Closure of EV Hire Club
EV Hire Club to close, but a more sustainable solution may be on the cards
As the many members will already have heard, Haddenham’s EV Hire Club pilot is sadly coming to an end. Having been involved from the outset, we are very disappointed that it was not possible for it to continue, and conscious of the fact that people will be left without a facility that we helped promote to villagers.
However, it has been possible to negotiate an interim solution, so that members will benefit from a 20% discount on regular hire vehicles. Although this won’t be an exact equivalent, residents will still be able to hire an EV at affordable rates.
Price increases meant that the provider had to move quickly to avoid locking in further costs for the long-term, and given that the club was running at a loss, they felt they had to act. We certainly owe them a debt of gratitude for all the time, money and effort they put into the club since December – it would never have got off the ground without them contributing to this initiative.
The Parish Council has also resolved to investigate an alternative provider, as they still believe there is a sustainable future for car sharing in the village. We know there is demand, as well as the potential to save villagers significant sums and reduce the village’s overall carbon emissions. Zero Carbon Haddenham will support them where possible.
The sustainability issues were principally due to 3rd party costs for the provision of the booking system and insurance. The alternatives being explored should allow the club to capture more of the revenue so that it will be more self-funding.
This is also an opportunity to review the operation of the original model, which had certain restrictions on age and made shorter hires more expensive. These parameters excluded some potential users, so ways to address this will be explored. This should make the EV Hire Club more attractive to a wider range of users.In summary, whilst this is disappointing news, there is potential for the village to build on this trail-blazing initiative and find another solution. We hope the interim arrangement will provide a viable alternative for residents, during this transition stage. Whatever the outcome, Zero Carbon Haddenham is proud to have been involved in bringing this innovative service to the village and will keep our supporters updated on future developments.