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Co-wheels maps out greener Bristol future
Co-wheels, the UK’s community car club, has announced plans to help Bristol cut congestion and reduce pollution by expanding its fleet of electric, hybrid and low emission cars, available to hire on the street. Co-wheels currently has 15 vehicles available to its members throughout the city, with more cars being rolled out in the next few months.
Co-wheels is a social enterprise which gives its members a cheaper, greener and more convenient alternative to car ownership.
Pierre Fox, one of the founders of Co-wheels said, “Bristol is the UK’s green capital, with a flourishing low carbon economy and environmentally aware population. But it’s also one of the ten most car congested cities in the country with all the health, economic and environmental problems that brings. At Co-wheels, we want to challenge the concept of individual car ownership. Who needs the hassle and expense of owning a car, when you can use one for under £4 an hour as a Co-wheels car club member.”
is needed now More than ever
“Once you are signed up as a member, you can pre-book cars online or over the phone from a location near you. You take your smartcard along to the car, hold it over the reader and the car will open. At the end of your booking, return the car back into its bay. Co-wheels send you an invoice for your use each month. It is as simple as that.”
The Carplus Annual Survey of Car Club Members 2015 found that for each car club vehicle, four private cars are removed from the road by members selling their car. Just under a third of members said they would have bought a car if they hadn’t joined a car club. Car club cars are less polluting than average cars, producing 30 per cent less CO2 per vehicle – about one tonne of carbon a year.
Since 2013, Co-wheels has been working with Bristol Community Health, Avon Fire and Rescue, and UWE to provide cars for staff, and opening the cars up to local residents for community benefit. According to the Carplus survey, corporations find car clubs reduce administration and cut the need for parking. One in ten said they had replaced car pools with car club membership.
Co-wheels has a large range of vehicles to hire on a pay-as-you-drive basis; from fully electric cars at £3.75/hr, to automatic hybrids and small manual low emission cars. The vehicles are conveniently located across the city, including the City Centre, Bedminster, Totterdown, Clifton and Hotwells, Cotham, Redfield, Easton and Frenchay.
To find out more, and receive £20 free driving credit, visit:www.co-wheels.org.uk/bristol