Market research firms Berg Insight and Frost and Sullivan published two reports and both forecasting 26 million users of carsharing services worldwide in 2020.
According to Berg Insight, the number of users has grown from 4.8 million worldwide at the end of 2014 (100,000 operated cars) to an estimated 6.5 million (with 123,000 cars) at the end of 2015. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.0 percent until 2020 when the total carsharing fleet will then reach 450,000 cars.
Roundtrip rental vs Free floating services
At the moment, most Carsharing Operators (CSOs) use station-based networks offering roundtrip rental. This operational model requires users to return a vehicle to the same station from which it was accessed. Some CSOs have also started to offer one-way carsharing that enables users to return the car to any station operated by the CSO.