Car sharing, the new Italian fashion. Shared mobility, first through cars and bicycles and now also with scooters, is gaining more and more ground in the Belpaese, which also boasts the very first positions in Europe in terms of the number of transport vehicles owned by each family. And if not everywhere the policies for a more economic and ecological choice are so advanced, the driving force of avant-garde cities such as Milan, closely followed by Turin, Rome and Florence, is starting to positively influence the statistics.
Twelve cities actively involved in the services, 18 different operators, a fleet of 6.000 vehicles overall e 500.000 users of "sharing mobility" represent numbers of absolute value, especially when compared with what was achieved in the previous decades: the "boom" is certified by a recent study (open pdf) some summary data presented at the recent Frankfurt International Motor Show have been published, which this year had an entire pavilion dedicated to the “New Mobility World”, a concentration of best practices and innovation operators from all over the world.
However, the situation is not the same in all cities, as mentioned. If we exclude the small companies that today only have traditional car sharing, the so-called “station-based”, i.e. with restricted parking, the real Italian confrontation focuses on 4 capital cities mentioned, which can boast a diversified offer. Milan, Florence, Rome and Turin represent the real market for new mobility in Italy. Roma boasts diversified services with important fleets of Car2go and Enjoy and has just recently opened at car electric sharing and scooter sharing. A bit in pursuit of the supremacy of Milano, which is absolutely at the forefront in Europe and which for months has also started the service of two-wheel engines.
Torino seems to be a good place for free floating managers despite the mysterious vandalism that has hit Car2go in recent weeks. Smaller realities like Florence for now they are struggling to find a dimension of usability. Beyond "fashion" factors, the smaller urban dimensions and a lower population density than the metropolis make free floating services (as well as traditional ones) at the limit of sustainability.
Milano therefore represents 80% of the market of sharing mobility, with 350.000 customers, over 2.400 cars, 40.000 bikesharing users and 36.000 associated with the more recent Scooter sharing. Nothing to add, the numbers speak for themselves: Milan is going through a moment of prosperity and modernity that starts from far away, with projects and investments started immediately with the Pisapia junta (and even before) and which make it increasingly attractive and livable.
Numbers aside, the main innovations introduced in Italy have two guidelines: new operators and new forms of sharing. The recent arrival of a new commercial player is messing up the tables of operators a bit: Sharengo she left in Milan with the first ones 150 fully electric cars but it is rapidly conquering many other Italian squares.
The idea of electric carsharing it is the most welcome proposal that local administrations can accept because it also eliminates the only criticisms that in the past have been addressed to endothermic car sharing. It is therefore acceptable that in a few months electric car sharing tenders have been published in Florence, Rome and Turin and, probably, soon also in other cities. The only limit today could be represented by the vehicle itself, which as it is approved as a quadricycle comes with a very different appeal compared to the more "glamorous" Smart and 500.
Electric car sharing has much higher start-up and operations costs than the traditional system, both because cars have higher purchase costs and because management is much more expensive. In the absence of integrated recharging systems, the operator often has to bring the cars to be recharged. But citizens (and young people in particular) have become accustomed to great enthusiasm for new developments and it is hoped that electric car sharing will also represent the next evolution.
They stay for now the big players are excluded from the 100% green challenge so far protagonists of the market, at least in Italy. Car2go launches a fleet of 500 Smart Electrics, but in Madrid; Europcar (partner of Car2go) also in Spain, in Malaga, has just launched a fully electric service based on Nissan in collaboration with Enel/Endesa; while the only 500 EVs in circulation in Italy are managed by carcityclub, the Turin operator (member of the ICS Car sharing circuit).
A second recent innovation derives from the introduction, as mentioned, of two wheels. Not bicycles, bike sharing is already widespread but has no business or economic margin relevance, but the scooters. Here too, after the first test in Milan, interest is growing rapidly. Thirty-six thousand are subscribers to Enjoy 2-wheelers (or rather 3-wheelers considering the use of the Piaggio MP3), while new tenders have already been announced by other cities, starting with Rome. Again we find Spanish and German international players ready to take the field even if the two-wheeled service is even more risky. The game is increasingly open, but something is moving: and it doesn't necessarily do so with the owned car.
