Multi-Criteria Analysis of the Selection of Vehicles with Electric, Hybrid, and Conventional Drive for Car-Sharing Services from the Perspective of Polish Occasional System Users

Abstract

Car-sharing systems, i.e., short-term car rentals, are one of the solutions that can be an alternative to individual motorization in cities. However, these services must adapt well to customers’ needs to develop appropriately. Currently, there have been attempts in scientific research to make numerous optimizations of car-sharing systems, but little emphasis was placed on the type of car fleet used in the systems, which is particularly important at the stage of transformation of the automotive industry towards electric mobility. In response to this research gap, this article was dedicated to the selection of vehicles for car-sharing systems. The work focuses on users of Polish car-sharing systems who use the services of short-term vehicle rental occasionally, i.e., up to five times a year. The research made it possible to determine the types of vehicles (cars with electric, hybrid and internal combustion engines) that the users are interested in and to indicate the specific features that the cars should have. Interestingly, large family vehicles with hybrid engines turned out to be the leading ones. In turn, small city cars, so far dominant in car-sharing, turned out to be the worst choice from the point of view of occasional users. This showed that the current systems are not properly adapted to the needs of society. The results support car-sharing operators who want to upgrade their vehicle fleet accordingly to encourage the public to use car-sharing more often. It is also a guide to identifying a vehicle for fleet modernization towards hybrid and electric vehicles.