The Carsharing Telematics Market - 7th Edition

Passenger cars and light trucks are the main modes of transportation in most industrialised countries. The vast majority of car trips in metropolitan areas are drive-alone trips with only one person in the car and vehicles are used for only about one hour per day on average. Carsharing is one of many car-based mobility services available for people who occasionally want to complement other modes of transportation with car-based mobility. Examples of other car-based mobility services include traditional car rental, carpooling, ridesharing, taxi and ridesourcing services. Many of these mobility services aim to decrease the cost of car-based transportation, create convenience through fewer ownership responsibilities, as well as reduce traffic congestion and environmental impact.

The public carsharing fleet to reach 755,000 vehicles worldwide in 2029 Carsharing is a decentralised car rental service focusing on short-term rentals that supplements other modes of transport including walking, cycling and public transport. Carsharing aims to provide an alternative to individual car ownership without restricting mobility by providing affordable car access. Carsharing Organisations (CSOs) offer members access to a fleet of shared cars from unattended self-service locations. Today, most CSOs worldwide use stationbased networks with round-trip rental. This operational model requires members to return a vehicle to the same designated station from which it was accessed.

Many CSOs also offer oneway carsharing that enables users to return the car to any station operated by the CSO. Another model that is gaining in popularity is free-floating carsharing, which allows members to pick up and drop off cars anywhere within a designated area or zone. The ability to access available cars instantly without prior booking and no need to schedule a return time makes this type of service attractive for short trips. In some regions, more cars are now dedicated to free-floating carsharing than station-based carsharing. 

Telematics systems and smartphones are key enablers of carsharing services. In-car hardware technologies for carsharing services comprise a telematics device and an RFID reader for capturing trip data, enabling fleet management and granting access to the car through an RFID smartcard or smartphone app. Additional hardware solutions such as damage sensors and smoke detectors can be installed to protect the vehicles, improve user behaviour and reduce accidents. Software platforms include complete IT systems that can support all the operational activities of a CSO ranging from management of in-vehicle equipment, fleet management, booking management, billing, as well as operations supervision via dashboards and data analytics. Leading vendors of hardware and software platforms include Invers, Vulog, Convadis, Targa Telematics, OCTO Telematics, Humax, Ridecell, Optimum (by Shiftmove), Mobility Tech Green, Atom Mobility, CT Mobility, MOQO and Astus. Leading hardware telematics vendors such as Teltonika Telematics and Ruptela also serve the market. Several carsharing technology vendors also target the corporate carsharing market that aims to increase corporate carpool availability and reduce mobility costs.

Many carsharing technology vendors partner with other actors to expand their offerings and strengthen their value proposition. Commercial carsharing services are offered by specialist carsharing companies, car rental companies, carmakers and other actors such as public transport operators.  Examples of specialised CSOs include Times Car in Japan; Socar in South Korea; Communauto and Evo Car Share in Canada; Miles, stadtmobil and Cambio in Germany; MyWheels and Greenwheels in the Netherlands; Enjoy in Italy; Mobility Cooperative in Switzerland; Citiz in France; Traficar in Poland; TikTak in Turkey; and GoGet in Australia. Car rental CSOs include Sixt Share (owned by Sixt), Zipcar (owned by Avis Budget Group), Europcar On Demand (owned by Europcar Mobility Group) and G Car (owned by Lotte Rental). Examples of leading CSOs backed by carmakers include Free2move (owned by Stellantis), Kinto Share (owned by Toyota), Mobilize Share (owned by Renault) and Wible (owned by Kia).

The carsharing market is expected to grow in the coming years. The research estimates that the total number of carsharing members worldwide reached 84.8 million at the end of 2024. At the same time, the total carsharing fleet had reached about 494,000 vehicles. The research forecasts that carsharing membership will grow to about 138.3 million globally by the end of 2029 and the total carsharing fleet will then reach about 755,000 cars. The corporate carsharing market is moreover estimated to 142,000 vehicles at year-end 2024 and is forecasted to reach about 270,000 vehicles in 2029. Europe and Asia-Pacific represent the majority of all carsharing programmes and the number of carsharing vehicles from an international perspective. The frontrunning markets include Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.

Highlights from the report

• Insights from 30 executive interviews with market leading companies. 
• New data on carsharing fleets and members worldwide. 
• Comprehensive overview of the carsharing telematics value chain. 
• In-depth analysis of market trends and key developments. 
• Detailed profiles of 35 carsharing technology vendors and their propositions.
• Case studies of 70 carsharing initiatives from specialist CSOs, car rental companies and car OEMs.
• Market forecasts by region lasting until 2029.

The report answers the following questions 

• What is the current status of the carsharing industry?
• Which are the leading carsharing telematics and technology providers? 
• How are carmakers positioning themselves on the carsharing market? 
• What business models are used by carsharing companies?
• What technology choices are there for carsharing operators?
• What carsharing services are available from leading carsharing providers today?
• How will the market evolve in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and other parts of the world?:
• How will the corporate carsharing market evolve in the upcoming years?