldwide, in 26 nations on five continents. This article provides a global perspective of carsharing growth and future developments from 2006 through 2015, employing data from three surveys conducted in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Shaheen, Susan and Adam Cohen, (2012). "Carsharing and Personal Vehicle Services: Worldwide Market Developments and Emerging Trends," International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, No. 7, pp. 5-34.
Over the past three decades, carsharing has grown from a collection of local grassroots organizations into a
worldwide industry. Traditional carsharing, though expanding, has a limited network of vehicles and loca-
tions. The next generation of shared-use vehicle services could overcome such expansion barriers as capital
costs and land use by incorporating new concepts like personal vehicle sharing.
Personal vehicle sharing provides short-term access to privately-owned vehicles. As of May 2012, there were
Shaheen, Susan, Mark Mallery, and Karly Kingsley (2012). “Personal Vehicle Sharing Services in North America,” Research in Transportation Business & Management, Vol. 3, pp.71-81.
At present, local jurisdictions across North America are evaluating how best to provide parking spaces to carsharing vehicles in a fair and equitable manner. Some have initiated implementation of carsharing parking policies, and many continue to evolve as the demand and need for carsharing grows. Many others are seeking guidance on carsharing parking, based on the fledgling experience of other cities. This study documents the state of the practice with respect to carsharing and parking policies in North America.
Shaheen, Susan, Caroline Rodier, Gail Murray, Adam Cohen, and Elliot Martin, (2010). "Carsharing and Public Parking Policies: Assessing Benefits, Costs, and Best Practices in North America," Mineta Transportation Institute, No. 09-09.
Based on the authors' experience and knowledge of technical developments, several important factors for implementing carsharing in the future are recommended. The authors emphasize how carsharing organizations (CSOs) can be incorporated into multimodal mobility services by adopting new business strategies and advanced technologies. The authors identify exemplary CSOs that have already taken strides towards developing their organizations into intermodal mobility service providers.
Most automobiles 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.
In this paper, the author outlines and summarizes the research stages of the CarLink I field test. The author also introduces the concept of transit-based "smart" carsharing and discusses how carsharing systems, such as CarLink, could change the way households use transportation, as well as reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, and government spending.
Updating a prior carsharing publication, this paper provides an extensive background to the international history of carsharing up to 1999, highlighting the reasons for which some organizations flourished and others faltered. Experiences of worldwide carsharing organizations (CSOs) are used to assess which factors are favorable to attaining innovative and economically viable operations and other organizational goals. The future prospects of international CSOs are explored based on trends in services offered, partnership management, and advanced technologies.
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 a group of 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.
