Hackney Council has launched an electric car club pilot, bringing new shared electric vehicles to the borough.

Run in collaboration with Zipcar, the scheme offers 15 new electric vehicles, with more to come, alongside 70 on-street fast chargers across the borough.

It’s supported by over £1m in combined funding from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding and EV charging operator Zest.

While Hackney already has one of the largest fleets of car clubs in London, the project supports Hackney’s goal of further reducing car ownership and meeting its 2026 target of having 300 car club vehicles, with at least 50% of these being EVs.

Just 35% of Hackney households own a car and the new scheme promotes cleaner, more sustainable alternatives.

Sarah Young, Hackney Council cabinet member for climate, environment and transport, said: “I am really pleased that we’re offering residents inclusive affordable access to electric vehicles, which will get people used to driving and charging them. Shared electric vehicles are a win-win: they reduce air pollution and support equity for residents by adding to the affordable transport options, and support people who want to live car-free. This pilot is an important step in making sustainable transport the easy choice in Hackney.”

The dedicated EV car club bays will be installed in every ward of Hackney, providing “equitable distribution and access”.

James Taylor, general manager, Zipcar UK, said: “We are delighted to be trialling Zipcar UK’s very first dedicated in-bay charging for shared electric cars with Hackney Council and Zest. Moving to electric vehicles is a crucial part of our long-term strategy, and vital for the health of our city and our planet. We’re looking forward to enabling members and Hackney residents to be part of this positive change.”

Each location will include two parking bays: one for public EV charging, and one for electric car club use.

The project includes 70 new on-street fast charging sockets installed in 35 different locations across the borough thanks to the LEVI funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and support by Zest.

Robin Heap, CEO at Zest, commented: “By combining reliable EV charging infrastructure with shared EV access, we’re building a future where greener transport is available to everyone – not just those who own a car.”