Carsharing: The Future of Mobility the Ever-increasingly Popular Mobility Model
Carsharing (or car sharing) is a short-term car rental model. This mobility strategy makes it possible to enjoy the conveniences of a vehicle without the additional costs of car ownership, making it ideal for occasional users.
The user simply searches the app for the car that is closest to their location, and if it is free, they may then use it to go anywhere they need, parking it anywhere that is convenient for them within the preset area of the carsharing provider. The great advantage of the carsharing mobility model is that you only pay for the time of use, either by the minute or by the hour.
Carsharing services are becoming more and more relevant due to the increasing number of people who prefer to rent a car rather than buy a private vehicle. This is especially prominent in large cities, where traffic is more congested.
Different Business Models Available in the Carsharing Market
Station-Based
Rental car service by minutes/hours with a fixed delivery point. Unlike the carsharing free-floating model, where there is a lot of flexibility with where to park the vehicle, the station-based model has a specific parking area, where all vehicles must be returned. An example of this model is Hyundai's VIVe.
P2P
Peer-to-peer (P2P) services connect vehicle owners with clients who need a car so that those owners can rent their vehicles when they are going unused. The user can book a car for a specified period of time, and then they must coordinate with the owner to agree on a delivery and collection point that suit both parties. This is the case of the getaround platform.
Carsharing Free-Floating
Short-time car rentals whose fleet can be parked within a predetermined area instead of having a fixed parking point. Each company has a fleet distributed in a geographical area in which users can locate, pick up, and park the vehicle where it suits them. Some companies that use this model include Free2move, Voltio, ZIty and Wible.
Benefits of Carsharing Free-Floating Software
Car-sharing Free-floating software offers even more flexibility than the other modalities available in the shared mobility market. Thanks to its technology, cars do not require being tied to a single drop-off point or having a complex pick-up and drop-off system, as is the case with Station-Based and P2P. The car-sharing free-floating model allows for customers to pick up and drop off a car wherever it is most convenient for them to do so within a given geographic area.
It also reduces implementation costs and time by eliminating the need to build infrastructure or private parking spaces. As a result, carsharing free-floating software is ideal for shared mobility companies located in large cities with limited space. Such is the case of our client Voltio by Mutua, a carsharing company in Madrid owned by the Mutua Madrileña Group.
Learn more about our [Carsharing Software] (https://worldwidemobility.io/our-solutions/carsharing-software) and how we can help you implement your shared mobility business.