The Role of Technical Car Features in Managing and Promoting New Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing Systems: Insights from Potential Users and Strategic Implications for Service Providers

Peer-to-peer car-sharing systems are an evolving branch of urban mobility, aligning with global trends focused on sustainable development and reducing congestion in cities. A research gap has been identified concerning the specific vehicle attributes that would encourage the public to potentially use these services. Addressing this gap, and in the context of launching a new peer-to-peer car-sharing service in Katowice, Poland, this article investigates the technical features influencing the choice of vehicles in peer-to-peer car-sharing systems, particularly from the perspective of individuals who currently do not use such platforms. The study employs Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine the interrelationships between vehicle attributes. The analysis reveals that key factors influencing users’ decisions include fuel/energy consumption, safety features, and technological advancement, with a particular emphasis on driver assistance systems, including autonomous driving capabilities. The network structure, characterized by a relatively low density (0.2536) and a short average path length (1.872), suggests that a few central vehicle features dominate user decisions, and improvements in these key areas can quickly propagate through the decision-making process, enhancing overall user satisfaction. To validate the findings, a Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR) analysis was conducted, confirming the significance of the key factors identified by the SNA, such as fuel efficiency, battery capacity, and safety systems, thus strengthening the reliability of the results. This study underscores the growing importance of sustainability and technological innovation in the automotive industry, particularly in the context of the sharing economy. It suggests that car-sharing platforms and vehicle manufacturers should prioritize these features to meet user expectations and preferences. These findings provide valuable insights for the strategic and operational management of peer-to-peer car-sharing services, emphasizing the importance of targeted vehicle selection and user-centered innovations to improve platform performance and scalability.