Ride Sharing Tops Car Sharing, Taxis Among Consumers

DETROIT – A survey conducted by the AlixPartners business consultancy finds ride sharing is five times more likely to be a consumer’s top three transportation choice than car sharing, and is three times more likely to be chosen than traditional taxis.

“Ride sharing is typically 25% to 50% cheaper on average than taxis,” Mark Wakefield, global co-head-automotive practice at AlixPartners, says at an Automotive Press Assn. luncheon at the Detroit Athletic Club. “It has taken quite a cut out of taxis.”

AlixPartners’ findings are based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers across 10 large markets where both car-sharing and ride-sharing are popular. The firm says it found consumers prefer ride sharing to car sharing due to convenience, while some cited a dislike of surge pricing – raising prices during peak demand to balance demand and supply.

“It’s not the traditional economics of what’s cheaper, it’s more (about) what’s better and more convenient that’s driving ride sharing,” Wakefield says.