Increased support for car clubs could play a huge role in driving uptake of electric vehicles, according to a leading transport charity.
Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) says that around 12% of UK car club vehicles are electric, adding that more needs to be done to address the lack of targeted funding for EV charging infrastructure in car clubs.
In a new report by CoMoUK, the charity found that shared schemes allow thousands of people to use and become familiar with electric vehicles at a fraction of the cost of buying or leasing one.
But the charity has warned that more steps must be taken to ensure the full benefits of EVs in shared schemes are realised as the UK nears the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
The charity’s report, ‘Electric Vehicles in Car Clubs: Powering the way forward’ makes 15 recommendations to remove barriers to EVs for car clubs.
These recommendations include the provision of dedicated chargers for car club vehicles, as well as provisions for shared vehicles to be made mandatory when four or more charge points are installed in residential areas without private driveways garages.
CoMoUK also revealed that in the UK there are just under 6000 car clubs with around 800,000 members. Active members - those who join a club and renew their membership - nearly doubled to 450,000 in the 12 months to October 2021.
The charity says that the new Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure scheme, a key public funding source, must include ‘targeted funding’ that works for shared users and operators.
In the 2021 report, CoMoUk found that 84% of members were satisfied with driving electric car club vehicles, but less than two thirds of members who had driven a shared EV were satisfied with the charging experience at the end of the hire. This fell to just 45% for those who charged during the hire.
“Membership of these schemes have also been rising dramatically, and this high number of electric vehicles means members can drive them without the up-front and ongoing costs or hassle of owning or leasing one,” said Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK.
“These schemes can save users thousands of pounds every year, and give space back to communities while helping to improve air quality in towns and cities.
“Support for car club provision needs to be incorporated into electric vehicle infrastructure planning if the full benefits are to be achieved.”
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