Just to clarify, my column doesn’t say that consumers are not viewing car sharing as a viable alternative to car ownership. My column reflects the view from automakers that in more urban areas, car sharing will result in families moving from owning 2-3 cars to only owning one. This is exactly what Nick Cole, CEO of Daimler’s Car2Go told me, and it’s a view that I share. I suspect some folks, particularly single urban dwellers, will decide to give up car ownership all together.

The more interesting issue, for me, is that if there is a gradual reduction in cars sold due to car sharing, will the automakers with the best position in terms of car sharing start to dominate the market and the ones that are late to the car sharing party, suffer because they can’t make volume sales to the likes of Zipcar. What I see largely going on in terms of automakers like BMW getting interested in car sharing, is that they have to take a position in the car sharing market or risk getting locked out from a lot of future customers.

Agreed on some of the points here but not others.

Car/automotive industry – AGREED that they are diversifying into areas which would support current levels of car ownership in a cost effective & future proof manner (hybrid, EV’s etc.) and also moving into new areas such as electric bikes and bicycles.

Certainly, BMW have launched an electric assisted bicycle called the Pedelec. Also, they are using bicycles in the London Olympics which is just as well from both a reducing CO2 emissions standpoint and the fact that London will be gridlocked during the Olympics (that is for sure).

Renting a car on demand – DISAGREE with your view that consumers are not viewing renting on demand as a viable alternative to car ownership. Sure, there are differences in developed countries due to cultural, costs and historic transport factors.

In the UK, consumers are seeing the value in not owning a car and renting on demand. Car clubs (renting on demand) are growing rapidly in cities like London where people have had enough of spiralling petrol (gas) prices, the costs of motoring and the pedestrian speed of car travel (London averages 12MPH!).

Together with a comprehensive transport system and a cycling revolution, people are tuning off to car ownership. Londoners use their car on average 3.5 hours a week and by ditching their ‘motor’ for renting on demand can save £3,500 ($5,500) per year. Check out our article for more information on what’s going on across the pond http://www.greenabode.co.uk/london-car-clubs/