Investigating the Key Factors Influencing Travelers’ Carsharing Choice – An Inclusion of Latent Variable Nested Logit Model

One-way station-based EV-carsharing system has sprung up in recent years, which is expected to have a huge market prospects. This paper explores EV-carsharing choice behavior, using a stated preference survey data collected in Shanghai, China. The inclusion of latent variable nested logit model were formulated to capture the preference heterogeneity across individuals. Simultaneously, the other two models with different specifications are used for comparison. The results indicate that the inclusion of latent variable nested logit model is more behaviorally interpretable. EV-carsharing operators need to focus on young and highly educated groups with driving experience as potential users. Short distance trips in urban areas is the main scenario for using EV-carsharing. Reducing the access costs and increasing the service station density in urban districts are the proper strategies for gaining effective higher market share. The results also emphasize the need to improve the EV-carsharing safety, and communicate such improvements to the public. The research findings are directly helpful for EV-carsharing operators to develop practical guidelines for establishing new EV-carsharing stations, capturing user characteristics and enhancing the market share. In addition, the conclusions can also provide theoretical support for promotion and development of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), considering human behavior is one of the important and complex changeful factors in ITS.