New Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has pledged to work closely with local authorities to help accelerate the development of car sharing initiatives in the UK.
The recently appointed Lib Dem Transport Minister said increasing the number of car clubs would not only help reduce pollution and congestion, but could also showcase the potential of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) such as electric cars.
The government has pledged to invest £500m in advancing the market for ULEVs between 2015 and 2020 as it looks to cut road transport emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.
Its ULEV plan published in September noted the potential of car clubs to reduce overall car use, citing a 2011 Transport Research Laboratory study that found for every vehicle operated by a car club more than 20 vehicles are taken off the roads.
Companies in the sector argue that leasing a car when you need it rather than buying a vehicle is also more cost effective for many motorists as it avoids costs such as insurance and maintenance.
Kramer was speaking at the launch of E-Car Club, the UK's first electric vehicle car club, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which will see 10 Renault electric cars made available for local people to hire.
"The real thrust of what we're looking for is to build the basis for people to take up green cars. Car clubs are one of the leading ways to take the technology out there," she said.
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