Berlin, 05.09.2012

Bundesverband CarSharing publishes the results of his city check shortly before the European Mobility Week 2012. Germany’s carsharing capital is Karlsruhe with Berlin only last of the top five. Operators of classical carsharing schemes are in the vanguard

The times seem to have passed when a car has been a status symbol. Nowadays a car on demand suffices for many Germans. For years professional carsharing has been booming as a useful complement of urban mobility. A carsharing car replaces four to eight privately owned cars thus having positive effects on parking space management as well as on noise and exhaust pollution. 

Germany’s first carsharing operator started 1988 in Berlin only one year after the very first start in Switzerland. During subsequent years carsharing services were initiated in many German cities. Many of them celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. The majority of carsharing operators are members of Bundesverband CarSharing: at present 109 of about 140 known operators. Although most of them operate only regionally their offer includes as well the use of cars operated by other providers linked up in the same system: these are nationwide some thousand cars. 

For the first time Bundesverband CarSharing analysed carsharing services in German cities (200,000 inhabitants and more) and now publishes the results in a statistic sorted by the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants. In this statistic data from classical carsharing schemes are contrasted with those of new ones operated by car manufacturers. According to this statistic the best carsharing services are to be found in Karlsruhe (1), Dusseldorf (2), Munich (3) and Stuttgart (4). Although Berlin has the highest number of operators it is not Germany’s carsharing capital but follows on rank 5 out of 37 cities listed. It is striking that the classical operators (especially in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Freiburg) offer more cars per 1,000 inhabitants than the car manufacturers’ schemes.  

Willi Loose, CEO of Bundesverband CarSharing, comments on the city comparison: “We offer an impartial comparison of carsharing quality for all big cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants. So far the media convey the impression that new schemes operated by car manufacturers are mounting from the start a much wider carsharing service. Over the years and without being noticed, however, classical carsharing has been developing an offer not only excellent and customer-oriented but also substantially more dense. The new schemes are not present in six out of the ten highest ranking carsharing cities.” 

Since the mid-nineties German carsharing has turned from “eco project” to professional mobility service. As a result carsharing operators now are important partners in organising the European Mobility Week to come. From 16th until 22nd September more than 2,200 cities all over Europe will be characterized by the European Mobility Week. “Moving in the right direction!” is this year’s motto of the campaign. This wish can be fulfilled step by step. Emissions of greenhouse gas, exhaust and noise are reduced by chosing transport modes from afoot, by bike and PT and as well by carsharing and liftsharing. 

Willi Loose: “The urban youth are changing their attitude. Their status symbol is the ownership of modern means of communication rather than that of a car. Therefore they have a positive attitude towards carsharing and represent a huge potential. At present our customer numbers increase by 20 per cent per year. Besides, carsharing operators would like to add more electric vehicles to their fleets. To this day electrical vehicles are still too expensive to be run within the regular tariff system but this will presumably change over time.” 

The driver using his own car for all of his trips does no longer exist especially among the younger target groups in big cities and thus demand for multi-modal transport is increasing. Cooperation between providers of PT, carsharing and bike-sharing is becoming a competitive factor. The carsharing market is on the way up. 

Bundesverband CarSharing (bcs) represents the political interests of the sector at nationwide level and towards the federal states. bcs’ functions are conveying competent and up-to-date information, supporting communication within the sector, care for and development of carsharing-services and practical support for carsharing operators. At present 109 operators are member of bcs. Two thirds of carsharing customers are between 30 and 50 years of age. 

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The press release as pdf download: pm_staedtevergleich_englisch 28 kB

Diagram city comparison: grafik_cs-staedtevergleich 203 kB

Chart CarSharing cities: vergleich_cs-staedte_ueber_200000-ew 93 kB