Page - 151 - in Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies - Conference Proceedings of the 17th STS Conference Graz 2018

Table 1. Elements of car sharing The manner in which these elements are interlinked are almost never straightforward. For example, the digital interface required to use car sharing is, at once, a technological innovation that is part of car sharing’s materiality, the use of which requires specific skills and caries meanings in terms of how and why one uses it. In another example, the majority of households viewed car sharing as beneficial for the environment, but considered this to be an added, secondary benefit, rather than a decisive element. In some instances, the importance of the environmental meaning of car sharing changed over time in such a way that it served as a poor recruitment tool to the practice of car sharing but a strong retention mechanism that kept the practice going. In terms of business model, many users stated that they prefer to deal with a professional rental company (i.e. integrator) that offers a professional level of service. Within this category, however, there were some who preferred collective arrangements because it helped foster a sense of connection with other users, whereas other informants were more sceptical of member owned enterprises. There were also some informants who preferred P2P providers (i.e. orchestrators) precisely because they did not want to support B2C schemes. Importantly, despite the multiple meanings associated with car sharing, for almost all users, car sharing had little or no value, in and of itself; it was almost always a tool with which they could carry out another activity. 5. Discussion and conclusions Car sharing has, until now, mainly been niche urban phenomenon dominated by integrator service providers. The rise of orchestrator service providers, such as P2P car sharing platforms, opens windows of opportunity for such services to expand beyond traditional markets and contribute to car sharing becoming part of the mobility regime. With the development of new markets and business models, car sharing is a good example of a non-technological innovation that may contribute to a more sustainable mobility system. 151