A trial of electric community vehicles is set to launch next summer in Suffolk, with the tender process beginning this month.

Plug In Suffolk Car Clubs will be placing sixteen electric vehicles across eight locations in Suffolk which local residents can book by the minute, hour or day. Planned locations include Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Sudbury, Needham Market, Stowmarket, Lowestoft and Woodbridge.

Members of the public interested in this project are urged to sign up to the mailing list to receive updates as the project progresses - Plug in Suffolk Car Clubs - Mailing List (office.com)

Car Clubs have already offered people in other parts of the UK access to local, low-emission vehicles without the expense of owning one. Local communities in these areas have already experienced many benefits including improved air quality, reduced congestion and increased mobility for those without access to their own car.

Current providers remain reluctant to fully fund electric community vehicles in rural and semi-rural areas like Suffolk as they do not yet have the real-world data to support the usage.

The project is funded by Suffolk’s public sector organisations, helping deliver on two of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan’s goals; a reduced number of cars on the road and an increased proportion of vehicles on the road that are low or zero emission. Additional charge point funding is being provided by the Department for Transport’s On Street Residential ChargePoint Scheme (ORCS).

Councillor Neil MacDonald, Chair, Suffolk Public Sector Leaders, says:

“Suffolk residents have been asking about the possibility of bringing Car Clubs to Suffolk following the recent success of the Car Club trial in Oxfordshire, therefore I am looking forward to the launch of our trial.

“I am hoping that many individuals and families will benefit from the scheme and help to bring electric community vehicles permanently to our county.”

Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) reported:

‘We estimate that, in 2022, each car club vehicle in the UK replaced around 22 private cars.’ (CoMoUK Annual Car Club report 2022)

ENDS

About the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan

All councils in Suffolk have acknowledged the climate emergency, with commitments that include both reducing carbon emissions for their own estates and operations and working with partners across the county and region (including the Local Enterprise Partnership, Health, Police, and the Public Sector Leaders) towards the aspiration of a net zero Suffolk by 2030.

Suffolk’s Local Authorities have been working together with other organisations locally on county-wide climate change project work since 2007 through the Suffolk Climate Change Partnership (SCCP).

Building on this, since 2021 all Suffolk’s public sector organisations have been collaborating on the delivery of a Climate Emergency Plan. This Plan has been agreed by Suffolk’s Public Sector Leaders and supports the partners’ commitment to a green economic recovery in Suffolk and to addressing the urgent need to deal with the climate emergency.

About the Suffolk Climate Change Energy and Environment Board (SCCEEB)

The SCCEEB brings together senior officers from across the public sector and key partners. They provide strategic oversight and co-ordination to all Suffolk’s climate, environment and energy initiatives, and drive forward Suffolk’s Climate Emergency Plan.

About the Suffolk Environment Portfolio Holders group

The group provides a steer to the SCCEEB, and its membership includes Suffolk’s Local Authority Cabinet Members with a responsibility for the Environment.

About the Creating the Greenest County Partnership

Creating the Greenest County is an aspiration that involves the whole county in enhancing the natural and historic environment and responding to climate change. The partnership provides an umbrella for many existing projects, encourages further recognition and resourcing of them and seeks to inspire further action in communities, businesses, and schools.

About the Department for Transport’s On Street Residential ChargePoint Scheme (ORCS)

The on-street residential chargepoint scheme (ORCS) provides grant funding for local authorities to install residential chargepoints.

About Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK)

CoMoUK is the national organisation for shared transport, a charity for promoting its social, economic and environmental benefits. Shared transport means schemes such as car clubs and bike share where people can use a mode of transport without having to own it.The charity works collaboratively with national, regional, transport and local authorities as well as the private sector to further these public benefits.