How can vehicle-to-grid enhance the business model of car sharing compared to electric and conventional schemes?: A customer perspective

Abstract

To support the decarbonization of the transport and the electricity sector, two innovations are emerging: shared mobility, i.e. car sharing in this context, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G). However, extant literature has not yet investigated the compatibility of these two innovations despite expected synergies. To better understand whether car sharing services with V2G-enabled electric vehicles would be attractive for travelers, we conducted a survey (n = 340) in Germany and Switzerland with a stated preference design. By estimating three models (MNL, SMNL, and GMNL type 2), we find that V2G car sharing is more attractive to people than E- (using electric vehicles with unidirectional uncontrolled charging) or conventional (using vehicles with diesel-/petrol engines) car sharing. In user decision-making, cost, egress and access time are the most important factors. Range anxiety is not specific to the electrified car sharing services but needs to be substantially longer than the trip length for any of the alternatives. Remuneration is not expected by the respondents and is of less importance to the respondents’ utilities. Thus, if regulatory barriers are overcome and bidirectional charging infrastructure is expanded, V2G stands a good chance of reducing financial pressure from car sharing business models whilst providing a car sharing service that is in demand of potential customers.