Berlin, 26.02.2013

The annual balance by Bundesverband CarSharing e. V. attests: just under half a million car drivers in Germany make use of carsharing services. With that Germany is runner-up country. Demand for sustainable car use is great and counting

At present 453,000 people in Germany are registered with station based and free floating carsharing services. This is the result of this year's carsharing balance drawn up by Bundesverband CarSharing e. V. (bcs) as of 01 January 2013.

Hence, the year 2012 ascertained the highest increase in customers and cars registered so far. This refers on one side to a steady growth of so called classical carsharing services which operate with determined pick-up places: new providers started their service in 2012 and existing services expanded so that carsharing services are now available in 343 cities and communities in Germany. Further increase is due to strong development of free-floating services. These are operated by car manufacturers and list at present 183,000 customers.

The point balance illustrates a strong demand for sustainable mobility in Germany. As compared to international figures Germany is in the second place both by absolute numbers and by rate of carsharing customers to overall population. "This development stimulates us to intensify our campaigning for the enhancement of general conditions for ecofriendly car use in combination with public transport and bicycle traffic", announces Willi Loose, the bcs' managing director. The data for the annual balance 2012 were drawn up regardless of the providers' membership with the bcs. Further information about how the data were drawn up can be found (in German) on the bcs' website.

Meanwhile many drivers in Germany gave up their privately owned car and make instead use of the various carsharing schemes. "Especially the services operating with determined pick-up places are very popular. They have been reporting a strong and regular increase in a two-digit percent range. Their effect for environment relief is beyond dispute", declares Willi Loose. Thus the number of customers in these schemes went up to 270,000 by 01 January 2013 equaling an increase by 22.7 percent. Carsharing providers reacted to this trend: by the end of 2013 customers had 6,700 cars in 3,250 pick-up places at their disposal. The increase amounts to 19.6 percent.

The free-floating schemes, too were used more. Since about two years ago they have started operating in six German big cities of more than 500,000 inhabitants and in the smaller cities of Ulm/Neu-Ulm. They gained 146,000 new customers within a year. The number of cars was raised from 1,300 to 4,550 at present by starting services in new cities and by expanding the existing offer.

Jochen Flasbarth, president of the Federal Environment Agency classifies carsharing with regard to traffic as follows: "Carsharing has been established by now as an ecofriendly way of transport besides bus, train, cycling, and walking. Carsharing can be easily combined with other means of transport, allows mobility without owning a private car, and saves valuable spaces in cities. Thus the Federal Environment Agency recommends the expansion of mobility stages for different types of transport where people can change fast and easily from train to bus or bike or carsharing. To this aim communities can already obtain financial support from a current Federal Environment Agency's support programme. Carsharing is best qualified for populous urban quarters but they especially lack a sufficient number of on-street parking in public space. Necessary to that end is legal regulation."

Bundesverband CarSharing (bcs) represents the political interests of the sector at nationwide level and is oriented towards the federal states of Germany. bcs collects and distributes competent and up-to-date information, supports communication within the carsharing sector, helps developing carsharing-services, and provides practical support for carsharing operators. The bcs currently has 110 operators in their membership.

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More information and licence-free photos are available on the media site of Bundesverband CarSharing.

Requests for interviews, the detailed statistics and further information via:

Press contact: PR-Agentur Medienarbeiten.de, Tanja Menkel, Germersheimer Weg 30 B 13583 Berlin, Telefon 030 3389 0488, office@medienarbeiten.de

Contact Bundesverband CarSharing: Bundesverband CarSharing e. V. (bcs), Willi Loose, CEO, Kurfürstendamm 52, 10707 Berlin, Telefon: 030 - 92 12 33 54, Telefax: 030 - 22 32 07 04, E-Mail: info@carsharing.de, Internet: www.carsharing.de

Published in German version 26 February 2013

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