EV Car Club stopping
Published: 20 September 2023
EV Hire Club - end of an era or new beginning?
As the many members will already have heard, Haddenham’s EV Hire Club pilot is sadly coming to an end. Having been involved from the outset, we are very disappointed that it was not possible for it to continue in its current form, and conscious of the fact that we are leaving people without a facility that was promoted by both the Parish Council and Zero Carbon Haddenham.
However, we have been able to negotiate an interim solution, so that members will benefit from a 20% discount on regular hire vehicles. Although this won’t be an exact equivalent, residents will still be able to hire an EV at affordable rates.
Price increases meant that our provider had to move quickly to avoid locking in further costs for the long-term, and given that the club was running at a loss, they felt they had to act. We certainly owe them a debt of gratitude for all the time, money and effort they put into the club since December – it would never have got off the ground without them contributing to this initiative. The Parish Council will continue to invest in EV charging infrastructure, which will continue to benefit residents and visitors, given the increased ownership of electric cars.
The Parish Council has also resolved to investigate an alternative provider, as we still believe there is a sustainable future for car sharing in the village. We know there is demand, as well as the potential to save villagers significant sums and reduce the village’s overall carbon emissions.
The sustainability issues were principally due to 3rd party costs for the provision of the booking system and insurance. As we explore alternatives, we will consider different set up models where we will be able to capture more of the revenue and allow the club to be more self-funding.
This is also an opportunity to review the operation of the current model, which had certain restrictions on age and made shorter hires more expensive. These parameters excluded some potential users, so moving forward we will explore ways where this can be addressed. This should make the EV Hire Club more attractive to a wider range of users.
In summary, whilst this is disappointing news, the Parish Council is still committed to the EV Hire Club and hope to find another solution. We hope the interim arrangement will provide a viable alternative for residents, whilst we are in this transition stage. Please get in touch if you have any questions, and look out for future updates.