Amsterdam, March 14, 2022 – The municipal elections are coming up. A private car-free capital city is high on the agenda of various Amsterdam political parties. So too on that of the municipality of Amsterdam and of SHARE NOW, the European market leader in flexible car-sharing. The joint venture between BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG recently signed a covenant with the municipality and six other car-sharing companies with the aim of developing car-sharing and making it available, accessible and affordable for all residents of Amsterdam and its visitors.
Share more, own less
"I am proud of this sustainable commitment", says Robert Bosman, Managing Director of SHARE NOW Netherlands. "At SHARE NOW we believe in sharing more and owning less, so we can make our cities more livable for residents and keep mobility as individual and flexible as possible. Thanks to the covenant we can work even more closely with the municipality and ensure that the number of shared cars increases substantially and the supply is even better distributed throughout the city."
Positive attitude towards car-sharing
Nowhere else in the Netherlands is the absolute figure for car-sharing as high as in Amsterdam. But compared to the total number of cars in the city (over 230,000), car-sharing in the capital is still a niche. Research* shows that a private car is idle for an average of 23 hours a day and costs around 250 to 450 euros a month. And that's without even driving it. A waste of money and scarce space in the city.
This while 58% of the Dutch population believes that shared cars have a positive impact on the quality of life in the city**. A shared car replaces 10 to 20 private cars. People using shared cars drive about 1,600 kilometers less per year than when they had a private car and make more use of public transport, bicycles and scooters. This is not only better for the quality of life in the city, but also for the environment.
"The positive effects of car-sharing can be significantly enhanced by electric car-sharing", Bosman says. "Thanks to our 100 percent electric fleet, our 106,000 users have already driven over 38 million electric kilometers, reducing local CO2 emissions by 4,600 tons.”
Strong growth in rentals, distance and duration
For quite some time, SHARE NOW has seen a growing interest in car-sharing. In February 2022 there was a 76 percent growth in total rentals compared to February 2021. The number of total kilometers driven also increased by 91 percent in the same time period. In addition, the number of total minutes used increased by 103 percent.
Available, accessible and affordable shared transport for everyone
With the covenant, the municipality of Amsterdam wants to develop car-sharing from niche to mainstream. “We are doing our part by continuously investing in shared electric mobility and thus in the future of sustainable mobility in the city. To accelerate this shift, partnerships are key – with cities like Amsterdam, but also with other car-sharing providers. Financial incentives, special parking regulations and access to restricted traffic zones make electric share fleets even more attractive. Together, we are driving towards a private car-free city", Bosman said.