Cutting the Cost and Carbon of Business Mileage
Forum 15: From Grey Fleet to Car Club
Date: 28th September 2011
Location: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London*
A number of local authorities have analysed the costs of paying mileage allowances to employees – some of who use very polluting cars - and the figures are high. Moving business travel to pool cars and car clubs is not easy but the savings can be significant. Not only are there advantages for corporate users, but their involvement can help make a car club viable and accessible to local residents.
This forum will look at grey fleet reviews, at successful initiatives to make car club use the default option for businesses, and the steps involved in making this happen. Delegates will hear from practitioners at various stages of the transition from grey fleet to car club, and will have valuable insight into the savings that can be made.
Put the next car club forum in your diary – and encourage others with an interest to attend. Keep an eye on the Carplus website for upcoming information on booking. Remember Forum 15 is free to all London boroughs and to Carplus member organisations outside London.
* Venue: Surrey County Council HQ (rail connections from Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon)
Rural Transport Poverty Roundtable
In a recent report produced by Sustrans Wales about combating rural transport poverty, car clubs were presented as one of three measures worth supporting. The report featured a case study of Llani Car Club in Llanidloes, mid-Wales, which provided a detailed picture of a successful car club and its pattern of use.
Earlier this month, Chas Ball represented Carplus at a roundtable in the House of Commons on Rural Transport Poverty in Britain, chaired by Lee Waters of Sustrans Wales, to discuss these findings. Speakers included Norman Baker MP, the Transport Minister.
Annual Car Club Survey - Future Plans
Carplus collects national data on car clubs and their users. As a result, policy makers and researchers are provided with up to date trends on car use and carbon reduction. Carplus keeps this up to date through a national survey and regular updates provided to Carplus by car club operators.
When Monique Conheady,general manager of Flexicar in Melbourne, visited Carplus in July as part of her Churchill Fellowship, we learnt how important Australians involved in car clubs feel it is to have an independent verified source of data and behavioural research. Sadly, this has not persuaded the Department for Transport, who have now ceased funding the annual survey undertaken by Transport Research Laboratory for Carplus as well as the regular data collection and mapping.
However, these areas continue to be part funded by Transport for London and Transport Scotland. As a consequence, Carplus will be publishing the next survey in several editions – London and Scotland editions will continue to be readily available to stakeholders there. English local authorities (outside London) will only receive the report and data if they are Carplus subscribers. Carplus will be writing to all English authorities outside of London to seek their support to maintain the survey as a part of the accreditation process.
Electric Vehicles
- A new network of charge points and pod centres will be launched across Greater Manchester this autumn. Manchester Electric Car Company (MECC) together with its partners will launch the first of 300 charge points and six larger pod centres for electric vehicles (EV).
- The government recently set out its vision for electric vehicle infrastructure, in the DfT Plug in Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. Read the document here.
- A new EV approved suppliers list has been developed by Transport for London. The new electric vehicle procurement framework published by Transport for London, provides a list of 16 pre-approved suppliers and manufacturers which can provide the Greater London Authority group and other public sector bodies with electric vehicles more promptly by cutting out red tape and at competitive rates, helping to save money. View the Source London website. This procurement framework is even set to be used by public organisations in Scotland and East Anglia that have recently registered an interest to buy charge points.
- Part of Carplus’ car club development programme in Scotland is being used to support the introduction of EVs into the car club fleet in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Carplus is currently updating its EV briefing to incorporate recent experience from car club operators who have introduced EVs vehicles into their fleet.
LSTF
Ten bids involving car clubs/car sharing have been successful in gaining funding from the first phase of DfT’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, although only three really support development of car clubs – in Surrey, Shropshire and Hertfordshire. Read our press release.
BMW invests in ParkatmyHouse
BMW has taken a stake in ParkatmyHouse, the UK website matching people who are happy to rent out their driveways with motorists looking for a space and willing to pay. Bernhard Blaettel, a vice president at BMW Group, said: "We see parking as a key asset for mobility services today and in the near future."
Why Consumers Opt for Sustainable Mobility
A Canadian researcher based at the University of California has won a prestigious international award for identifying influences that shape sustainable mobility decisions.
Dr. Jonn Axsen of the University of California at Davis, USA won the International Transport Forum’s 2011 Young Researcher of the Year Award, for his contribution to understanding what shapes consumers’ decisions about sustainable mobility choices - such as buying a hybrid or an electric car.
Download Jonn Axsen’s paper.
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