Governance and business policy impact on carsharing diffusion in European cities

Congestion and pollution are common urban challenges. Among many policy measures, carsharing has been advanced as an instrument to mitigate adverse consequences of urban mobility. Municipal authorities have responded differently to its promises: some actively promote carsharing and public–private collaboration, others leave this to the market. Likewise, carsharing operators have revealed varying preferences for cities: in some they operate many cars and different business models, in other they are completely absent. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of governance support and business models on urban carsharing diffusion. Based on data about 170 cities in 30 European countries, we find that governance factors, like awareness campaigns and collaboration between the public transport and carsharing operators, favorably contribute to carsharing diffusion. Also, operators’ choices regarding free-floating or station-based carsharing affect diffusion. In all, these findings contribute to the development of urban policies aimed at promoting carsharing diffusion.