Mobility-as-a-service: how car sharing fits into the future of smarter, greener travel

Luxembourg has been improving its mobility over the last few years. The nation is establishing the groundwork for Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) with free public transportation across the country, an expanding cycling and soft mobility offer, and a national strategy for sustainable travel. Car sharing is becoming a crucial component of that puzzle, filling in gaps, cutting emissions, and giving everyone more flexibility when it comes to travel.

Why Car Sharing Makes Sense for MaaS in Luxembourg

Here’s how car sharing fits into the broader vision of MaaS locally, and why it’s becoming more relevant:

1. Cost-and Space Efficiency

Costs associated with private vehicle ownership include depreciation, parking, insurance, and maintenance. Unless absolutely required, car sharing allows people to avoid many of those. Additionally, when there are fewer cars on the road, fewer parking spots are needed, which frees up urban space and eases traffic. 

2. Environmental Impact

• Fewer cars → less emissions;
• Car sharing tends to encourage more use of public transport, walking, cycling combined with car sharing for the trips that aren’t well served otherwise;
• Some carsharing services include more ecological vehicles or may incentivize low-emission usage.

3.Supporting Multimodal Travel

Luxembourg is developing a transportation system that connects walking, car sharing, public transportation, cycling, and soft mobility. One link in that chain is car sharing, which can be used for flexible travel, the first or last mile, and in circumstances where other modes aren't suitable. The concept of mobility hubs—locations where various forms of transportation converge (such as public transportation stops, bike lanes, and carpooling stations)—is being promoted. 

Challenges & What Needs to Happen

To make the car sharing / MaaS model fully work in Luxembourg, there are some hurdles and things that must be managed:

• Station coverage and visibility: Car sharing stations need to be well-distributed, especially in high demand or transit-oriented zones, and easy to find. If people have to go out of their way, convenience drops.
• Seamless booking/user experience: Apps or online platforms must allow users to find, reserve, unlock, and pay without friction. Integration with public transport apps helps.
• Reliability and availability: Enough cars must be available where & when people need them. If not, people will fall back to private cars.
• Behavioral change: Even with free public transport and carsharing, people need to change mindsets—moving away from “owning just in case” to “using when needed.”
• Pricing and incentives: The cost structure needs to be competitive and transparent, with incentives for users to choose shared mobility over private cars.

Where Luxembourg is Heading: PNM2035 & Mobility Hubs

The National Mobility Plan, PNM2035, lays out a roadmap for how Luxembourg wants to evolve mobility over the next decade.Car sharing is part of that strategy. Key elements in the plan that relate to car sharing include:

• Reducing repetitive short trips made by private cars (e.g. work/school commuting).
• Installing carsharing infrastructure in Mobility Hubs, which combine several mobility services in one place (public transport/interchange, car sharing, bike rental, etc.). This brings together the “one-stop shop” idea.
• Making sure carsharing is accessible across the country—not just in Luxembourg City, but in municipalities, periphery, rural areas—to ensure equitable access. Flex has already done a lot in this direction.

What Car Sharing Does for Smarter, Greener Travel

Putting together all the above, here’s a snapshot of how car sharing contributes to “smarter, greener” mobility in Luxembourg:

• Lower per-person emissions: Shared cars incentivize using less, maintaining vehicles that are better used, and combining modes.
• Less traffic and parking stress: Fewer private vehicles means less congestion, fewer parking lots needed, more space for green/public uses.
• Greater flexibility: Especially for occasional trips (weekend trips, errands, etc.), users don’t need to bear the burden of owning a car full time.
• Inclusivity and cross-border usability: Car sharing stations near transit hubs or near border crossings help people who commute into Luxembourg or between municipalities.

Luxembourg is setting the stage for a mobility transformation. With free public transport already in place, a solid cycling/soft mobility push, and a clear national plan (Modu2035), car sharing is carving out a vital role in making travel more efficient, sustainable, and flexible.

When you combine:

• strong policy support,
• good infrastructure (stations, hubs, access),
• user-friendly platforms, and
• changing habits,

… you get a mobility ecosystem where owning a car becomes optional rather than necessary, and where the default is greener, smarter travel.