Council / Car club expands with addition of two electric vans
A CAR club in Shetland is set to expand to 10 vehicles, including two new electric vans.
Shetland Islands Council has added the two six-seater vans to the fleet as it grows the Shetland Car Club, with a new website and branding also being launched.
The trial is open to everyone across Shetland, with cars and vans stationed throughout mainland Shetland to provide flexible and affordable short-term hires.
The scheme was started in April 2024 as a joint project between the council and Enterprise Car Club as part of the SIC’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
Bookings can be made from as little as 30 minutes, and can help people access a car or cut down on the need for a second vehicle. The electric combi vans are funded by UK Government agency Innovate UK, and are stationed in Lerwick.
They will be moved to dedicated charge points at the upcoming Rural Energy Hub in Brae and at Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick. Environment and transport committee chairwoman Moraig Lyall said the car club can remove some of the barriers to accessing a vehicle.
“With the flexibility it offers, hopefully it might encourage households to think they can manage with just one car rather than two,” she said. “We’ve seen a good uptake of the scheme within the council and it would be great for people in the community to make use of these vehicles.
“Two electric vans now form part of the fleet, providing the chance to reduce emissions and we’ll look to increase the number of electric vehicles in future.”
People can access the vehicles by signing up as a car club member, and can then access a hire vehicle 24/7 on a first come, first served basis through the Enterprise Car Club app.
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