Date published5/20/2016
Once lending someone your car keys was the ultimate symbol of trust. Now, most of us would consider offering our car to someone we don’t know as part of a car-share.
This is among the findings of a new European survey commissioned by Ford Motor Company to better understand attitudes to car-haring , and a whole range of possessions and services, that form part of the growing sharing economy.
A finding which closely aligned with what was a key plenary session at the AfMA conference in Melbourne where car sharing and new forms of mobility featured. The growth of Drive My Car throughout Australia is a testament that this trend is not just within Europe but global.
Ford's survey confirms the disruption we are all seeing.
Of the 10,016 people surveyed across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, up to 55 per cent would share their car for money, compared with up to 44 per cent who would share their home, up to 33 per cent who would share their mobile phone, and up to 17 per cent who would even share their dog.
Most of those surveyed were also willing to drive others (77 per cent), or to transport packages (78 per cent). And the overwhelming majority were interested in using a sharing service to get around. Up to 76 per cent would ride-share, up to 73 per cent would use a parking space service, and up to 72 per cent would car-share.
“From cars to music to holidays, people are more prepared to share possessions and services than ever before. From your smartphone, you can quickly and easily borrow someone else’s designer shoes, use their lawnmower, or even walk their dog,” said Will Farrelly, user experience innovation, Ford Smart Mobility. “When it comes to mobility, sharing – whether through car-sharing, ride-sharing, or transporting packages for others – offers flexibility, a potentially more economical alternative, and can also help reduce congestion.”
The sharing economy generates more than £10 billion in global revenues, and is estimated to generate a potential revenue opportunity worth £215 billion by 2025, with car-sharing predicted to increase by 23 per cent. ** Farrelly will today in Paris join the panel discussion “Future of Mobility Ecosystems” at OuiShare Fest,the world’s largest gathering focused on the sharing economy.
Ford is currently expanding into both an auto and a mobility company; as such the company is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility – its plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics.
FordPass, the company’s new customer experience platform, debuts this year in Europe. New partners for FordPass include BP and Mobile City, a leading mobile parking payment company. FordPass also will integrate Ford Carsharing, offered by Ford Germany and run with large, multi-partner car-sharing company Flinkster Carsharing.
Overall, the survey showed that those most likely to share their own car for money are in Spain (up to 61 per cent), compared with Italy (up to 58 per cent), France (up to 56 per cent), UK (up to 50 per cent), and Germany (up to 48 per cent). Those most likely to drive passengers for money are in France (up to 87 per cent) compared with Italy (up to 86 per cent), Germany (up to 82 per cent), Spain (up to 80 per cent), and UK (up to 59 per cent).
Men and younger people were the most likely to embrace the sharing economy, with up to 61 per cent of men prepared to offer their car for car-share services, compared with 49 per cent of women. For both men and women aged 25-34 the percentage prepared to share their own car increases to 68 per cent.
In London, Ford has established on-demand pay-as-you-go car-sharing service GoDrive with hubs across the city, each with guaranteed parking. Ford also has partnered with CarAmigo, Belgium’s first peer-to-peer car rental marketplace, and in 2015, Ford Credit ran a six-month pilot that enabled thousands of customers in the U.K. to rent out their cars to other drivers.
In Germany Ford Carsharing serves small and medium sized cities, as well as large towns. There are 176 Ford Carsharing stations, while the partnership also allows Ford Carsharing customers to use about 3,600 Flinkster vehicles.
In the U.S. Ford is piloting a Dynamic Shuttle service, offering employees on-demand ride sharing around its Dearborn, Michigan, campus. Ford also this year announced for SYNC 3 connectivity technology the MyBoxMan social-shipping app that enables drivers to earn money delivering packages for others.
Most people would consider allowing others to drive their car for a fee, according to a new Ford-commissioned survey of more than 10,000 people across Europe.
The survey showed that up to 55 per cent would share their car for money, up to 44 per cent their home, up to 31 per cent their mobile phone, and up to 17 per cent their dog.
Ford, which commissioned the survey to better understand attitudes toward the sharing economy, also found that up to 76 per cent would use a ride-share service, up to 73 per cent a parking space service, and up to 72 per cent a car-share service.
Ford is serving the sharing economy with new solutions, including FordPass, as it expands into both an auto and a mobility company.
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