Electric car sharing increases; providing viable option to ownership

The British public continue to opt for shared electric vehicles (EVs), says Zipcar UK. The data comes alongside the first anniversary of its fleet of electric vehicles, the Volkswagen e-Golfs.

The growth within the EV sharing market suggests that it has fast become a viable option to ownership.

Zipcar UK revealed that there has been over one million miles travelled in the new EV fleet.

Jonathan Hampson, general manager at Zipcar UK, said: “We are delighted to see how popular this electric part of our offering is proving.

“Car sharing is already one of the most sustainable ways to use a car when you need one in the capital but it is fantastic to be able to extend this and make EV driving accessible to all.”

“We are proud of the positive contribution this is having to reduce pollution in the capital and are now fully focused on achieving our aim of a fully electric fleet by 2025” 

The sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles decreased by 50.4% in June. This came after the government finished its £2,500 grant.

This has led to the increase of electric car sharing, offering both an affordable and environmentally friendly option.

More than 42,600 people have access to EVs in London, with 22,000 from Zipcar, and 20,600 that are owned.

The company has a membership of 280,000 people and has seen growth of 33% in the last year. It offers 3,000 vehicles in London, and now partners with five charging companies across London.

An astonishing 200,000 trips have been completed in EVs in the last year.

Over 1 million journeys were completed in Zipcar flex, with both electric and petrol vehicles contributing, since its 2017 launch.

Zipcar UK has been steadily growing its offering for London members over the past few years. Members have access to two ways of using Zipcar’s vehicles.

Its customers have two options for using its vehicles. Roundtrip and Flex. The former allows customers to collect a car from a Car Club bay and to return it. The latter can be dropped off at various spots, offering more flexibility, and saving unnecessary driving.