extending the benefits of shared car use to lower density and lower income neighbourhoods (outside...
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save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
Extending the benefits of shared car use to lower density and lower income neighbourhoods (Outside of London!)
About Co-wheels• Over 50 locations across UK• Services we offer are:• Car Clubs - PAYG• Fleet Management Service• E-bikes
• Social Enterprise
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
Traditional Characteristics
• Densely populated urban areas – members per vehicle• Extensive robust public transport links• Parking pressures• Demographics• State of the localised economy• Levels of education etc.• High burden of car ownership etc. etc.
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
Business Model
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
• Business model gives us the flexibility to innovate and challenge some of these traditional characteristics and extend the benefits wider:
“provide solutions to ensure that vehicles are used in a smarter
way to improve access and social cohesion”
Pushing the boundaries:
• Flexible Pool cars• Small town & rural car clubs• Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles• Visitor Model – public transport
integration• Franchise Community owned models• Social Cars - ‘Housing Associations’• Shared mini-buses – Communities• Electric vehicles and bikes
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
Small Town & Rural Car Clubs
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
• Address issues of transport poverty – bus routes withdrawn
• Often Community led- Shrewsbury (Shropshire)
- Hexham (Northumberland)
- Dunbar (Scotland)
- Staverley (Lakes – Visitor Model)
• Emerge from: - Local transition groups- Community groups / activists- Local Authorities wishing to address issues
of transport poverty – Bus routes withdrawn
save money, reduce car ownership, create envrionmental benefit
Social Cars
• Cars placed in non traditional car club territories to:- Improve Access and Social Cohesion- Inclusion of car clubs on housing
association sites – e.g. Newcastle, Swindon - Tackle marginalisation & subsequent
income - Tackle areas of poor public transport
save money, reduce car ownership, create envrionmental benefit
Social Cars cont…- Access to vehicles that are affordable- Empower individual decision making- Create safer environments- Communities unable to afford private cars- Address issues of lack of mobility
• Co-wheels ‘Hub’ and ‘Spoke’ Approach
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
• Located outside of Care Homes• Increase Accessibility• Double up as standard Car Club
Vehicles• Extremely valuable Community
Resource• Address Social Isolation• Across Scotland – Pilot• Partnership with like-minded
organisations
Challenges of ‘Social Cars’
save money, reduce car ownership, create environmental benefit
Challenge Status
Less Profitable & often ‘break even’ • Take longer to become financially sustainable • Can be off-set by better performing vehicles –
‘Hub’ and ‘Spoke’ ApproachUser behaviour - Lack of awareness of ‘Car Club’ Concept
• Better information available• Targeted Marketing / Comms
Often situated in areas of poor public transport infrastructure
• Reliance on owning a car• Vehicle dependency
Fewer licensed Drivers – able to join a Car Club!
Subsidy to pump prime • Local authorities / Housing Assoc often willing to invest
Pricing • Mixed perceptions of affordability
