Case studiesCar clubs are successful in an amazing variety of contexts, whether they are schemes for providing car club cars for the community, replacing pool cars or replacing the grey fleet in corporate and public sector settings.

Version: 09/14

These case studies illustrate a variety of different approaches across a number of car club operators with different business models.

They include:

• Working with councils to replace pool cars and the grey fleet

• Working with business, universities and housing associations to provide car club cars as an alternative to car ownership

• Working with councils to provide car clubs to businesses and residents

Although models vary, the schemes are similar in that they:

• save money

• reduce Co2 and other emissions

• Provide access to a variety of vehicles, including electric and very low emission vehicles

• Make people consider how they travel more carefully

several of the featured case studies demonstrate how cars can be provided for both corporate / public sector usage and to residents.

This maximises efficiency with cars used in working hours as well as by individual members, more often at evenings and weekends - and will often accelerate the growth of the car club in that area.

Contents:

• Zipcar & Croydon Council

• e-Car Club in a variety of partnerships

• City Car Club & City of York

• Co-wheels in Aberdeen

• enterpriseCarshare pool cars in the public sector

CASE STUDY: ZipCAr

Croydon CouncilWorking with Zipcar to reduce and replace the grey fleet with car club cars, Croydon Council saved over £500,000 and reduced CO2 emissions by 138 tonnes per year.

Zipcar

VErSiOn: 09/14

in March 2010 Croydon Council reviewed its car use policy. Council staff using their own cars were running a large (and expensive) ‘grey fleet’ of vehicles with very varied emissions and environmental impact. These cars were also occupying space and management time with staff issues over parking spaces.

• 30% of staff were essential car users (1284)• Total driving 1.1 million miles• Costing £1.3 million• Emitting 345 tonnes CO2

• increasing parking issues with competition for space in overflowing car parks

The Council aimed to reduce its essential user scheme, reduce costs and improve its environmental impact. This was a two year process which involved:

• reviewing and reducing essential car users• A partnership with Zipcar to manage car club cars as

pool cars

By February 2012 the Council had achieved:

• 52% reduction in essential users to 611• 48% reduction in business miles to 642,000• 64% reduction in the cost of car travel to £472,000• A reduction in CO2 emissions per year to 207 tonnes

These substantial environmental and financial benefits were augmented by additional benefits. Booking all

car use through Zipcar meant that staff were no longer involved in fleet management issues and there were fewer line management issues to negotiate around car use.

The scheme continues to be extended in the following ways:

• Zipcars are now available to residents and staff at evenings and weekends, providing an amenity and also increasing their efficiency

• Staff have access to online reservation systems• A wider range of vehicles, including vans, have been

introduced

The scheme now provides exclusive use of 23 vehicles to council employees from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, these vehicles are available to the 1,300 (and growing) Zipcar members in the Borough of Croydon, at peak times such as evenings and weekends.

There are various models available under the scheme, including a seven seat Volkswagen Touran, a Volkswagen Transporter van, and a Vauxhall Ampera electric vehicle (EV). These 23 vehicles are available in addition to the existing Zipcar vehicles in the borough - available to Zipcar members all day, every day.

Melbury House51 Wimbledon Hill road

London SW19 7QW

020 300 47861services@zipcar.co.uk

zipcar.co.uk

CASE STUDY: E-CAr ClUb

Electric car growthE-Car Club is the UK’s first entirely electric car club operator. Its cars are used in a variety of ways in residential, business and partnership schemes.

E-Car Club

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The Housing AssociationPoplar Housing and regeneration Community Association (HArCA) is a social Landlord with 5000 properties in the south-east of Tower Hamlets.

“Poplar HArCA’s partnership with E-Car and resulting electric vehicle car club has been a real success, providing a variety of benefits to our business. Access by staff to our conveniently located vehicles offers increased flexibility to business journeys that many need to take regularly. Consequently we have more face to face contact between colleagues in our hub offices and a clean, ‘hi tech’ and novel transport method for receiving guests and showcasing the area.

Interest from local residents has been hugely encouraging with over 80 resident car club members already and plans to explore affordability still further. With other local partners we now aim to expand the car club infrastructure significantly, maximising both its practical potential and also the powerful symbolic and educational message it conveys in tandem with our wider Green Programme.“

nick Martin, Poplar HArCA

The resident“I have always found it easy to use an E-Car. simple. Just plug it in when you are finished. I mainly do the big shop and take it into the city. There’s no congestion charge for E-Cars, of course. What I really like is that it’s always available. And it’s cheap. It saves me something like a £1000 a year not having to pay for the insurance, petrol

and so on. This is one of the great plus points for the community, too. It’s economical and it’s green.”

sonni Clugston, London

Business user“I work in the rail industry which produces a rather sizeable carbon footprint. We are all keen to reduce this and to be seen doing it. The E-Cars are ideal for the sorts of frequent, short to medium range journeys we often do in and around our HQ in Milton Keynes. I use the E-Cars routinely for meetings. on an average trip I’m likely to do 40-50 miles and sometimes take others with me. so, it’s the reduced environmental impact that springs to mind when I think of the benefits of E-Car use. And it’s no hardship. These cars are surprisingly smooth and comfortable.”

William spencer, Milton Keynes

The University The University of Hertfordshire E-Car Club launched with with 3 cars available to hire by the hour across 2 campuses.

“The scheme has offered multiple benefits to the University; reducing the cost and environmental impact of each journey undertaken by staff for meetings, removing the need for students to bring a car to University and improve the travel choices for staff, students and the local community.”

Dr scott Copsey, University of Hertfordshire

14 Marshalsea roadLondonsE1 1HL

020 3603 2259 info@e-carclub.org

www.e-carclub.org

CASE STUDY: CITY CAR CLUB

City of YorkThe collaboration between City of York and City Car Club has reduced the grey fleet in the city by 24 per cent and saved the council nearly £100,000 in 2013.

City Car Club

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Until early 2013 City Car Club ran a small but successful residential car club in York with 8 to 10 vehicles. There was little corporate or City of York Council use. Early in 2013 City of York Council consolidated its 10+ offices into a new headquarter building at West offices.

The new site has virtually no staff parking (other than disabled) meaning previous reliance on pool cars and grey fleet needed reviewing. The Rethinking Travel project established December 2011 had to come up with a solution to meet the Council’s needs:• Unitary authority with a staff base of 7500• Total number of employees travelling for work

purposes = 1200• West offices move reduces occupied office space

from 17 to 2• Create a true pool car scheme available to all

members of staff

The answer was a new scheme set up with City Car Club which provides:• Access for all council staff to all 22 City Car Club

vehicles in York with 8 of these vehicles block booked to City of York Council staff only between 8am and 6pm every working day

• These 8 vehicles are effectively City of York Council pool cars are shared with York residents in evenings and at weekends

In addition, the Council encouraged and challenged staff to change behaviour as part of the broader project. This was achieved by engaging with managers and showing how the car club usage would save money; offering staff awareness days and user guides to staff; training sessions for technophobes and a staff travel helpdesk.

These measures looked at staff attitudes to travel and encouraged them to look at:• Planning journeys instead of being reactionary• The Travel Hierarchy – Is a car your best option?• Thinking about utilisation – How long do you really

need the car for?

The results were very positive, with high levels of satisfaction, increased use of public transport, cycling and walking. The scheme proved a great success for the council with one in three staff members signing up for the regime, reducing grey fleet in the city by 24 per cent and saving the council nearly £100,000 in 2013.

The success of the scheme was recognised when City of York Council won the Fleet Hero award for the best Grey Fleet Management in 2013 and came runner up in the category for Business Mileage Management.

James Williams, staff travel project manager at the City of York Council said:

“City Car Club’s adoption of a range of low emission vehicles from the compact Toyota Aygo right up to the estate sized Toyota Auris means that vehicles are available to suit a wide range of travel demands from our staff. From social workers who need to carry around child car seats, to engineers who are required to carry large items of kit there is always something to cater for everyone’s needs.”

“City Car Club has 5 hybrid cars in its fleet in York. The implementation of electric and petrol hybrid technologies really has the potential to improve air quality so it’s great so many of our employees and local residents are making the most of the scheme.”

Matthew Murray House97 Water Lane

Leeds LS11 5Qn

0845 330 1234enquiries@citycarclub.co.uk

www.citycarclub.co.uk

CASE STUDY: Co-whEElS

Greening AberdeenAn Energy Saving Trust report demonstrated that the Co-wheels service achieved an annual saving for Aberdeen City Council of £40,000. It also gave businesses and residents access to car club cars.

Co-wheels

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Aberdeen City Council worked with Co-wheels to launch a car club for both residents and council use. The club was launched in April 2012.

Aberdeen Co-wheels Car Club replaced the council’s pool fleet in 2012 and, where possible, is used instead of the grey fleet.

It reduced the time council officers spent managing car pool bookings and the grey fleet, reduced costs and enabled access to newer, more efficient vehicles.

Businesses and residents also have access to the car club, which has helped reduce private car ownership.

The club initially ran 12 vehicles located on on-street bays, rising to 23 in 2014 with 4 of these being electric vehicles.

This year it has over 700 members as well as corporate use by the council.

“The car club has enabled us to make good our action in the Local Transport Strategy and to provide an economic and social service to our citizens.”

“Residents, businesses, third sector organisations and visitors are now able to easily access a vehicle instead of having their own vehicle with all the associated headaches. We believe our car club is also reducing parking pressure, congestion and improving air quality.”

Alan SimpsonAberdeen City Council

“As a Co-wheels member I’m really pleased to be able to hire car club EVs in Aberdeen. Being both a pensioner and an environmentalist I find the EVs easy on both my pocket and the environment. They’re great to drive and I particularly like how quiet they are. They’re also easy to recharge when you’ve finished with them. EVs are definitely the way of the future when it comes to driving.”

Mark ClaytonCo-wheels Car Club member, Aberdeen

“My mother lost her leg about a year ago due to illnesses and now relies on a wheelchair to get about. The Co-wheels WAV helps me give my mother the freedom to visit places she would like to visit when she wants to, without having to wait around for an ambulance or taxi.”

“The car club is very easy to use. You can book the WAV with just a few clicks of the mouse and you’re billed once a month. It couldn’t be simpler. The biggest benefit for me is it helps us enjoy a normal family life and puts a smile on my mother’s face. She appreciates the outdoors so much more now.”

Ian MassieCo-wheels Car Club member, Aberdeen

The lodgeredhill

Durham Dh1 4BD

0191 375 1050info@co-wheels.org.uk

co-wheels.org.uk

CASE STUDY: EnTErpriSE CArShArE

Car club pool cars“Enterprise CarShare has helped us change how employees think of business trips. Without the perceived perk of mileage reimbursement and how it can encourage them to drive more than they need to, our employees take a more considered approach to their travel planning. In fact, many now see the programme as an additional staff benefit...We’ve been able to drastically cut down the grey carbon footprint,and get employees thinking about when, why and how they travel. We’re driving a real cultural change.” David Johnson, Corporate Strategy Manager at Woking Borough Council

Enterprise CarShare

VErSion: 09/14

Enterprise CarShare is a bespoke car sharing platform that facilitates the creation of an intelligent, virtual fleet.

Enterprise currently operates more than 133 vehicles to 23 pool car programmes in the UK across Local Government, NHS Trusts and Universities. Set up in 2007, Enterprise CarShare is the pool car product of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

It was created to bring both economic and environmental benefits public sector in a time of austerity.

Here’s why it works:

• Cleaning and maintenance of vehicles, administered local branch employees

• Self-sufficient rental process – keyless access to the reservation system

• No commitment to one vehicle—driver can select CarShare vehicle for every new rental

• Fuel card can be stored in the vehicle

• Ability to view vehicle availability - plan and book meetings appropriately

• Booking efficiency - varying from a 30 minute rental to an overnight hire

• Membership Scheme – providing heightened security and control

• Significant cost savings - enabling clearer budget control

• Comprehensive management information supplied

The operational benefits of CarShare are clear. Furthermore, Enterprise is focussed on delivering the quantifiable evidence that makes the benefits clear and transparent.

Enterprise is delighted to confirm that in existing programmes throughout the UK, CarShare has produced, savings of 20% and has reduced CO

2 emissions by 30%.

Enterprise HouseMelburne Park, Vicarage Road

Egham, Surrey TW20 9JY

01784 221300

www.enterprise.co.uk