Mobility service usage and attitudes now and in the future among car and non-car owners in Gothenburg

Research Project, 2027 – 2028

Despite research on car-free households, there is still a lack of understanding of how car owners and non-car owners differ in their mobility patterns, satisfaction, and use of mobility services such as car-sharing, cargo-bikes, and attitudes toward emerging technologies such as shared autonomous vehicles. Without this understanding, it is difficult to design services and policies that effectively reduce car dependency and meet climate goals.

This project addresses that gap through a mixed-method study combining survey data (~1,400+ respondents in the Gothenburg area) with in-depth interviews. It will compare mobility behaviors, service perceptions, and attitudes toward emerging technologies between the two groups. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating systems and policy perspectives (Frances Sprei) with behavioral psychology (Cecilia Bergstad), will deepen the analysis.

The expected benefits are twofold: academically, the project will produce 1–2 research papers and contribute toward a novel analytical framework for studying car-free living. Practically, it will generate concrete recommendations for mobility service providers, urban planners, and policymakers on how to design services and policies that reduce car dependency. The primary intended users are the City of Gothenburg, housing companies, and mobility service providers, as well as regional and national stakeholders.