Enabling sustainable transportation: The model-based determination of business/operating areas of free-floating carsharing systems

Free-floating carsharing systems with (and without) electric vehicles are emerging and there is limited knowledge where such concepts will succeed, regardless of their environmental benefits. Within this knowledge gap, the definition of the business/operating area is a key aspect. Inside this area a carsharing vehicle can be picked-up and dropped-off everywhere at any time. This research develops a model that helps to determine business areas a-priori by predicting inner-city booking hot-spots. The approach is based on modeling success factors as independent variables, namely population density, housing rent, city center distance, and hotel/restaurant density. With the help of these variables predictions for geographic zones in cities are made that prove to be helpful for designing operating areas for free-floating carsharing systems - a key challenge for providers' success when approaching new cities.