Two cars with a range of over 200 miles have been placed at each of the following locations:
- Girling St Car Park, Sudbury
- Maiden Way Car Park, Hadleigh
- Station Yard Car Park, Needham Market
With the average vehicle parked 96% of the time, the Car Club gives residents the opportunity to simply book a car for the minutes, hours or day that they need, cutting out the expense of car ownership. Suffolk are receiving free membership to the Car Club as well as credit on their account so they can start using the cars straight away.
Car Clubs have been trialled in other areas of the country and can improve air quality, reduce congestion and parking pressure and increase mobility to those without access to their own car. Residents can also experience driving an electric vehicle without the cost of owning one.
The Plug In Suffolk Car Club is just one way that Suffolk’s local authorities are helping to create a net zero Suffolk. This project delivers on two of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan’s goals; a reduced number of cars on the road and an increased proportion of vehicles on the road that are low or zero emission. You can find out more about the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan at greensuffolk.org.
Over the next few months, two car club vehicles are due to be delivered to each of the following further locations:
- Norfolk Road, Ipswich
- Crown Street, Stowmarket
- Cannon Street, Bury St Edmunds
- Ann Street, Ipswich
- Granary Road, Newmarket
- Norwich Road, Lowestoft
- Castle Street, Woodbridge
An initial 18-month trial of the Car Club will determine the appetite for a wider scheme across the county so we could see electric community vehicles rolled out to more locations in Suffolk in the future.
To join the car club, visit co-wheels.org.uk/Suffolk. Suffolk residents can use promo code Suffolk15 to get free membership and £15 credit on their account. After becoming a member, vehicles can be booked via the website, Co Wheels app or over the phone.
This innovative project is funded by Suffolk’s public sector organisations and managed by Suffolk County Council with additional charge point funding provided by the Department for Transport’s On Street Residential ChargePoint Scheme (ORCS). On the ground, the Car Clubs themselves will be delivered by Co Wheels and the chargepoints provided by Connected Kerb, with Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils managing the chargepoints located in their car parks.
Councillor Gerald Kelly, Chair of the Suffolk Councils’ Environment Portfolio Holders’ Group, said:
“It is so exciting to see the delivery of the first batch of Plug in In Suffolk Car Club electric vehicles. As a largely rural county where private transport is heavily relied on, this scheme helps people access a more sustainable method of private transport that is also cost effective and better for the environment.
I encourage everybody in the surrounding areas to use the Plug In Suffolk Car Club whether to transport their families or for work. Once the scheme has been up and running for several months, we will welcome feedback on this trial to see if there is an appetite for Car Clubs to become a permanent part of Suffolk.”
Richard Falconer, Head of Mobility at Co Wheels, said:
“We are delighted to be expanding our network of Co Wheels cars across Suffolk, offering a smarter, greener alternative to car ownership. With each Car Club vehicle taking up to 20 private cars off the road, Co Wheels is helping residents reduce congestion, cut emissions and enjoy more flexible, sustainable travel.”
