Ubeeqo now available in eight London boroughs

Europcar Mobility Group’s car-sharing brand Ubeeqo has expanded into three new boroughs in London – Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham.

Furthermore, 140 new Ubeeqo vehicles have been added to the fleet to give customers more choice, including brand new Mercedes GLA, Citroen Dispatch Vans, Volkswagen Golf & Fiat 500. 

The car-sharing brand is also supporting the Mayor of London’s Scrappage Scheme by providing businesses with a ULEZ compliant alternative to vehicle ownership.

Ubeeqo is now available in eight boroughs from the East End to the West End; from Walthamstow to Wandsworth. Available to hire from £3 per hour (£30 per day), Ubeeqo vehicles include fuel, insurance, 30 free miles per booking, Dart Charge and London Congestion Charge.

Ubeeqo vehicles are specially adapted to include an RFID card access system, so that they can be booked online or via the Ubeeqo app and used by several different people throughout the day. The cars can be booked for any length of time (over one hour). Insurance is even included, and the minimum membership age is 21.

There are different models of car club already operating in London, including round trip or back to base, and one-way car sharing. However, at Ubeeqo vehicles are based in geo-fenced locations within a specific borough.

Members are required to return vehicles to the same geo-fenced area to end their booking. Geo-fenced areas can be a proportion of a street, or a neighbourhood, as agreed between the borough and Ubeeqo.

It says this model plays a crucial role in reducing congestion and parking issues, because the ‘bay’ is available for others to use when the Ubeeqo vehicle is on hire. This is not the case with the traditional ‘back to base’ car club model, where the specific parking space – marked as ‘car club only’ – is left empty while the car club vehicle is being used.

In addition, unlike the one-way car club model, where vehicles can be left in any one of a number of boroughs, the Ubeeqo back to base model using geo-fencing operates within a single local authority area enabling the borough to more easily manage the number and location of vehicles. The key concerns over the one-way model – clustering of vehicles, areas with no vehicles and unpredictability of vehicle location – do not arise using a geo-fenced back to base model, it said.

Cllr Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for environment, transport management and air quality, at Southwark Council, says the local authority is “committed to lowering emissions by reducing car use”.

“We hope that Ubeeqo will help people to move away from car ownership and adopt more sustainable means of transport,” he said.

Patrick Cresswell, managing director of Ubeeqo UK added: “We are delighted to offer Londoners an additional transport option with Ubeeqo, which offers a self-service, low cost and conveniently located car club. 

“By expanding the range and type of vehicles in our fleet, we hope London car owners will be encouraged to consider using the service as an alternative to vehicle ownership. And that should result in fewer cars on the road, and ultimately reduce emissions and congestion”.

Gary Smith, managing director of Europcar Mobility Group UK, concluded:  “Ubeeqo is an important part of the Europcar Mobility Group offering, giving individuals and businesses a wide range of mobility solutions for every journey.  And it is a game-changer for Londoners, providing a cost-effective alternative to vehicle ownership which, in turn, can make a difference to congestion as well as environmental pressures. 

“It’s exciting to see the network expanding with these latest new locations and extended fleet.”

Ubeeqo is promoting a special introductory offer which includes FREE lifetime membership plus £10 free driving credit.