Replacement of internal combustion engine vehicles by electric vehicles in Chinese ridesharing markets

Increasing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution have motivated the search for sustainable transportation alternatives. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a promising solution, yet their potential to replace internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) in high-utilization ridesharing fleets remains insufficiently understood. This study analyzes data from a major ridesharing platform in Beijing, comparing EVs and ICEVs across car-sharing and private car-hailing modes. We find that at the driver level, EVs and ICEVs demonstrate comparable order completion in car-sharing, while EVs exhibit significantly lower daily mileage. Order-level regression analysis reveals that EVs, in private ride-sharing, exhibit a higher propensity to complete long-distance orders. We also find that mainstream 2015 EVs could cover the majority of daily ICEV travel patterns, with higher substitutability in car-sharing. These findings provide a benchmark for evaluating progress in the ongoing electrification of shared mobility.