It comes as no surprise that an access-based model is gaining ground on traditional ownership for everything from digital to designer goods. Car-sharers are leading the pack, according to Latitude’s own The New Sharing Economy study, which found that car-sharers share across significantly more asset categories than non-car sharers– 11 versus 8 categories on average. Surprisingly however, car sharers are beginning to, for the first time, outnumber those buying cars. A global trend largely enabled by mobile access to information—particularly powerful for mobility services—is captured in the interactive infographic below.

View full interactive infographic here.

On the Rise

• In 2009, for the first time, the number of Americans who ditched their cars was greater than those who purchased new cars.
• In 2009, car sharing diminished global carbon dioxide emissions by 482,170 tons.
• Germany:
  • In 1988 16.4% of new car buyers were 18-29 years old
  • In 2011 only 7.6% of new car buyers were 18-29 years old

Mobile as a Driver

According to the infographic, the top three reasons for car sharing are participant cost savings, convenience, and guaranteed parking. Car sharers want services that mirror the autonomy of owning a car – without the burdens of ownership.

Many participants from our Tech for Transit study echoed this sentiment and suggested ways to achieve the same sense of independence and control using a combination of access-based services rather than owning a car. Almost all of the study participants felt that access to mobile information on-the-go would play a significant role in making ownership-free transport a practical reality.

One participant, Jean M. from Boston said, “I’d like a ‘how-to-get-there-using- alt-transit transit-app or web site. Plug in where you have to be when, and detailed parameters on what you will and won’t do, and have it crunch through train, subway, the patchwork of urban and suburban bus services, biking, walking, local taxi service numbers and fees, Zipcar and other car-share options, and so on and give you a list of options, including when they’ll get you there and how much they’ll cost.”

When it comes to traveling the world car-free, mobile information is the most powerful accessory—and should be thought of as an important facilitator to car-sharing’s successes in recent years. It’s also important that “real world” services first work to connect users where they’re already comfortable sharing – online.

Header image credit: Charlie Cowins

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