alternatetext

Transport / commuting

Carpooling

Objectives

Green Value indicator

Explanation

Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location by themselves.
Transport is responsible for nearly 30% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, of which 72% comes from road transportation. As part of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, the EU has set a goal of reducing emissions from transport by 60% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels (European Parliament, 2019). Cars: CO2 emissions from passenger transport vary significantly depending on the transport mode. Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 60.7% of total CO2 emissions from road transport in Europe (European Parliament, 2019). However, modern cars could be among the cleanest modes of transport if shared, rather than being driven alone.

According to the 2017 edition of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association Vehicles in use report, there are 291 million vehicles on European roads, a growing number that includes 256 million cars and 35 million commercial vehicles, which is more than one car for every two people. In parallel, cars in the European Union are also getting older, the European car fleet being on average 10.7 years old.

However, when it comes to moving quickly from a city to a peri-urban or rural area, the car remains the most efficient means of transport, being able to guarantee freedom of movement in these areas that are underserved by public transport networks and where carpooling opportunities are scarce. The same is true in specific situations (moving to a new house, grocery shopping, etc.) where the car appears to be essential. The average petrol car on the road in the UK produces the equivalent of 180g of CO2 every kilometre, while a diesel car produces 173g of CO2/km (BBC, 2020). In the USA, the average passenger vehicle on the road releases 650g of CO2/km. Generally, the larger the car, the higher the emissions. Preliminary data published by the EEA (2019) revealed that the European Economic Area’s fleet average was 122.4g of CO2 per kilometre. Although well below the 130g target for 2019, it is significantly far from the 95g benchmark that phases in this year.

Shared cars should therefore become a pillar of tomorrow's mobility, especially if we look at the positive impact they have on congestion and pollution. In effect, roundtrip car sharing, if coupled with an efficient public transport network and complementary shared mobility services (free-floating bikes and scooters, cabs), has the potential to deeply transform travel habits in Europe. For instance, while a private car sits unused 90% of its time, studies carried on the impact of roundtrip carsharing acknowledge that each car shared 100% of its time replaces from 5 to 15 private cars, mechanically reducing car ownership and freeing up to 14 parking spaces (i.e., 140 m^2) (European Automobile Manufacturers Association, 2017). Furthermore, the same study reveals that car sharers also tend to reduce by an average of 41% the kilometres they travel by car while walking (30% of them), cycling (29%), and using public transportation (25%), train (24%) and carpooling (12%) more.

PROS/CONS of the action

Pros: Cons:

Certified

Not Certified

Link to useful sources

Car-pooling saves more than 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year www.intelligenttransport.com
ACEA Report: Vehicles in use Europe 2017 www.acea.auto
How our daily travel harms the planet www.bbc.com
Further resources:
CO2 emissions from cars: facts and figures (infographics) www.europarl.europa.eu
footer