Electric vehicle car club is launched

The 12 month pool car/car club pilot, funded by a successful application to the Switched on Towns and Cities fund, will enable East Lothian Council employees to access a car club vehicle for business use as part of their duties instead of their own private vehicle.

Led by mileage claim data analysis, availability of charging infrastructure across East Lothian, and projected demand from the general public, the council has identified five sites to host one car at each location.

As part of the pilot, the council would like to test making the cars available to members of the public to book during evenings, weekends and public holidays. The cars will be available to rent by the general public, upon quick and free app-based sign up. Driver licence verification is completed in minutes through the Hiyacar app, and cars can then be hired for as little as £4.50 per hour. Hiyacar will also provide info on operating the model of car being hired, so that drivers can be confident they will be able to drive safely. The council will receive revenue generated by trips undertaken at these times, with the car club operator receiving revenue from cars block-booked by the Council for staff use during core business hours.

People can sign up here.

The locations are:

• Port Seton Centre, S Seton Park, Port Seton, Prestonpans EH32 0BG
• Haddington Long Stay Car Park, Calder's Lawn, Haddington, East Lothian. EH41 3LZ
• Loch Centre, Loch Square, Tranent, EH33 2JX
• Prestonpans Community Centre, Preston Rd, Prestonpans EH32 9QS
• The Bleachingfield Centre, Bleachingfield, Countess Cres, Dunbar EH42 1DX

The aim of the project is to reduce the council’s spending on both pool cars and mileage claims whilst also reducing carbon & particulate emissions generated by staff when conducting Council business. It will also provide the general public with affordable local access to zero emissions mobility at evening and weekends.

Hiyacar are thrilled to be working with the council and Transport Scotland in this innovative project.

Councillor John McMillan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism, said:

“The launch of the new electric vehicle car club pilot is an exciting development, building on East Lothian’s very strong track record of supporting the transition to an electric future. It recognises that the need to take positive action to address the challenges of climate change and reduce emissions has never been more important. As well as being available for council employees to use in the course of their duties, I’m pleased that members of the public will have the opportunity to sign up and benefit from use of the electric car club fleet.”

Tony English, Executive Chair of Hiyacar, added:

“We’re thrilled to be working with ELC, to launch another low emission car club. We’re excited to be offering yet more East Lothian residents affordable access to zero emission vehicles."

Booking and using the ELC Car Club cars follows the same hassle-free process as booking a regular Hiyacar, it couldn't be easier. Rent them from as little as £4.50 an hour or £35 a day.

This pilot has been funded by a successful application to the Switched on Towns and Cities fund, administered by Transport Scotland. The funding will allow the council to test an innovative approach to utilising pool cars, without incurring any costs at the pilot stage. If it is determined that the approach has the potential to save money and significantly reduce emissions, the council will be able to make an informed decision about whether to continue with the new approach.