Oxfordshire is leading the way in sustainable transport by launching a new mini electric car club. The initiative is a collaboration between three rental companies and six regional councils, including Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils. The project will offer 14 electric vehicles for hire on an hourly or daily basis, with the aim of assessing demand for the service across the county.
The local authorities have partnered with car club providers Co Wheels, Enterprise CarClub, and Thame EV Car Hire to launch the pilot scheme. Fourteen locations across Oxfordshire have been selected, each with a designated parking spot for one electric vehicle. The selected council-owned car parks also offer park and charge facilities.
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To use the vehicles, residents must be a member of the car club, which can be accessed from as little as Ā£5.95 per hour, plus 12p per mile. The partners hope that offering this low-cost, pay-per-use service will encourage people to give up their own cars or second cars and be more mindful of the environmental impact of their journeys.
According to Richard Falconer, from Co Wheels, there is a growing demand for shared electric vehicles, particularly in Oxford City, “as people realise that owning a car can damage your wallet as well as the environment.” The partners estimate that a successful car club vehicle could take 20 privately owned cars off the road, reducing the number of cars on the road and thus reducing congestion and emissions.
Jenny Figueiredo, Oxfordshire County Councilās EV Charging Project Manager, added that pay-per-use car sharing schemes “make it possible for people to consider giving up their own cars or second cars, and also to be more conscious of making an active decision about every journey they make.”
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The pilot project will run for 12 months to assess the demand for the service across Oxfordshire, and to inform longer-term plans for a potential EV car club rollout across the county. Oxford City has previous experience running car clubs and has used the new scheme to expand the model to include county locations.
The electric vehicles will be based in 14 locations across Oxfordshire, with one vehicle per location. The vehicles are new EVs with a range of between 150 ā 250 miles each, but further information is currently lacking. The selected council-owned car parks offer park and charge facilities. Members of the car club can also access promotional codes for free or discounted membership.
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The launch of this mini electric car club is just the latest example of Oxfordshire’s commitment to sustainable transport. In May 2022, Oxford City launched the UK’s first complete ‘Zero Emission Zone’ (ZEZ), which means daily charges on drivers of all petrol and diesel vehicles and hybrid cars. The county is also home to BMW’s Mini factory.
As the world continues to grapple with the challenge of climate change, initiatives such as this mini electric car club will play a vital role in reducing emissions and promoting sustainable transport. By providing a low-cost, pay-per-use service, the partners hope to encourage people to think more carefully about their transport choices and help to build a greener, more sustainable future.
