Event Description/Abstract

The Mobility Enterprise is a particular version of a shared vehicle fleet, aimed at solving the problem of low automobile productivity. The automobile consumes a large portion of America’s transportation energy supply. It also operates much of the time with unused capacity: vacant seats and empty cargo space. Since programs to fill those vacant seats —ride sharing and high occupancy vehicle incentives —have fallen so far short of their objectives, a new approach is warranted. The enterprise’s central concept is matching vehicle attributes to travel needs. Generally, a household purchases vehicles for those few trips that require a large capacity, rather than for the majority of trips (usually to work) that have minimal vehicular needs. If a household could tailor its “immediate access” fleet to these frequent trips and still retain reasonable access to larger-capacity special purpose vehicles (SPV’s), considerable economies could be achieved. The household is relieved of owning seldom-used excess capacity, and automobile productivity and efficiency are greatly improved. Having easy access to a shared fleet of SPV’s also affords a household an increase in the quality and economy of its travel experiences. This paper describes a research project recently begun at Purdue that involves a comprehensive investigation of the Mobility Enterprise concept. Questions of institutional barriers, consumer response, and organization and management are discussed here as keys to the fate of the enterprise in the transportation climate of the foreseeable future.

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Mar 9th, 12:00 AM

The Mobility Enterprise - Improving Auto Productivity

The Mobility Enterprise is a particular version of a shared vehicle fleet, aimed at solving the problem of low automobile productivity. The automobile consumes a large portion of America’s transportation energy supply. It also operates much of the time with unused capacity: vacant seats and empty cargo space. Since programs to fill those vacant seats —ride sharing and high occupancy vehicle incentives —have fallen so far short of their objectives, a new approach is warranted. The enterprise’s central concept is matching vehicle attributes to travel needs. Generally, a household purchases vehicles for those few trips that require a large capacity, rather than for the majority of trips (usually to work) that have minimal vehicular needs. If a household could tailor its “immediate access” fleet to these frequent trips and still retain reasonable access to larger-capacity special purpose vehicles (SPV’s), considerable economies could be achieved. The household is relieved of owning seldom-used excess capacity, and automobile productivity and efficiency are greatly improved. Having easy access to a shared fleet of SPV’s also affords a household an increase in the quality and economy of its travel experiences. This paper describes a research project recently begun at Purdue that involves a comprehensive investigation of the Mobility Enterprise concept. Questions of institutional barriers, consumer response, and organization and management are discussed here as keys to the fate of the enterprise in the transportation climate of the foreseeable future.