Free-floating carsharing in Copenhagen: A study on user experience in a cycling city

Abstract

Free-floating carsharing is emerging in cities around the world. Based on a survey of car2go (n=95) and DriveNow users (n=737) in Copenhagen, followed by in-depth interviews with selected car2go users (n=12), this paper focuses on the practices and motives related to the use of a free-floating car sharing service in a city with a distinct cycling culture. Data were collected within the first year of the car2go and DriveNow launch. Like in other studies, users were mainly young, highly educated males, living in the city centre. However, different from other studies, they were predominantly daily cyclists. A key finding was that car2go did not substitute or compete with primary transport modes, especially since car2go (as well as DriveNow) was only used to a small degree for commuting. Based on in-depth interviews, different motives and user patterns could be identified depending on car ownership status. Non-car owners primarily used car2go for leisure or business trips and for transporting goods, whereas car owners mostly used car2go to avoid driving their private car in the city. For both groups, car2go could not fully cover their car needs. The withdrawal of car2go from Copenhagen after 17 months of operation is reflected based on the identified mobility patterns and user experiences.