Car sharing refers to an on-demand, time-based car rental model powered by mobile internet platforms, granting users vehicle usage rights without ownership. Its core principle lies in optimising social resource allocation through technology, integrating dispersed vehicle fleets into a centralised dispatch network to cater to self-drive mobility needs while cutting down vehicle downtime and easing urban parking congestion. Serving as a complement to urban public transport, this model represents a key application of the sharing economy in the mobility sector.
Car sharing primarily operates on a time-based rental model, allowing users to handle vehicle search, booking, unlocking, and payment seamlessly via a mobile app. Key operational characteristics include:
Billing Structure: Calculated by the minute or hour via a "duration + mileage" or purely time-based formula, with select platforms offering a daily rate cap.
Vehicle Profile: Over 95% of active fleet vehicles are New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), predominantly battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Usage Scenarios: Spans a variety of rental durations—including short trips, daily, weekly, and monthly rentals—catering to both ad-hoc journeys and long-distance travel.
Technology Stack: Powered by telematics, GPS tracking, facial recognition, and smart dispatch systems to enable keyless, self-service operations and optimise fleet efficiency.
Car sharing traces its roots back to 1970s Europe, before US-based Zipcar commercialised the concept in 1999. The model entered the Chinese market in 2011, scaling up rapidly from 2015 alongside the bike-sharing boom and seeing over 200 operators emerge nationwide.
In 2017, the Ministry of Transport issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Healthy Development of Small and Micro Passenger Car Rental", actively supporting time-based car rentals while tightening regulatory oversight to establish an initial policy framework. The sector saw a massive influx of capital and aggressive fleet expansion, led by key platforms such as GOFUN, EVCARD, and PonyCar.
Amid its rapid growth, the sector encountered steep hurdles including soaring operational overheads (fleet procurement, parking, charging, and maintenance), profitability bottlenecks (requiring an average of 8 to 10 trips per vehicle daily to break even), and inconsistent user experiences (cleanliness issues, deposit refund delays), leading to market consolidation following the initial boom.
Electrification and Green Transition: NEVs continue to dominate car-sharing fleets, aligning closely with urban carbon neutrality targets.
Autonomous Driving Integration: Autonomous shared mobility solutions like Robotaxis are being piloted across multiple cities, heralding the "Shared Mobility 3.0" era.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Integration: Car sharing is progressively integrating into urban transit networks, enabling seamless multi-modal connectivity with public transport and bike-sharing services.
Data-Driven Operations: The industry is pivoting from aggressive fleet expansion to operational efficiency, leveraging AI-powered dispatch and big data analytics to optimise fleet distribution and minimise idle mileage.
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