Car club looks to get 300 vehicles off Dundee roads with electric drive

A car sharing club is accelerating its rollout of electric and hybrid vehicles in Dundee.

Co Wheels has seven cars already in operation within the city but is looking to contribute to taking more than 300 vehicles off the roads through its membership.

The car club, which was set up by two like-minded Newcastle residents in 2008 before pushing out across the UK, aims to make lower emission transport options available to everyone.

Managing director Richard Falconer said: “There’s a misconception of electric being costly; however, there’s a huge benefit for drivers to make that shift, as it helps to reduce congestion and pollution on the road.

Co Wheels said it has become the UK’s largest community interest car club operator.

“The average rental car also has emissions that are 26.6 per cent lower than the average car on the UK’s roads.

“Lower-cost batteries and tax breaks will rapidly help make these models affordable for ordinary motorists rather than just the rich.

“Co Wheels’ ultimate goal is to reduce the number of privately owned cars on the road, so by offering our customers the chance to ‘try before they buy’, they may then decide to continue using our service.”

The venture noted that car clubs can provide a wide range of environmental and financial benefits “for individuals and society”. Co Wheels’ vehicles are commonly used for large shopping trips or young professionals moving home, providing access to low-cost mobility, particularly where public transport and active travel are not suitable.

Bosses said they were carrying out extra cleaning measures during the pandemic. All touch surfaces are cleaned with a new disinfectant that keeps surfaces germ-free for up to 30 days.

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