New guidance published today by national transport body Carplus showcases the potential of using Car Clubs to facilitate greater uptake and efficient roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs) in England.

The new guidance, Electric Vehicles in Car Clubs, will be officially launched at the Carplus Annual Conference on Thursday 28th June as part of a broad agenda exploring the experience and potential of EVs in shared usage.

Kate Gifford, author of the report, commented: “By experiencing an Electric Vehicle through a car club, potential, future EV owners can become accustomed to the EV technology and driving experience.” Adding, “We are pleased to be launching the guidance alongside operators from Europe who have successfully proved this point.”

At the conference, the launch of the guidance will be followed by two European case studies; the first, from Norway, will examine how the country has achieved the highest pro rata take up of EVs in its cities and the significant role played by shared vehicles; the second, from the Netherlands, will report on feedback from EV users who are car-sharing with Greenwheels car club in Amsterdam. Several UK car club operators will also be reporting on their experiences of adding Ultra Low Emission Vehicles into their fleets.

Chas Ball, chief executive of Carplus, commented “Carplus believes that the most effective way of establishing wider take up of battery EVs is through shared use (ride-sharing/car clubs) and employers’ car pools. With reports from Norway, the Netherlands and the UK, this event will demonstrate how the sharing of EVs is the route to establishing a broader, more mainstream market.”