Carsharing in China: Present State and Future Challenges

Carsharing is an economically rational approach which has come to China. Previous research mostly focused on developed countries’ carsharing. There have not been any in-depth studies that discuss the overall carsharing state in Chinese cities from a policy and business model perspective. To fill this research gap, this study focuses on carsharing’s present state in China, analyzes Chinese carsharing operational and business models, and discusses its future challenges. Results show that carsharing in China has three operational models: roundtrip, one-way, and personal vehicle sharing; and two types of business models: business to consumer and business to business. Chinese carsharing major players are car rental companies, information technology companies, and automakers. Carsharing in China still has a lot of challenges and further study is needed.