Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Carsharing: Understanding Early Market Dynamics and Social and Environmental Impacts

As traditional carsharing has become an integral part of urban transportation systems across North America, new and advanced approaches to carsharing have begun to emerge. One such advance is peer-to-peer (P2P) carsharing, in which intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology opens personally-owned vehicles to carsharing. This project would study early P2P carsharing members through focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and an online survey. Focus groups would probe the experiences of members that contribute and rent vehicles to understand the obstacles faced in sharing P2P vehicles. The focus groups would also inform the design of an online survey of members across P2P organizations in North America. Questions would explore how P2P carsharing has altered member walking, bicycling, public transportation, personal driving, and ridesharing. Researchers would identify benefits/positive experiences and challenges/frustrations faced by P2P users/vehicle renters to inform the P2P industry of early adopter considerations. Finally, stakeholder interviews with operators and key supporters (e.g., legislators) would gain perspective on industry challenges and opportunities from a policy perspective. The results would be used to advance knowledge of P2P carsharing and aid organizations in expanding their vehicle networks through a better understanding of the fundamental needs and characteristics of their membership base as related to the broader population.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $70849
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT12-G-UTC09

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avneue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  University of California, Berkeley

  Transportation Center
  2614 Dwight Way, 2nd Floor
  Berkely, CA  United States  94720-1782
• Principal Investigators:

  Shaheen, Susan

• Start Date: 20120801
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 33490

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environmental impacts; Focus groups; Intelligent transportation systems; Surveys; Travel behavior; Vehicle sharing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Peer-to-peer communication
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01471042
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of California Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC09
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 31 2013 1:01AM