Hackney Council has launched an electric car club pilot across the borough, which includes 15 new EVs from Zipcar and 70 on-street fast chargers from Zest Charging.
The on-street fast charging sockets are being installed in 35 different locations, each with two parking bays – one for public EV charging and another for electric car club use.
Also, Zipcar has partnered with the Zero Emissions Network to offer local businesses free membership for the first year.
The project is being supported by more than £1m in combined funding from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot fund and Zest.
It assists Hackney’s goal of further reducing car ownership and meeting its 2026 target of having 300 car club vehicles, with at least 50% of these being EVs.
Sarah Young, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport said: “I am really pleased that we’re offering residents inclusive affordable access to electric vehicles, which will get people used to driving and charging them.
“Shared electric vehicles are a win-win: they reduce air pollution and support equity for residents by adding to the affordable transport options, and support people who want to live car-free.
“This pilot is an important step in making sustainable transport the easy choice in Hackney.”
Robin Heap, CEO, Zest said, “We’re proud to partner with Hackney Council and Zipcar to deliver this industry leading initiative that makes access to electric vehicles convenient and equitable for the whole community.
“By combining reliable EV charging infrastructure with shared EV access, we’re building a future where greener transport is available to everyone – not just those who own a car.”
