Car sharing in Lappersdorf: Environmentally friendly mobility for everyone!

Car sharing in Lappersdorf: Environmentally friendly mobility for everyone!

On November 7, 2025, an information event on the topic of car sharing took place in Hainsacker, which was organized by the Lappersdorf Climate Advisory Board. Martin Novotny from GFN (Society for the Promotion of Public Transport in the Regensburg District mbH) informed the participants comprehensively about the advantages and possibilities of car sharing. This event is in the context of the increasing popularity of car sharing offers in Germany, which will have over 5.5 million users by the beginning of 2024, as Statista reports.

At the beginning of 2024, GFN took over the operation of car sharing offers with electric vehicles in 13 communities, which are offered under the name “carl” in the Regensburg district. There are currently two car sharing locations in Lappersdorf: at the Lappersdorf Mitte car park and, since January 2025, at Pfarrer-Haueisen-Platz in Hainsacker. At this new location, participants have the opportunity to operate vehicles, charging cards and charging cables themselves. E-car sharing is highlighted as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to owning a car.

Growth of the car sharing industry

The German car sharing industry is booming, as shown by a current analysis by the Bundesverband Carsharing e.V. (bcs), which documents an increase in car sharing vehicles of 5.3 percent compared to the previous year. There are currently around 45,400 car sharing vehicles available from 297 providers in 1,393 communities in Germany. The number of communities with car sharing services increased by 8.4 percent, and station-based and combined car sharing providers expanded their fleets by 1,240 vehicles.

A particularly notable aspect is that, according to the bcs analysis, 18,000 car sharing vehicles in participating households replace 192,600 private cars. Without these car sharing offers, an additional 174,600 vehicles would be necessary, which would have a significant impact on parking space requirements and the infrastructure. At least 2.4 billion euros would have to be invested to create new parking areas.

Advantages of car sharing

Car sharing is seen as an important component in reducing traffic and environmental pollution. Studies show that car sharing cars can replace multiple private vehicles, reducing both traffic volume and environmental impact. This is in line with the desire to establish more sustainable mobility concepts in Germany.

Car sharing offers vary greatly depending on the region. While more than 90 percent of large cities have corresponding offers, only around 8.5 percent of municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants are covered. Car sharing offers are particularly well represented in Karlsruhe and Munich, with Munich having the highest density of station-independent vehicles.

Car sharing is viewed as an efficient concept for the mobility transition in Germany. However, with the decline in the proportion of electric cars in car sharing fleets in 2023 compared to previous years, this development also faces challenges. According to the reports, ShareNow has the largest market share with an estimated 14 percent in Europe, followed by other providers with electrified fleets.

For further information about car sharing offers in the district and their use, those interested can visit the website carl-sharing.de.