Very few Dutch drivers participate in car share schemes and competition from lease companies in the private sector is increasing, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Thursday.

According to research by mobility advisor Automotive Insiders, only 4% of Dutch drivers are willing to pay per trip using car share platforms such as Greenwheels, Car2Go and Snappcar.

Six in 10 drivers have no intention of giving up their own cars, citing ‘too much bother’ and uncertainty about availability as the main reasons. Those who do opt for car sharing do so because it is cheaper, with the environmental benefits taking a backseat.

At the moment there are some 51,000 shared cars in the Netherlands with a customer base of 500,000 people, the majority of whom only use the service sporadically. ‘It’s not really taking off,’ researcher Ric van Vugt told the paper. ‘Those who have their own car want an alternative that is just as convenient.’

More cooperation between companies would promote car sharing Van Vugt said. ‘Each company has its own app which excludes the competition. But if you arrive at Central Station you want to know if there’s a car available, irrespective of the company.’

Competition

Private lease schemes are becoming more popular, and are eating away at the conventional platforms’ market share, the research shows.

‘Because lease companies buy cars in large numbers they can afford to charge less. ‘You can have a car for as little as €200 a month without the hassle of owning it. And that makes private lease a killer for the earning models of platforms such as Greenwheels,’ innovation expert Koen Frenken told the FD.

In 2014 17,000 people opted for a private lease scheme, climbing up to 150,000 in 2018. Car lease organisation VNA said it expects the final figure for 2019 to be over 180,000.