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Carsharing: "JoeCar" in Mannheim and Heidelberg will continue

The Ministry of Transport gave the green light for the continuation of the "JoeCar" pilot project. This allows Mannheim and Heidelberg to maintain the car-sharing services that were launched in 2013 and 2014.

Above all, "JoeCar" users very rarely have their own vehicles. | Photo: Stadtmobil/Alex Becker
Above all, "JoeCar" users very rarely have their own vehicles. | Photo: Stadtmobil/Alex Becker
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According to their own statements, Baden-Württemberg is the number one car-sharing state in Germany. In addition to the classic station-based car-sharing, Stadtmobil Rhein-Neckar AG has been offering free-floating car-sharing under the name JoeCar since 2013 as part of the pilot project initially in Mannheim and since 2014 also in Heidelberg.

In this scheme, vehicles can be parked in any free parking space within a defined area of the city. Currently, a special permit is required for this because the federal government has not yet passed regulations granting privileges and special permits for car-sharing vehicles based on the Car-Sharing Act that came into effect on September 1, 2017. After the federal government fundamentally allowed special usage on federal roads with the Car-Sharing Act, the state now aims to promote car-sharing on state, district, and municipal roads through an amendment to the Road Act.

By creating reserved public spaces for car-sharing, for example in close proximity to bus or train stops, networking with other modes of transport can be facilitated, thus closing a gap in the eco-friendly transport network. The Road Act, released for stakeholder consultation in July, will form the basis for this.

A scientific accompanying study is now expected to examine the extent to which traffic and environmental effects can be observed with "JoeCar." According to previous studies, Stadtmobil car-sharing customers have a significantly low car ownership rate compared to the entire German population. Survey participants own an average of 268 cars per 1,000 households. Most private vehicles are disposed of in the year before registering with Stadtmobil. The number of cars owned by survey participants decreased by more than 50 percent by the time of the survey. Customers who combine both offered forms of Stadtmobil have, compared to exclusive JoeCar users and exclusive classic car-sharers, the lowest car ownership rate of 127 cars per 1,000 households. The combination of both systems, therefore, particularly supports a mobility behavior without private cars. This combined offering contributes to a lower motorization rate in the population. Car-sharing customers: Ecological awareness plays a crucial role.

Another finding from the previous studies is that the reduction in car ownership is not solely due to the ecological awareness of car-sharing customers. Financial reasons and the obligations associated with car ownership—often combined with low usage of the own vehicle—also play a decisive role.

What does this mean?

Car-sharing can indeed massively contribute to reducing vehicle density. However, it generally requires a corresponding “basic attitude” of the users. Moreover, financial reasons often come into play, which unfortunately means that as soon as enough money is available, car-sharers tend to revert to owning a vehicle here and there.

 

Translated automatically from German.
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