Car club use doubled in 2021

Research by the national shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) found the number of people actively using the UK’s 5,806-strong car club fleet rose by 96% in 2021.

CoMoUK’s Car Club Annual Report 2021 said active membership – those who joined, renewed, or used a car club vehicle in the past 12 months – reached 450,231, while total membership was 784, 122.

The survey found that 61% of car club members used public transport and 37% cycled at least once a week, while 16% of members said they would have bought a car if they had not joined the car club. CoMoUK says each car club car takes 20 private cars off the roads.

And with all vehicles in the UK’s car club fleet under five years old, CoMoUK estimates that emissions from car club vehicles are 27% lower than the average UK car, and 12% of car club vehicles in the UK are electric – compared (in 2021) to only 1% of privately-owned cars.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said, “Car clubs replace privately-owned cars with fewer and more efficient vehicles, which are easy and affordable to access 24/7 while boosting use of public transport and walking and cycling.

“Motorists can save thousands of pounds a year by not owning a car, and our survey shows this also results in them engaging in a more active lifestyle through walking and cycling.

“These schemes, along with other shared transport modes like bike and ride sharing, have the potential to dramatically reduce congestion on our roads and carbon emissions.

“If the UK is to meet its climate change targets, we must harness the full potential of car clubs and shared transport.”