A Study on the Factors Influencing the Use of Station-Flexible E-Car Sharing Models in Rural Areas in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

This research analyzes the distribution of station-flexible e-carsharing offers in the rural space of Baden-Württemberg through an analysis of the sociological and demographic characteristics and use cases related to the population. The attention is on the customers and potential customers of a regional company that has specifically developed a business model for rural space. Using an online survey with a sample of 374 individuals, univariate and bivariate statistical methods were employed in order to obtain meaningful results. The results demonstrated that household size mattered little in determining if respondents would participate in carsharing. Men used station-flexible carsharing more than women, this relationship was found to be statistically significant. However, older respondents made no difference in their interest in e-carsharing. The positive association between higher education and usage was particularly striking; college educated respondents had a greater willingness to use the service, they were significantly different than the others. Vehicle availability was less so. Notably, leisure activities and excursions was the most cited reason for usage by users; e-carsharing is appealing for leisure purposes for vegetative nature in rural space. Thus, sociological and demographic factors including education and gender bond together to be more important than household size or vehicle access to determine use cases. This study, shows a solid level of allied positive information for sustainable development of mobility solutions, revealing various opportunities that are regions specific for rural space.