Who Uses Car Sharing, and in What Way?

Car sharing users are often perceived as one homogenous group of young city-dwellers with higher education levels, often causing significant effects in linear regression models. But surely many car sharers do not fit this stereotype profile of ‘early adopters’, and this must be increasingly so as car sharing becomes more mainstream. In this article, the aim is (1) to identify distinct groups of car sharing users by performing a cluster analysis and, further, investigate how these reveal variations in car sharing practices (travel distances, duration, frequency, and trip purposes); and (2) to investigate how diverse car sharing members use car sharing differently and for various purposes. To answer these questions, survey data from different Norwegian station-based car sharing systems are analysed. The findings indicate user group variations, especially in age and family composition, but that car sharers are often highly educated and hold full-time employment. Furthermore, we see differentiation among various clusters on choice of car sharing system and on how car sharing is used. Peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing is preferred for longer trips, while business-to-consumer (B2C) car sharing is more frequent and used for everyday activities. Those without private vehicles exhibit more frequent car sharing use, often related to leisure activities and accompanying trips. The results imply that car sharing can serve as a viable mobility solution for diverse user groups. The results further imply that in planning for residential areas where living without a private car is feasible, car sharing has the potential to replace private car ownership.