Early adopters of carsharing with and without BEVs with respect to gender preferences

Abstract

Purpose The majority of current e-carsharing users are middle-aged men with a high education and high income; they are most likely to have a full-time employment. Women are consistently underrepresented in previous studies and therefore this paper focusses on characterization of female early adopters. It builds a basis to identify current female early adopters and understand their preferences in e-carsharing in order to address women as target groups for e-carsharing. Methods A sample of 492 carsharing subscribers from Berlin is analysed according to socio-demographic backgrounds, mode choice, use and evaluation of (e-) carsharing services. Additionally, attitudinal indices and clusters based on mobility related attitudes are analysed to reveal significant differences between male and female users. Results Generally, the results confirm socio-demographic findings from previous literature about early adopters. Comparing females and males revealed differences in income, employment status and age. Female early adopters used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) more often than vehicles with an internal combustion engine and evaluate handling BEVs more positive. They show a higher bike affinity and lower affinities towards technology and innovation than male respondents. They combine public transportation and bicycling with the use of (e-) carsharing services as an additional part of urban mobility. Children do not seem to have an impact of the respective topics, although the findings suggest that services are not used with children. Conclusions The analysis of carsharing schemes needs to focus on specific requirements of each trip (e.g. transporting or accompanying children) in order to make sustainable mobility an option for others than one 'typical early adopter'.

Different business models – different users? Uncovering the motives and characteristics of business-to-consumer and peer-to-peer carsharing adopters in The Netherlands

“…The studies we found seem to indicate that socio-demographic characteristics of adopters are consistent with the typical character traits of Rogers' early adopters (e.g. Burkhardt and Millard-Ball 2006;Wappelhorst et al 2013;Kawgan-Kagan 2015). Socio-demographic characteristics, as well as motives to adopt carsharing, are often only briefly described, without analyzing the influence they have on adoption.…”

An Explanatory Model Approach for the Spatial Distribution of Free-Floating Carsharing Bookings: A Case-Study of German Cities

“…They also found out that user behavior in the previous four months directly influences the current frequency of usage. Kawgan-Kagan, focusing on gender, revealed that female early adopters generally show a higher affinity for bikes and a lower open-mindedness towards new technologies in comparison to male users [19].…”

Finding Factors that Influence Carsharing Usage: Case Study in Seoul

“…The one or two person household was mentioned as one of the characteristics of carsharing users [20] and later Celsor and Millard-Ball tested the percentage of "1-person households" [8]. The gender of carsharing users has been tested in several studies, revealing that males use carsharing services more frequently than females [10,28,29]. For this study, the average household size and percentage of male population are measured for each district and tested as an independent variable.…”