Alphabet launches ‘try before you buy’ for corporate car sharing

Alphabet has launched a fleet of demonstrator vehicles designed to boost the take-up of corporate car-sharing among organisations in the public and private sectors. 

AlphaCity taster pack, which comprises BMW 1 Series, 3 Series and Mini Countryman models, has proven popular with existing customers who have used it first-hand to experience the benefits of car sharing, before taking it up on a larger scale. 

Following a successful trial of the taster pack, sustainable energy business Vital Energi is now setting up AlphaCity at its Blackburn Headquarters, Lancashire.

Vital Energi's fleet manager, Paul Carberry, said: "We very much liked the concept of AlphaCity on paper and the demo proved that the scheme works really well for us in practice. Our employees like the simplicity and convenience of using the online booking process as well as the chance to be among the first to use a new technology.

“Our directors were primarily interested in the business case for car sharing, of course, but the opportunity to see AlphaCity in action before they made a commitment to it made it easier for them to take the decision."

Businesses who adopt the AlphaCity taster pack, also gain access to the online vehicle booking site along with the use of 10 membership cards to access five vehicles for up to a month.

Alphabet believes that this practical trial provides employers and employees with valuable insight into the benefits of its corporate car sharing scheme.

Kit Wisdom, head of corporate mobility at Alphabet, said: “All too often businesses undertake consultancy projects to prove the theory of new fleet solutions, without exploring the practical aspects of implementation. Our AlphaCity taster pack enables employers to gain driver feedback and endorsement, which is vital to ensure our car sharing solution, is effectively introduced.

“In practice, we’ve found that drivers have taken to AlphaCity better than many employers have anticipated; adopting the online booking system, with its clear view of availability and the car sharing ethos within minutes. Once people get behind the wheel of a new AlphaCity car, they simply don’t want to go back to the laborious chore of a pool car.”

Available to both existing and prospective customers, the new AlphaCity taster pack enables organisations to approve the new approach to car sharing before taking on the solution as a company-wide operation.