Individuals’ behavioral intention to use car sharing (CS): from environmental consciousness to socio-psychological drivers

Purpose – By scrutinizing different types of factors conducive to the behavioral intention to use car sharing (CS), the present paper looked into the influences of the environmental consciousness (i.e. environmental angle), the continuous improvement of CS platforms (i.e. technological angle), smart mobility (i.e. infrastructure angle) and the perceived benefits of CS and electronic trust in CS (i.e. individual and psychological angles). Design/methodology/approach – On purpose to provide an integrative outlook, a questionnaire-based survey with over 400 subjects coming from young generations (i.e. Gen Y and Z) has been conducted in 2023. The collected data were processed and analyzed by means of a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique (PLS-SEM) by employing SmartPLS 4. Findings – The analysis allows for multiple results. Environmental consciousness, continuous improvement of CS platforms and smart mobility have a positive influence on the perceived benefits of CS. The relationship between the continuous improvement of CS platforms and the E-trust in CS and the relationship between the impact of E-trust in CS and the behavioral intention to use CS are positive. Perceived benefits of CS have a positive influence on the behavioral intention to use CS. Originality/value – On the one hand, in terms of theoretical implications, the paper integrates multiple factors in a common framework, simultaneously considering social, psychological, technological and environmental dimensions in addressing the behavioral intention to use CS. On the other hand, the study entails practical implications and implicit takeaways for CS platform companies, which can inform business practitioners and transportation planners.