Transforming household mobility practices through shared consumption: Low-carbon transport and sustainable energy solutions in urban areas.

The TEMPEST project develops new knowledge about of how to achieve changes towards more sustainable transport systems by increasing the use of new, de-privatized solutions for passenger car use. Different types of car sharing solutions have been studied in a socio-technical analytical framework, with particular focus on barriers related to household mobility needs. The project has carried out national analyses of organized car sharing, as it has developed over the past 20 years. Findings show that the emergence follows fairly similar dynamics in Norway, Sweden, the UK and Netherlands. Much of the same business models have developed, and the innovative niche companies (car sharing companies) have largely followed the same development paths. Nevertheless, market consolidation has come further in the UK, with a greater degree of agglomeration primarily caused by local and regional conditions. The analyses raise the question of whether car sharing has the opportunity to follow a development path towards sustainable mobility, unless active measures are taken. In order to get a better understanding of the dynamics in households that use car sharing, or are in a process of adopting this, in-depth interviews have been conducted in about 90 households in Norway, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands. Relying on a coherent empirical and theoretical approach, analysis has been conducted on the adoption processes and how car sharing affects behaviour and mobility. The study shows that car sharing has emerged as different social practices in different user segments and age groups. The analysis shows that households that manage to live without a private car are clearly geared towards a more environmentally friendly and urban lifestyle. In other user groups, especially among peer-to-peer car sharing users, economic and practical motivations are key drivers. In general, car sharing is mainly used as a supplement to public transport, bicycle and walking, and in some cases also private cars. A survey of approximately 2800 Norwegian sharers shows that life-cycle changes in households are crucial for the adaption and use of car sharing. Findings also indicate that use of different car sharing models are driven by different motives and attitudes, and also generate different travel behaviour. In the finalizing phase of the project these data have been further analysed. A series of national expert workshops has been conducted in all participating countries. Workshops have been followed by a Delphi-study about car sharing?s role in a future sustainable mobility system among about 110 experts in the participating countries. The project works has resulted in a number of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presentations at international conferences, and popular science presentations.

TEMPEST-prosjektet har gjennomført nasjonale studier av sentrale tekniske, politiske og sosiale forhold som fremmer eller utgjør hindringer for videre utvikling av bærekraftig bildeling. Gjennom ca. 70 intervjuer er det undersøkt husholdningers bruk av bildeling og i hvilken grad det kan erstatte bruk av privatbil. Intervjuene har blitt supplert av en nettbasert spørreundersøkelse av ca. 2800 bildelere i Norge. Nasjonale workshops med sentrale eksperter og interessenter innen personmobilitet fra både offentlig og privat sektor er gjennomført, hvor deltagerne har diskutert hva som bør utvikles, endres og stoppes for at bildeling skal få vesentlig betydning i et fremtidig bærekraftig mobilitetssystem. Det har også blitt gjennomført en nettbasert undersøkelse blant 110 eksperter om hvordan de ser for seg bildelings rolle en del av et bærekraftig mobilitetssystem fram mot 2030. Det har gitt et godt grunnlag for å estimere potensialet for bildeling, og eventuelle miljø- og energieffekter.

This inter-disciplinary project addresses the question of how transition in the transport sector can bring about a more efficient and sustainable use of energy - critical to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and overexploitation of common natural resources. Lately a trend has been recognized where individual ownership of cars are replaced with collectively shared vehicles. There is an emergent need to explore and estimate how these transformation in car used mobility come about, and its potential to change travel habits and reduce energy in the transport sector. This project will focus on this emerging transformation relying on innovation system theories, and a triangulation of different methodological approaches. Although spurred by new mobile technologies and applications, this is most of all a non-technical innovation that focus on changing travel practices. Thus the project will apply theories that explore this as a socio-technial innovation operating on both a micro -and macro level. Transition theories and innovation system theories are combined with theories that analyse implementation of changing mobility practises on a household level. The project will investigate these changes through a series of case studies in four European countries - the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway- where new arrangements for car sharing are available. To understand the interest and views of the stakeholders and policy makers, workshops will be held inn all four countries countries. In depth studies of households are combinedd with a household survey. Finally a cross-national delfi-study is utilized to develop scenarios, make estimation of potential future uptake of car-sharing, and its impact on energy use for hoseholds and the entire transport sector. The work is organized through a close collaboration between leading experts on transport-innovations in the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.