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Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities

Author

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  • Nancy Bocken

    (The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, P O Box 196, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden)

  • Alexandra Jonca

    (The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, P O Box 196, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden)

  • Karolina Södergren

    (The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, P O Box 196, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden)

  • Jenny Palm

    (The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, P O Box 196, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden)

Abstract

The sharing economy has become prominent in the policy, business and academic discourse as a way to achieve greater levels of resource efficiency in sustainability transitions. An example is carsharing, which is regarded as a potential lever for change in sustainable mobility transitions. In this article we, apply the “ecologies of business models” perspective to investigate how carsharing initiatives have coevolved in Sweden. We focus on the city context as a useful unit of analysis to investigate carsharing in four Swedish cities: Gothenburg, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå. Through qualitative case research, we investigate the following: How did carsharing business models coevolve in the studied cities? It was found that early notions of carsharing date back to the 1970s, but the concept has changed significantly over time, particularly with the emergence of (Internet) technology-based platforms. The findings suggest that carsharing is complementary to existing private car usage in cities, rather than a replacement. Based on this, we suggest pathways for local policymakers to consider when implementing sustainable carsharing solutions. The contributions are threefold: providing an empirical study on the theoretical ecologies of business models concept; understanding how carsharing coevolved in Swedish cities and in relation to wider sustainability and mobility trends; and giving novel insight into the role of local governments.

Suggested Citation

  • Nancy Bocken & Alexandra Jonca & Karolina Södergren & Jenny Palm, 2020. "Emergence of Carsharing Business Models and Sustainability Impacts in Swedish Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:1594-:d:323174
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Rotaris, Lucia, 2022. "Peer-to-peer carsharing in less-densely populated areas: An empirical analysis in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy)," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Agnieszka Skala, 2022. "Sustainable Transport and Mobility—Oriented Innovative Startups and Business Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Lorena Cadavid & Kathleen Salazar-Serna, 2021. "Mapping the Research Landscape for the Motorcycle Market Policies: Sustainability as a Trend—A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-22, September.
    5. Tamao Miura & Shoji Yamamoto, 2022. "Analysis of Factors Influencing the Choice between Ownership and Sharing: Qualitative and Quantitative Survey Results on Car Sharing Service Users Conducted in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Wei Luo & Yi Wang & Pengpeng Jiao & Zehao Wang & Pengfei Zhao, 2022. "What Kind of Travellers Are Using Carsharing in Beijing? A Study Based on Selective Ensemble Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-24, January.
    7. Érika Martins Silva Ramos & Cecilia Jakobsson Bergstad, 2021. "The Psychology of Sharing: Multigroup Analysis among Users and Non-Users of Carsharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    8. Andrei Boar & Ramon Bastida & Frederic Marimon, 2020. "A Systematic Literature Review. Relationships between the Sharing Economy, Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Valve, Helena & Lazarevic, David & Humalisto, Niko, 2021. "When the circular economy diverges: The co-evolution of biogas business models and material circuits in Finland," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    10. Mundaca, Luis & Román-Collado, Rocío & Cansino, José M., 2022. "Assessing the impacts of social norms on low-carbon mobility options," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

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