Invers Mobility Barometer: Car sharing is increasing across Europe - a quarter electric

The latest edition of the Invers Mobility Barometer has analyzed the most important carsharing business models and notes a further increase of 14 percent compared to 2023. Flexible, station-based, and peer-to-peer carsharing were examined. In addition to Invers's own surveys, the study includes country-specific third-party studies as well as insights from interviews with market experts.

"Our new barometer shows: the market for flexible and station-based carsharing in Europe has never been bigger," says Barath Devanathan, Chief Business Officer at Invers. "In recent years, operators have been able to grow continuously."

The key findings:

• Over 580 carsharing operators offer their services in 39 European countries. This edition of the barometer shows the largest European carsharing market to date. The majority of providers operate station-based carsharing.
• The study records over 460 such services in 24 countries. Thus, four out of five identified providers operate station-based carsharing. In addition, more than 80 operators of flexible carsharing in 29 countries were identified, and more than 35 operators of peer-to-peer carsharing in 28 countries.
• The electrification of fleets continues to increase in many countries, with carsharing vehicles being significantly more electrified in most markets than private vehicles. About one in four providers of station-based or flexible carsharing operates fully electric fleets. Operators are currently focusing heavily on profitability and operational excellence.

• In addition, the carsharing market continues to see mergers and acquisitions, particularly in flexible and peer-to-peer carsharing. Furthermore, the industry is dealing with new technologies such as teleoperated carsharing for vehicle provisioning and AI-based damage detection.
• The number of vehicles in flexible and station-based carsharing has increased to at least 120,000, a rise of 14 percent since 2023. For the first time, the fleet of flexible carsharing is larger than that of station-based carsharing. This means that flexible carsharing operators manage significantly larger fleets on average than station-based operators.

• Currently, there are around 63,000 vehicles in flexible car sharing and 57,000 in station-based car sharing on the continent. Both business models have continued to grow in the market.
• Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy have the largest fleets of station-based and flexible car sharing. Measured by the total number, Germany is the largest European market with 43,100 vehicles. Flexible car sharing is dominated by a few operators, while the station-based market features many providers and is heterogeneous.
• France, with a car-sharing fleet of 13,500 vehicles, is the second-largest European market, followed by the Netherlands with 7,000 vehicles, Belgium with more than 6,500, and Italy with 5,900 vehicles. Among these five markets, Belgium and Germany have the highest car-sharing density with more than 5 car-sharing vehicles per 10,000 inhabitants.
• More than 360 vehicle models from over 55 brands are in use. The vehicle types and models among European providers are diverse. The barometer shows more than 360 vehicle models from 55 brands in station-based and flexible car sharing. Frequently used models include Opel Corsa, Renault Zoe, VW ID.3, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, VW Golf, Citröen C3, VW Polo, Audi Q2, Fiat 500, and Renault Clio. Vans and motorhomes are increasingly being offered in the sharing model. Popular models are the VW Crafter, Renault Kangoo, Ford Transit, VW T6, Peugeot Boxer, Mercedes Vito, Opel Movana, Fiat Talento, and Nissan NV200.