Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has announced it is extending the trial of an electric vehicle (EV) car sharing scheme until September. As Eynsham has been one of the locations for this pilot, this announcement means we will be retaining the Co Wheels EV in our village for a little longer.
The Co Wheels EV Car Club scheme started in April 2023 and was intended to be a year-long pilot, exploring whether there was an appetite in rural communities for using an EV as part of a car sharing project. Due to popular demand, the County Council is extending the scheme.
Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of OCC with responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, noted that:
“Car Clubs can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions in Oxfordshire, as well as reducing the number of individual vehicles on our roads and helping people to reduce the cost of living. If you haven’t tried them out, now’s your chance.”
Eynsham’s Co Wheels EV is parked in Back Lane car park, where there are a number of charge points. Other locations with Co Wheels EV cars include Witney, Wallingford, Henley and Oxford, with cars available to hire by the hour or by the day.
Since the pilot started in April 2023, over 500 people have joined as members and the vehicles have been hired over 2,000 times. In Eynsham, our EV had been used 171 times as of end January 2024; an encouraging statistic considering the size of our parish. More details on Eynsham usage and the current deals available from Co Wheels can be found in an article we posted in February 2024: Encouraging data from Eynsham's EV - Eynsham Parish Council News. Oxfordshire (7 Feb 2024) (eynsham-pc.gov.uk)
Once the current pilot is completed, there is a possibility that the scheme will become permanent in areas of high usage. This would provide another transport option for residents who are keen to reduce their carbon emissions and reliance on their personal car. Find out more about using the Co Wheels EV by visiting their website: Eynsham | Co Wheels (co-wheels.org.uk)