Operational e-carsharing: The case of lower Austria

E-mobility coupled with e-carsharing will be paramount in the coming decades, since gas prices are prone to volatilities leading to the emergence of carbon emission reducing efforts. A company in Lower Austria started a pilot project in operational e-carsharing. A diesel-run car was replaced by an electric car. The e-car was shared with another company, to increase cost as well as resource efficiency. For the scientific analysis a data logger was installed in the e-car and an ammeter at the charging station. For the evaluation of the user satisfaction, the drivers were interviewed on the basis of two different questionnaires, on the one hand regarding the usability of the electric car, and on the other hand regarding the user satisfaction with the e-carsharing. The cost efficiency as well as the potential for CO₂ emission reduction by the replacement of the diesel-run car by an electric car and the e-carsharing is verified and compared for different scenarios. The study finds major differences in variable costs of plug-in cars compared to diesel-run ones resulting in a recommendation of the former for operational e-carsharing.