Press Release

AlixPartners Shared Mobility Consumer Survey reveals Chinese consumers are the highest users of ride and car sharing services

January 8, 2018
  • China is a high ride-sharing market, as consumers in China tend to use ride sharing with greater frequency - as many as 99 percent of respondents in China have knowledge of ride sharing
  • Increased mobility, lower cost, higher vehicle utilization, and environmental benefits all contribute to the increasing popularity of car and ride sharing
  • Greater pricing transparency, better driver screening for safety reasons, and more higher quality and reliable cars will further propel the growth of ride and car sharing

SHANGHAI (8 January 2018) –AlixPartners’ Global Shared Mobility Consumer Survey has found that shared mobility services are growing in every market surveyed around the world including China, US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, with ride hailing proving especially popular, and growing faster.

The survey results offer important insights into the role that shared mobility will play in how people get around, especially those living in urban areas, how they view car ownership and the use of “robotaxis,” and how shared mobility companies can promote the growth of their services.

Among the survey’s key findings:

  • Asian markets stand out as demand for both ride and car sharing remains strong. China continues to lead the way: Usage of shared mobility services is highest in China, where 61 percent of respondents have tried ride hailing and 29 percent have used car sharing. China also has the highest levels of expected increases in usage in the next 12 months with +40 p.p. and +44 p.p. for ride-sharing and car-sharing respectively.
  • Across all markets, ride hailing is already far more popular than car sharing: 28 percent of consumers have tried it in the three months prior to the survey, compared with just 16 percent for car sharing.
  • Increased mobility, lower cost, higher vehicle utilization, and environmental benefits are cited as the main benefits of car and ride sharing.
  • The cost of shared mobility continues to be the greatest concern among respondents; on average, 36 percent of consumers said they would use car sharing or ride hailing more often if it were less expensive.
  • Consumers in China were by far the most willing to try robotaxis: 62 percent of respondents said they would be willing to do so.
  • The key factors propelling the growth for ride sharing are lower costs and greater pricing transparency, and better driver screening for safety reasons; for car sharing are mainly more cars of higher quality and reliability that would be available to use when and where they are wanted.

Qian Xu, Greater China head of automotive practice, said: “Though public transportation and private vehicles remain the leading transportation modes in mega cities in China, shared mobility is already transforming how urban residents move around their cities. We expect that it will have a growing impact on car ownership rates. It is too early to tell who will win the race to capture the most value in the mobility market of the future. But the shared services companies are proving that they have a real head start. We expect the regulatory environment will also shape how the car sharing and ride hailing will further develop in China.”

About the 2017 AlixPartners global shared mobility consumer survey

The 2017 AlixPartners global shared mobility consumer survey was conducted from May to June 2017. The survey polled a total of 5,046 consumers in major cities in seven global markets: China, US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan about their awareness, usage, and attitudes toward shared mobility, and its effect on their ownership of personal vehicles.

About AlixPartners

In today’s fast paced global market timing is everything. You want to protect, grow or transform your business. To meet these challenges, we offer clients small teams of highly qualified experts with profound sector and operational insight. Our clients include corporate boards and management, law firms, investment banks, investors and others who appreciate the candour, dedication, and transformative expertise of our teams. We will ensure insight drives action at that exact moment that is critical for success. When it really matters. 

Media Contact:

Crystal Leung, AlixPartners
+852 2236 3512
crleung@alixpartners.com

Agnes Zhao, Finsbury
+86 10 5816 2688
Agnes.Zhao@Finbury.com

Tong Li, Finsbury
+86 10 5816 2691
Tong.Li@Finsbury.com