Connecting smart mobility and car sharing using a systematic literature review. An outlook using Bibliometrix

Car sharing (CS) and smart mobility have emerged as pivotal components for a sustainable transformation in urban transportation, standing out as central topics in the discussions on sustainable mobility solutions. Nevertheless, the increasing interest from scholars, CS companies’ owners, and policymakers in car sharing services as a viable response to the sustainable urban transport has availed rather mixed considerations, thus calling for further scrutiny. The current endeavor thus seeks to advance a systematic literature review of the body of knowledge correlatively addressing the issues of various forms of smart mobility and car sharing. Four major research questions are envisaged, namely: What are the bibliometric characteristics of the literature related to smart mobility and car sharing? What is the focus of this literature in terms of key concepts? What are the limitations of the existing body of literature? and What are the implications of this literature in terms of future research avenues? With a view to providing pertinent answers, emphasis will be laid on the insights, critique, and transformative redefinitions of the literature in the field via a bibliometric analysis and structured theme-based review. The SPAR-4-SLR protocol is employed while the data retrieved from the Scopus database was processed with the Bibliometrix package (i.e., Biblioshiny) of the R study program. Derived from the thematic mapping and the identified clusters, six key research topics (i.e., car sharing through the lens of urban mobility management, innovative business models and governance, sustainable transportation and e-car sharing, smart mobility and multimodality, sustainable mobility, public transport, and collaborative consumption, climate change and electric vehicles and transport policy and automotive industry) are thoroughly discussed in terms of added value and limitations. The findings manage to clarify the multiplexity of links between the two constructs, by shedding light on the motor, basic, niche, emerging and declining themes which are worthy of further consideration within a structured research agenda. Additionally, they point to the fact that the issues of smart mobility and car sharing are still producing mixed or fragmented conclusions in terms of socio-economic, technological and environmental impacts, calling for further investigation. Manifold implications of the state-of-the-art in the field are brought to the attention of scholars and practitioners interested in achieving a better understanding and integration of car sharing and smart mobility in the broad transport ecosystem.