Car clubs have a big role to play helping to deliver economic, social and environmental goals.
This guide explains what a car club is and provides information to help you decide whether implementing one is feasible in your area, and how make it viable.
Research undertaken for CoMoUK reveals that British car club vehicles emit over 33% fewer CO2 emissions per kilometre than the average British car.
London car club member households also generate less than half of the carbon dioxide and local air pollutants per year from car use compared to the average London household (with at least one full car license holder).
28% of car club members based in London have reduced the number of vehicles owned by their household since joining a car club, of which 53% report that the car club was the main factor.
Car club members typically belong to relatively low mileage households, with 72% reporting that their household did not drive any distance in household cars in the past year.
Car clubs can help to support the adoption of low-carbon and zero carbon technology through providing access to hybrid and electric vehicles. When car club members have had a chance to test new technology, this will help to promote more rapid adoption and use of low carbon technology in private vehicles.
Car clubs enable parking ratios to be tightened, controlled parking zones to be effective and residential parking schemes to be more popular. With less emphasis on parking needs, planners and developers have the freedom to focus on low car housing and improved quality of life.
This may allow space to be given over to shared amenities or even extra housing units, or open up the development of brownfield sites that would previously have been refused planning permission because they lacked parking space.
Car clubs reduce parking congestion (as multiple users share one car and one parking space) as well as by reducing traffic on the road as car club members tend to drive less and use public transport, walk and cycle more after joining a car club.
Car clubs provide access to a car without ownership. They act as a catalyst to increased use of sustainable transport. They also nurture adoption of progressive low emission technologies.
Car club members make more trips by public transport, and walking and/or cycling after joining a car club.
Car clubs and car sharing can help tackle social exclusion and improve quality of life by providing access to a vehicle without the expense of ownership. Freeing up road space that would otherwise be required for parking improves social cohesion, increases space for children to play and helps contribute towards vibrant communities.
In rural communities car clubs can help to reduce social exclusion and contribute towards rural resilience by ensuring that people have access to key services when public transport is not a viable option.
