The strategic analysis of vehicle parking mode selection for a B2C car sharing platform

This study investigates the vehicle parking mode selection of a B2C car-sharing platform, as well as the corresponding car rental pricing and parking fee pricing, and examines how the mode selection influences both the platform and consumers. In this study, three vehicle parking modes are examined, i.e., vehicles must be parked in designated parking spots (Mode S), vehicles are allowed to park in any accessible parking spot within the operational area (Mode F), and both Modes S and F are adopted simultaneously (Mode M). The results indicate that the selection of vehicle parking modes for the platform is related to the pooling factor reflecting vehicle utilization rate (i.e., the number of vehicles launched by the platform to service one unit of consumer) and the operating and maintenance costs. If the operating and maintenance costs under Mode S are relatively high and the vehicle utilization rate is low, choosing Mode M is profitable for the platform; otherwise, choosing Mode S is profitable. Compared with Modes S and M, the platform often does not prioritize Mode F because its operation and maintenance costs are usually high. Under Mode M, the platform can achieve cost-sharing by charging parking fees to consumers who choose Mode F, which helps reduce consumers’ expected payments. In addition, consumer surplus under Mode S is higher than that under Mode M, which indicates that improving the vehicle utilization rate in the market can help achieve a win–win situation for both the platform and consumers.