Hackney (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hackney Council launches an electric car club pilot with Zipcar and Zest, introducing 15 EVs and 70 fast chargers to boost clean, accessible transport options.
As reported by Hackney, with more than £1 million funded by the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure trial Fund and EV charging company Zest, Hackney Council has started a ground-breaking electric car club trial that will introduce new EVs to the borough.
Hackney is setting the standard for cleaner, more sustainable choices, as only 35% of households own a car.
As part of the Mayor of Hackney’s aim to encourage low-traffic, low-emission lifestyles, the new project will make sure locals can use cars when they need them without having to deal with the expenses or environmental effects of owning one.
Beneath the pilot:
- Zipcar has already deployed 15 electric car club vehicles and plans to add more.
- In 35 locations throughout the borough, 70 new on-street rapid charging outlets are being installed.
- Two parking spots will be available at each location: one for electric car clubs and one for public EV charging.
- Every Hackney ward will have a designated EV car club bay erected, ensuring fair distribution and accessibility.
- In collaboration with Zero Emissions Network, Zipcar is providing local companies with a complimentary one-year membership along with additional special advantages.
Even though Hackney already has one of the biggest car club fleets in London, the project helps the borough reach its 2026 target of 300 car club vehicles, at least 50% of which must be electric vehicles, and further reduce automobile ownership.
Since sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles will cease in 2030, electric car clubs provide a cost-effective and accessible means for locals to become acquainted with EVs without having to worry about ownership or unforeseen expenses.
In order to improve air quality and create more space for bicyclists, pedestrians, and public life, Hackney wants to reduce the number of cars on its streets by 25% by 2041.
Sarah Young, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport said:
“I am really pleased that we’re offering residents inclusive affordable access to electric vehicles, which will get people used to driving and charging them.
Shared electric vehicles are a win-win: they reduce air pollution and support equity for residents by adding to the affordable transport options, and support people who want to live car-free. This pilot is an important step in making sustainable transport the easy choice in Hackney.”
James Taylor, General Manager, Zipcar UK said:
“We are delighted to be trialling Zipcar UKs very first dedicated in-bay charging for shared electric cars with Hackney Council and Zest. Moving to electric vehicles is a crucial part of our long-term strategy, and vital for the health of our city and our planet.
We’re looking forward to enabling members and Hackney residents to be part of this positive change.”
The pilot promotes locals to select shared trips over private automobile journeys by offering accessible and reasonably priced electric car options through several operators. This can reduce the total number of vehicles on the road during peak hours.
Together with the car club pilot, Hackney’s more comprehensive transport policies—such as LTNs that limit vehicle access on several streets—work to discourage private vehicle use and encourage more environmentally friendly forms of transportation, which helps to further reduce traffic.
Robin Heap, CEO, Zest said that they are proud to partner with Hackney Council and Zipcar to deliver this industry leading initiative that makes access to electric vehicles convenient and equitable for the whole community.
By combining reliable EV charging infrastructure with shared EV access, they are building a future where greener transport is available to everyone—not just those who own a car.
Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads said that Hackney’s new electric car club pilot – supported by their Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot fund – is a brilliant initiative that provides residents with the comfort and flexibility of easily renting a car – whilst being zero emission and helping roll out new fast-chargers across the borough.
This comes as this Government is providing £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs, delivering our Plan for Change by driving investment and creating jobs to put money in people’s pockets and secure our future.
With the goal of facilitating easy and ethical urban life, Zipcar is the top car-sharing network in the world. Zipcar operates in cities and towns in Canada, Costa Rica, Iceland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, offering a vast array of self-service vehicles by the minute, hour, or day.
The most extensive, practical, and adaptable car-sharing choices are provided by Zipcar. Zipcar is a division of the well-known international mobility solutions company Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR).
How will the electric car club pilot impact traffic congestion in Hackney?
According to data, an average of 22 private cars can be replaced by one car club vehicle. The pilot’s goal is to decrease the overall number of privately owned cars on Hackney’s roads by expanding access to shared electric vehicles.
By making it easier for locals to live car-free or with fewer cars, the pilot helps Hackney achieve its Transport Strategy aims of reducing the number of vehicles that contribute to traffic.
By facilitating the comfortable use of electric vehicles, the installation of 70 on-street fast charging stations—half of which are devoted to car clubs—makes shared EVs a more viable option than private automobiles and lessens the need for numerous vehicles.
The pilot promotes locals to select shared trips over private automobile travels by offering accessible and reasonably priced electric car options through multiple operators.