Introducing carsharing schemes in low‐density areas: The case of the outskirts of Le Mans (France)

Abstract

Nowadays, the issue of rural development has a central place on the agenda of policymakers, particularly in the field of transportation. In low-density areas, there is a lack of alternatives to car use, but at the same time internal combustion vehicles are currently contested in Western societies for their impacts on global warming. As part of the solution, in the past couple of decades, carsharing (CS) schemes have been growing worldwide, but mainly in urban areas. This paper focuses on a recent socially oriented electric CS scheme launched in 2018 in the countryside of Le Mans, France. This program is supported by the local government whose goal is to provide new offers of transportation for those in need and also provide alternatives to cars. By studying the CS program's first year of implementation, we found a dichotomy between the social expectations of the local government and the reality of use by the population. On the basis of a filled-out questionnaire and the analysis of the cars' navigation data, we first present the profile of the early adopters. We found that they are mostly male and tend to be over 60 years old. They are also highly motorized and from the upper-middle and upper classes. Secondly, it appears that the program is having difficulties finding regular users. In this regard, this study shows how important it is for public policy to be based on a

A survey on emergent trends in the optimization of car‐sharing systems

“…In this case, the CS should be provided, involving municipalities and public transport providers to offer a service, most likely at attractive prices. In a very similar context, a CSS (Mouv'nGo) has been really implemented in the outskirts of Le Mans (France), involving six small rural townships, as described by Leroy et al (2023). Mouv'nGo is a round-trip station-based electric CS created inside a social program to provide people with low income a mobility service at an affordable cost.…”

Policy Assessment for Energy Transition to Zero- and Low-Emission Technologies in Pickup Trucks: Evidence from Mexico

“…Therefore, implementing our model can be beneficial for Latin American countries as it provides tools that help evaluate their energy transition processes more efficiently and effectively. The need for comprehensive evaluations is imperative, as the complexity of these processes does not allow for ad hoc experimentation with policy evaluation [16]. Consequently, there must be computational tools for preventing the loss of time due to the hasty implementation of policies and enabling a more informed anticipation of potential societal repercussions [6,17].…”

“…Consequently, there must be computational tools for preventing the loss of time due to the hasty implementation of policies and enabling a more informed anticipation of potential societal repercussions [6,17]. These tools not only complement ongoing efforts but also provide clarity and guidance to countries that are advancing more slowly in the development and implementation of policies during the transition towards zero-and low-emission technologies [16,18].…”

Energy transition in sustainable transport: concepts, policies, and methodologies

“…The most implemented policies are those de ned as scal (taxes, subsidies, and incentives); likewise, national, and local governments will condition land use planning and planning policies. The effectiveness of policies depends signi cantly on their scope; policies such as mobility restrictions can be very effective at a local level, while a scal policy can be very effective at a national level.According toLeroy (2022), implementing public policies based on thoughtful and coherent planning strategies is very relevant and is led by local governance. The different policy proposals do not evaluate their implementation's effectiveness or consequences.…”