Electric Car Club
We’re very excited that Haddenham’s own EV Hire Club is now up and running!!
The club is being run by local hire firm 3B – you can find out more and sign up for free on their
website. There’s no monthly membership fee – you just pay for the hours you use the car.
The Hire Club is a commercial venture rather than a Zero Carbon Haddenham project, but we have
been instrumental in bringing it to the village and encourage people to see if it is right for them, as
car clubs have great potential to help us decarbonise whilst minimising our consumption of
resources.
And given that the average car in the UK is parked for nearly 96% of the time and costs over £3,500
per year to run, you might save a significant amount of money! Since the pandemic in particular,
many households with second cars have found they are being used much less, and have chosen to
sell them. The Hire Club still gives you the option of accessing a second vehicle when you need it.
Membership means you pay for your car only when you need it:
- Hire a car for as little as an hour to run a quick errand
- Or take advantage of cheaper rates for longer trips
Either way, you’ll be driving a modern, environmentally friendly vehicle
It also means the club deals with the hassle and cost of car ownership, taking care of:
- Servicing/MOT
- Repairs
- Breakdown cover
- Insurance
- Cleaning
- Vehicle Excise Duty (Tax)
- Depreciation
Modern, efficient, electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions and generate much lower “whole
of life” carbon emissions than the equivalent petrol or diesel cars. But the environmental benefits of
sharing rather than owning don’t stop there.
It takes a significant amount of energy and materials to manufacture cars, but because the average
car club car in England and Wales takes 9 privately owned vehicles off the road, this impact is vastly
reduced.
Zero tailpipe emissions means you are helping reduce the carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere
that adds to climate change, and you are avoiding local air pollution especially from micro-particles
that are known to be damaging to health.
Members also tend to drive less than car owners, because each journey is evaluated on merit. With
a car in the driveway, driving becomes the default choice. As a car club member, you compare the
cost of driving to public transport, walking or cycling.
But you will still be able to rely on the convenience of driving when you need to. Just book a car
when you want one and drive away.
Electric Car Club
Outside Haddenham Village Hall, opposite the Scout and Guide Hut.
Some example costs (all with full insurance subject to standard excess): • 2 hours for £15.30 (£7.65 an hour) • 5 hours for £30.16 (£6.03 an hour) • 9 hours for £45.87 (£5.10 an hour) • 24 hours for £56.28 (£2.35 an hour) Essentially, the longer you have the car and the further in advance you book, the cheaper the rate. This is because of the flat booking fee and an algorithm that works out the pricing.
The club is currently open to driving licence-holders* with a registered UK address. It is currently restricted to those aged 25-75, due to insurance reasons, but we hope this can be reviewed in the future. * Not all non-European licences are accepted. For a full list check here.
Enter your details at https://3bhire.co.uk/ev-hire-club. Scanning the QR code on the car will take you to this address. You will then be sent a link to sign up to the club (if you don’t find anything, check your spam folder) and register for the HIYA Car App, which you’ll need to book and operate the car.
After HIYA Car App registration is complete – the registration process can take at least an hour, and you will need your photocard driving licence to hand. Once you are registered, you can book the car pretty much instantly if it’s available.
Bookings are made through the HIYA Car App. Your booking will be confirmed instantly if the car is available and payment will be taken on booking.
You unlock and lock the car using the HIYA Car App. Once you’re in, there’s no need for a key, just press the start button.
There’s a quick checking process before you set off. The HIYA Car App guides you through it, and you need to upload a few photos, but it’s very quick, especially after you’ve done it a few times. This will ensure you are not blamed for any existing damage. You can access the car up to 15 minutes early to complete the process and you have another 15 minutes after the end of your booking for the return process.
The car is very easy to drive, especially if you’ve ever driven an automatic. You will find a help sheet in the car if you need.
The car should be fully charged when you pick it up, giving it a range of at around 150 miles. If your journey will be less than this, simply plug the car back in when you return to the village hall. Scan the card located in the car on the EV charger before locking the car. You only pay for the time you have the car; the electricity is free. Please remember to plug the car in and scan the card, so the next person will be able to use the car.
If you plan on driving further than the car’s range of around 150 miles, you will need to charge it using a public charging point. ‘Zap Map’ is a very useful app / website to help you locate available chargers. You could also plug in at home using a domestic plug.
Currently the first £800 of damage (this can be reduced by purchasing a waiver via the app, or you could consider getting stand-alone excess insurance)
Return the car to the designated parking bay, plug the charge cable in, scan the charge card, and follow the HIYA Car App instructions. Please remember to plug the car in and scan the card, so the next person will be able to use the car.