Economic woes and environmental concerns are driving consumers to seek out more practical solutions to owning a car.
So says the Europcar Transportation and Mobility Observatory, which is now in its fourth year and shows how driving habits are changing.
Technology is also playing an important role as self-service cars can to be booked online or via mobile apps and offer more flexibility in terms of using the car for only the required amount of time.
Streetcar and zipcar are two names that spring to mind which already operate in this market although zipcar bought its rival last year.
And, increasingly GPS technology is being used to help consumers find the nearest available car in their area.
The report reveals that self-service cars are an attractive option for more than 57% of European drivers, rising to 61% of drivers in urban areas.
When asked what transport alternatives they would use if they didn't drive their car, 50% said car hire was their preferred option, 49% said car pooling and 35% said self-service.
The report refers to an 'era of mobility on demand' ushering in but it remains to be seen how quickly rental companies might introduce elements of the self-service idea or whether it will appeal more to the casual leisure user.
Europcar has already been quite forward thinking with its launch of a Microsoft Surface project last year which aims to revolutionise the car rental booking experience.
The study was carried out online by Ipsos and based on more than 6,000 adults across seven European countries including the UK, France and Germany.