Dedicated parking spots for shared electric cars remain empty over 75 percent of the time

Dedicated parking spaces for shared electric cars in Copenhagen are unused for more than three-quarters of the day, while illegally parked vehicles occupy them more often than the intended electric share cars, a new municipal report reveals.

The findings, published by Danish broadcaster DR, show that over 900 parking spots reserved for electric share cars—operated by providers like GreenMobility—stand vacant for 75 percent of the time. Meanwhile, non-compliant vehicles park in these spaces more frequently than the share cars themselves.

“It’s incredibly frustrating that the spots are empty, but you’re not allowed to park there,” said Henrik Busch, chair of the Copenhagen association “Ja tak til parkering” (“Yes to Parking”), which advocates for better parking conditions. “Eventually, people do it out of necessity—because they need to get home and cook for their kids.”

Busch called the underuse of spaces a “huge problem” for residents, workers, and businesses, arguing that the policy unfairly restricts parking while failing to achieve its environmental goals. “You want to be eco-friendly, but end up making life harder for those of us who live and work in the city,” he said.

The city’s Climate, Environment, and Technical Committee may now reconsider the allocation of these spaces. Morten Melchior, a Conservative member of the committee, told DR that “there are many places where it would make sense to remove two or three electric share-car spots” and adjust parking options. The committee plans to review the system this year.

Kasper Gjedsted, CEO of GreenMobility, acknowledged the optics of empty spots but argued that usage should be measured differently. “Instead of looking at how long a car occupies a spot, we look at how many people use that spot in a day,” he said. “Each electric share-car space serves far more Copenhageners than a regular spot, where the same car might sit for days.”

Line Barfod, the city’s Climate, Environment, and Technical Mayor, did not dispute the findings but emphasized the role of share cars in reducing private vehicle reliance. “We must support this transition, but it has to be done reasonably,” she wrote to DR. “It’s wrong that the spaces aren’t used. Politically, we need to find the right balance so choosing a share car remains easy and attractive.”