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.”**