Electric vehicle (EV) car club pilot
A pilot of shared electric car club vehicles across the county to use on a pay-per-use basis.
We are working with City and District Councils and a number of commercial car club operators to run a pilot of shared electric vehicles across the county. These fully battery electric vehicles (with a range of 150-250 miles) are available for residents to use on a pay-per-use basis for as little as an hour and up to a few days. Costs can start from just £5 per hour plus a per-mile charge.
The electric vehicles in the scheme have been provided by three car club operators:
The trial started in April 2023 and was intended to be for one year. However, the trial has now been extended until the end of September 2024 due to very promising early results.
The car club operators in the scheme are offering introductory discounts, free memberships and driving credit, so there has never been a better time to give car clubs a go. If the scheme is a success, these could be considered as long-term locations for car club electric vehicles, and a wider roll-out could also follow in other locations.
Vehicle locations
The pay-per-use electric vehicles available in the scheme are based at the following locations:
- Abingdon – Cattle Market car park, OX14 3JT - book via Co Wheels website
- Abingdon – West St Helens car park, OX14 5BU - book via Co Wheels website
- Banbury – Calthorpe Street West car park (OX16 5EX) - book via Zimbl website
- Banbury – Windsor Street car park (OX16 5AS) - book via Zimbl website
- Bicester – Claremont car park (OX26 6PH) – book via Co Wheels website
- Eynsham – Back Lane car park (OX29 4QP) – book via Co Wheels website
- Henley – Greys Road car park (RG9 2AA)- book via Co Wheels website
- Kidlington – Curtis Place car park (OX5 2PQ) - book via Co Wheels website
- Oxford - Redbridge Park and Ride (OX1 4XG) - book via Co Wheels website or Zimbi website (two vehicles available)
- Wallingford – Cattlemarket car park (OX10 0HF) - book via Co Wheels website
- Witney – Woodford Way car park (OX28 6GF) - book via Enterprise CarClub website
You can also let us know where you would like to see car clubs in your local area using an interactive mapping tool on our Let's Talk platform.
About car clubs
Car clubs give a convenient and affordable alternative to car ownership, and these fully electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions and are much better for the environment than petrol or diesel alternatives. They can also provide an opportunity for people with petrol/diesel cars to try out an electric vehicle without an ongoing commitment.
Costs
Full details of pricing can be found on the car club websites. Costs per hour can be as little as £5 or £6. There is normally a per-mile cost too, which can be as little as 12p per mile when you drive electric. Annual membership fees will apply but some car clubs run promotions which provide free membership.
About the cars
All electric vehicles are automatic. Full instructions on how to use the vehicle will be provided when you book (or in the vehicle itself). There are lots of useful explainer videos on the car club operator websites.
The cars will be fully charged when collected and you need to plug them back in when you return. There are instructions on how to do this on the website or in the vehicle. All the vehicles are based at charging hubs in Oxfordshire, where they will have an allocated parking bay with a fast EV charger. Unless you are travelling some distance, it’s unlikely you will need to charge any of the vehicles during your hiring session itself.
Locations
This pilot aims to test the business case for where in the county EV car clubs are feasible. The car clubs rely on dedicated EV chargers, so are limited at present to where those are. A successful pilot will inform plans for a much wider roll-out in future, but in the meantime, you can search for your local car club on the CoMoUk website, or you might even consider setting up your own community car club by encouraging local people to share their own EVs via peer-to-peer car sharing apps such as Hiyacar and Karshare.
Funding
Currently, the commercial car club operators are providing vehicles and running the service at their own cost and risk. There is no funding from councils or elsewhere. The car club vehicles are simply being provided with a free allocated EV parking space for the duration of the trial.
Businesses
Enterprise CarClub, Zimbl and Co Wheels offer corporate membership schemes, which enable staff to use car club vehicles similarly to pool vehicles for occasional work journeys.