Exploring carsharing usage motives: A hierarchical means-end chain analysis

Recently, carsharing has entered a phase of commercial mainstreaming as carsharing providers and urban transportation planners aim at broadening the customer base. In this context, knowledge about the motives of carsharing usage is essential for further growth. Based on a qualitative means-end chain analysis this paper therefore explores usage motives, thus expanding the existing insights from analyses of usage behavior. In a series of laddering interviews with users of a US carsharing service, the underlying hierarchical motive structure is uncovered and four motivational patterns are identified: value-seeking, convenience, lifestyle, and environmental motives. Implications are drawn for applying these insights.

► Means-end chain analysis employed to explore the motives of carsharing users. ► Visualization of hierarchical motivational patterns in customer value maps. ► Identification of value-seeking, convenience, lifestyle, and environmental motives.