"Automotive inSIGHTS 2/2010" (PDF, 3784 KB - Roland Berger

MOBILITy CONCEpTS
clearly sees itself as a mobility provider. Not only does
it provide the vehicles, its services range from supplying
electricity to offering extensive navigation services.
Mobility services, and car-sharing initiatives in particular,
are currently a trend mainly found in Western industrialized
countries. Especially the German market is growing
at a rate second only to the US. Already today, in Germany
alone there are approx. 160,000 people involved in car-
sharing initiatives and have access to roughly 4,700
vehicles. Experts expect these numbers to rise to over
one million people and almost 20,000 vehicles in
Germany by 2016.
If these concepts catch on, this could represent an additional
threat to carmakers' sales. The break-even point for
owning a vehicle is still today at approx. 10,000 km a year,
according to the German federal association CarSharing 4) .
A study carried out by AXA Group shows that already today,
46% of the population drive less than this threshold and
20% even drive less than 5,000 km 5) . Once customer get
past the emotional ties of owning a vehicle and the status
symbol it represents, car sharing may become a viable
option, especially if they live in an urban area. A study
by Frost & Sullivan predicts that mobility concepts could
cause 1 million cars per annum to be sold less in Europe
in the midterm.
However, key questions involving mobility concepts
have not yet been conclusively answered in the industry,
such as:
> How are mobility needs actually changing
in the various markets and consumer groups?
> What impact/risks do these have on/for traditional
business models in the automotive industry?
> What do possible alternative new business models
look like and what new market players will emerge?
> How should automotive manufacturers and service
providers respond?
> What role does electromobility play in the longterm?
Daimler, Peugeot and BMW belong to the first automotive
manufacturers to respond with comprehensive pilot
projects. Besides the positive PR that goes along with
such activities, they are motivated by the specific goal
of generating profits in the medium term.
1) Refer also to "Automotive 2025" in inSIGHTS, 1/2010.
2) All car-sharing activities are consolidated under its new name "Flinkster – Mein Carsharing". This means that the more than 110,000 car-sharing
Deutsche Bahn customers have 4,500 vehicles at their disposal throughout Europe at over 1,900 stations and in more than 580 cities.
3) Sixt is trying to reach "young and price-conscious city dwellers" at over 45 locations in Berlin and Munich. As of January 2010, there were already
approx. 1,600 users with access to 62 vehicles.
4) Information from "Bundesverband CarSharing e.V." Other experts state 7,000 kilometers as the critical limit.
5) AXA Traffic Safety Report 2009.
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