Car-sharing goes overnight: usage by drivers in their 40s and 50s surges up to 45%

Car-sharing in South Korea is evolving from a short-haul urban convenience into an overnight travel option, with drivers in their 40s and 50s leading the shift and a growing number of users combining KTX train rides with on-site rentals at their destinations.

Data released Tuesday by Lotte Rental's G Car service showed that the average vehicle usage time during autumn last year — October and November — reached 10 hours and 43 minutes, up 21.5 percent from 8 hours and 49 minutes the previous year.

Distances traveled also grew. Average mileage rose 10.7 percent, from 95.4 kilometers to 105.6 kilometers over the same period. Rentals lasting 24 hours or more increased 36.8 percent, while trips covering 200 kilometers or more climbed 20.0 percent.

The sharpest growth came from users in their 40s and 50s. Renters in their 40s rose 42.3 percent year on year, while those 50 and older jumped 45.1 percent.

The increase was even more pronounced for extended rentals. Among users in their 40s, rentals of 24 hours or more surged 87.2 percent; among those 50 and older, the figure rose 94.6 percent — in effect nearly doubling in both age groups.

Drivers in their 40s also logged the longest average usage time at 15 hours and 17 minutes, roughly 1.7 times the 9 hours and 2 minutes recorded by users in their 20s. By contrast, users in their 20s accounted for 47.1 percent of all rentals lasting under four hours, reflecting a stronger preference for short trips in that age group.

Autumn travel destinations also shifted. G Car usage in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province — home to Woraksan mountain and Cheongpungho lake — rose 47.8 percent from the previous year, while Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province, the gateway to Naejangsan mountain, climbed 28.2 percent.

Demand for combining train travel with car-sharing also grew. Rentals at locations near KTX stations increased 10.8 percent by number of transactions and 13.5 percent by number of users. Average usage time at those locations was 1.5 times longer than at locations near residential or business areas.

Near the Gyeongju KTX station in particular, the average rental lasted 27 hours and 4 minutes per booking — a pattern analysts attribute to travelers taking the train to their destination and then renting a car for an overnight stay.

Gangneung showed a similar trend. Demand tied to visits to Odaesan mountain and Sogeumgang valley helped drive up rentals near Gangneung's KTX station, and the city ranked fifth among the most popular destinations for users in their 20s.

Jeju Island saw an even larger jump. After G Car doubled its fleet on the island last year, autumn usage there surged 88 percent year on year. Jeju Island ranked first among rental destinations for users in their 20s, 40s and those 50 and older, and third for users in their 30s.

Rentals at the two pickup locations in front of Jeju Airport rose 60.5 percent. Average usage time ran about 39 to 40 hours, reflecting a pattern in which travelers fly to Jeju and use a car-sharing vehicle for close to two days.

"Car-sharing in autumn is being used in more ways than ever — from foliage drives to overnight trips connected with KTX," said Kang Hyeon-bin, chief executive of Green Car. "We will make our customers' autumn travel more convenient by operating vehicles at key travel hubs and offering a range of benefits."

To meet autumn travel demand, G Car is running a "Travel in Autumn" promotion through Nov. 30. For rentals of 24 hours or more, the daily rate for select vehicle types is set at 32,000 won ($24) in the Greater Seoul area and 31,000 won outside it. Rentals of 10 hours or more receive a 60 percent discount on the vehicle fee and a 10 percent discount on insurance. Jeju Island is excluded from the promotion.

G Car currently has about 5.34 million cumulative members, operates roughly 7,400 vehicles and maintains about 2,500 rental locations nationwide. Last month the service introduced an AI-powered booking feature that allows users to find and reserve a vehicle by entering their desired location, time and vehicle type by voice or text through a conversational interface called G Car AI Booking.