“THE PANDEMIC HAS definitely triggered more families to ask, ‘Do we really need a car or that second car?’”
With more and more people continuing to work from home, increasing consciousness of environmental effects and the growing availability of car sharing vehicles, it is becoming more and more apparent that attitudes around car ownership and car usage in Ireland are changing.
We have less need to commute, we’re more likely to leave the car at home when possible and we’re beginning to recognise that owning a car isn’t exactly necessary in order to get to where we need to go.
Colm Brady, Managing Director of Europcar Mobility Group Ireland – who operate Europcar and GoCar in Ireland – agrees: “There is a clear shift in attitudes towards car usage and ownership in Ireland. This is evident in the surge in demand for car sharing services, which I think is driven not only by people being more environmentally conscious, but also a more price savvy consumer.
“With the average car being parked up for 90% of the time, consumers are realising that the more cost-effective option is to simply pay as you need, so they are choosing to rent for an hour or day or week, whenever they need to move around.”
Lifestyle changes
The events of the last 16 months have had a lasting effect on our lifestyles, and this in turn has led people to realise that owning a car is no longer the only option, says Brady. The biggest change, perhaps, is the reduced numbers of people commuting to and from work daily, with a recent poll showing that most office workers want to work from home two to three days per week post-pandemic.
“With so many people working from home the need for public transport services has been greatly reduced,” he says.
According to the AA’s most recent survey of motoring costs, the average cost of running a family car for a year is €10,691.12 – an expense that many are now choosing to forgo, says Brady.
“Many people simply can’t justify the expense of a car sitting on the driveway and being used for less than an hour a day. So they are selling their cars, pocketing the cash and renting per trip as they need to, which is much more cost-efficient and sustainable option.”
Environmental impact
Not to forget the environmental benefits that come with only travelling by car or van when you really need to, namely in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For context, these emissions account for about 29% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the USA, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Car sharing and short term car rental offers customers all of the advantages of owning a car or van but none of the hassle,” says Brady. “Our customers are not only saving on the substantial upfront cost of buying a vehicle but also on insurance, tax, servicing, maintenance and depreciation.
“Only paying when you need to move also has a direct environmental impact, reducing your carbon footprint and taking more cars off Irish roads. Our fleet of vehicles are young and modern and therefore the Co2 emissions are minimal.”
Not just for holidays
The increase in demand for car rentals can be seen in the growth of pay-by-the-hour mobility service GoCar since it launched in 2008.
“While car rental is traditionally something that has been associated with foreign holidays, that perception is changing.”
“We are seeing growth in demand from all sides, not only private individuals but also from business customers looking for flexibility during this time of uncertainty,” says Brady.
“We had 40,000 new registrations for GoCar in 2020 and 23,000 new registrations in the first half of 2021 alone.”
Looking ahead
As for the future, Brady reckons that customers’ preferences will continue to lean towards a “sharing economy”.
“With more and more people moving more frequently from A to B for business or leisure purposes, the demand for cost-effective and sustainable mobility solutions is set to grow,” he says. “As populations increase in urban centres, the distances travelled from A to B will increase, which will create a massive need for multimodal urban mobility solutions.
“The world will become more about access, rather than ownership, giving rise to a ‘sharing economy’”.
Looking to hire a vehicle for personal or professional use? Rent a car with Europcar and save 10% when you pay online, or choose a GoCar near you and hit the road from €9 per hour. Find out more here.
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