Three cars are lined up side by side in front of a blue background, with the word car sharing shown below.

Carsharing Survey

Thank you for your interest! The Town of Mahone Bay is evaluating a shared electric vehicle (EV) carshare program to support affordable, sustainable regional transportation. Your feedback is vital and highly confidential. This survey will take you less than 5 minutes to complete.

Before you begin: What is carsharing?

Carsharing is a simple idea: instead of everyone owning their own car, a small number of shared cars are parked right in the community for residents to use whenever they need one. You book a car through an app or website, pick it up nearby, drive it for as long as you need, an hour or a few days, and return it. You only pay for the time and distance you actually use.

Everything else is taken care of for you. Insurance, fuel or charging, cleaning, maintenance, and repairs are all handled by the carsharing service. There's no monthly loan payment, no insurance bill, and no upkeep to worry about, just access to a car when you want one.

Carsharing also cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, giving the community a cleaner, lower-cost option for getting around.

Where are you?

* required

Mahone Bay

Bridgewater

Lunenburg

District of Lunenburg

Elsewhere in Nova Scotia

Elsewhere

What is your postal code?

* required

Select option

Have you heard of carsharing before this survey?

Yes, I am familiar with how it works

I have heard the term, but not sure how it works

Never heard about it

What is your preferred method of transportation when travelling within Mahone Bay? (Select all that apply)

Personal Vehicle: Driving or riding in a household car, truck, or SUV

Carpooling / Ridesharing: Sharing rides with neighbours, friends, or co-workers

Commercial Ride Services: Using a local taxi or cab

Community Shuttles: Using localized non-profit or door-to-door accessible transit programs (e.g., Chester Community Wheels, Lunenburg County Wheels)

Active Transportation: Walking, running, or cycling

Traditional Rental Car: Booking a standard commercial rental vehicle for temporary use

Organized Group Travel: Using charter buses, tour buses, or workplace-provided shuttles

How often do you travel outside of Mahone Bay?

Most days

A few times a week

About once a week

A few times a month

Rarely or never

What purposes are those (out of town) trips usually for?

Work or business: e.g. commuting, visiting customers or suppliers

Errands and shopping: groceries, appointments, hardware, larger stores

Leisure and social: visiting family and friends, dining, events, camping, recreation

Medical or care: appointments, hospital, caregiving

Other (please specify)

For what specific types of trips would you most likely use a shared vehicle? (Select all that apply)

Major grocery shopping or large retail errands in nearby towns

Commuting or travelling to regional hubs (like downtown Halifax or the airport)

Accessing remote trailheads, parks, or outdoor recreation spaces

Transporting bulky items or hardware store runs

Social visits, dining out, or attending regional events

I would not use it for any trips

What would be your primary reason for booking a shared electric vehicle? (Select up to 3)

To avoid the cost of buying a personal car

Eliminating the hassle of personal vehicle maintenance

To use it as a temporary second vehicle for the household or business

For regional trips outside of Mahone Bay

Use it only in emergencies

Lowering my carbon footprint and helping my community reach climate goals

Not applicable / I would not replace a personal vehicle

What is your preferred method of transportation when travelling out of Mahone Bay? (Select all that apply)

Personal Vehicle: Driving or riding in a household car, truck, or SUV

Carpooling / Ridesharing: Sharing rides with neighbours, friends, or co-workers

Commercial Ride Services: Using a local taxi, cab, or private airport transfer service

Regional Transit and Long-Distance Rides: Using scheduled intercity buses or flat-rate airport transfer services (e.g., Maritime Bus, SaltWind Transportation)

Community Shuttles: Using localized non-profit or door-to-door accessible transit programs (e.g., Chester Community Wheels, Lunenburg County Wheels)

Active Transportation: Walking, running, or cycling

Traditional Rental Car: Booking a standard commercial rental vehicle for temporary use

Organized Group Travel: Using charter buses, tour buses, or workplace-provided shuttles

10.

How comfortable would you be using a shared vehicle service with your fellow community members?

Very comfortable

Somewhat comfortable

Not comfortable

11.

In the case when your personal household vehicle becomes unavailable (e.g. breakdown, in repair), how do you manage your transportation needs? (Select all that apply)

Borrow a car from family, friends or neighbours

Use regional public transport such as Maritime bus service

Use a commercial ride service such as a local cab service

Use active transportation (walking, cycling, or e-bike)

Rely on secondary household vehicle

Get a ride with someone

Would cancel or postpone the trips entirely

12.

Would you be interested in using the EV Carshare service to test drive or experience an electric vehicle for a few days before deciding whether to purchase a personal EV?

Yes, I would like to experience an EV before buying one

No, I am already comfortable with EVs or plan to buy one regardless

No, I am not planning to purchase a personal electric vehicle

Not applicable / I do not drive or own a vehicle

13.

If you are a local business, how would you use EV carshare service? (Select all that apply)

To replace or downsize our current company-owned or leased vehicles

A primary option for day-to-day staff travel

Occasional backup vehicle for staff during peak business hours or busy days

Flexible transportation option for out-of-town clients, guests, or seasonal staff

Can’t use the service as the travel requirements are too specialized (e.g., heavy towing, trade trucks)

Not interested in a carshare service

Not applicable - I do not own a business

14.

What would be your biggest concerns about using a local carshare service? (Select up to 3)

Availability: Concerns about vehicles not being available when I need them most

Hygiene and Maintenance: Worries about vehicle cleanliness, sanitation, and physical condition

Technology: Concerns about the complexity of using a smartphone app or digital booking system

EV Driving Comfort: Worries about a lack of familiarity or personal comfort with driving an Electric Vehicle (EV)

Cost and Affordability: Concerns about hourly or kilometer rates being too expensive compared to my current costs

Hub Proximity: Worries about the vehicle parking hub being too far a walk from my home or location

Safety: Concerns about mechanical safety or safety of the vehicle location

Reliability: Concerns about the health of the vehicle, EV battery charge levels and maximum driving distance on a single charge for EVs

Charging Responsibility (for EVs): Worries about who is responsible for charging the vehicle, finding charging stations, or paying for electricity during a trip

Trip End and Parking: Worries about where to park the vehicle at the end of a trip, paying for parking fees, or the hassle of returning the car to its original hub

No Barriers: I have no concerns and am entirely comfortable using a local EV carshare

15.

How comfortable would you be with sharing your vehicle with the community? Peer-to-peer carsharing is a model where a vehicle owner (the host) makes their vehicle available to the community members to rent and use (the renter) for a fee through a common digital platform. Think of it as AirBnB, but for cars.

Very comfortable

Somewhat comfortable

Not comfortable