Since the war in Iran began, filling up at the gas station has become increasingly expensive for motorists. While hopes were initially high for a swift resolution to the conflict, its protracted nature is frustrating millions of drivers in France and across Europe a little more each day. As a result, many are turning to new forms of mobility, starting with carpooling.

Against this backdrop, BlaBlaCar, a leading player in the French market, is seeing spectacular growth in activity. Since the hostilities began in the Middle East, the platform has gained 226,000 new drivers, and the pace is showing no signs of slowing. On Tuesday, September 22, BlaBlaCar saw 2,200 new drivers join the platform in a single day. That's three times more than usual and a level the French company had not reached since last April.

More drivers on the platform also means more seats available for passengers. On that same day, September 22, nearly 150,000 seats were offered. That's an all-time record since the Covid-19 pandemic. Even more impressively, more than 5 million seats were offered worldwide last week — a first in BlaBlaCar's history.

Adrien Tahon, Chief Operating Officer at BlaBlaCar, is not particularly surprised by this sustained surge in interest. “When people came back from vacation, there was a wake-up call. Many people thought this situation wouldn't last this long, but they had to face reality when they returned to work. It woke people up and made them want to start carpooling,” he explains.

Beyond drivers taking the plunge, Adrien Tahon is also seeing two other effects resulting from soaring fuel prices. “There are people who were already carpooling but now want to do it more often to save even more money. And there are others who own a vehicle but feel that prices are becoming so expensive that they're wondering whether they would be better off becoming passengers,” says the executive, who previously headed BlaBlaCar Daily, the business dedicated to commuting trips that is in the process of being sold to Karos.

This growing interest in carpooling among French people, and not only them, is reflected in the travel trends observed on BlaBlaCar. The average trip distance has fallen by 10%, showing that drivers are looking to save money even on everyday journeys. These same motorists are also planning further ahead when posting their trips on the app: 30% of trips were posted more than a week before departure this summer, compared with 20% during the same period a year earlier.

To support these evolving carpooling habits, BlaBlaCar has launched new features, including a tool that lets users find the cheapest gas stations along their route with a single click. Users can also request a specific pickup or drop-off point in exchange for a tip to the driver, or get an AI-generated summary of reviews left on a driver's profile.

“We're looking to support our community. And what we're seeing is that once people start carpooling, they don't stop, even when prices come back down,” concludes Adrien Tahon. But with the war in Iran still ongoing, fuel prices could continue to soar at the pump for several more months. BlaBlaCar could well welcome thousands more drivers frustrated by shrinking purchasing power and looking to save money by turning to carpooling.