Carplus annual survey of car clubs 2010/2011

Car clubs – a form of neighbourhood car rental – offer an alternative to private car ownership. This report analyses the results of the 2010/11 annual survey conducted by Carplus – an environmental charity promoting ‘a rethink in car use’. The survey results show that car clubs have a significant effect on household car ownership. From a sample of 8,450 respondents, after becoming a car club member, 32% reported that they had reduced the number of cars in their household; 30% reported that they would otherwise have bought a car; and 61% reported that their likelihood of buying a car in the next few years had reduced. Compared to the average license holder, car club members make relatively frequent trips by public transport, cycling and walking. They also travel relatively low mileages – 85% of respondents reported that their household drove 5000 miles a year or less (including travel in both car club vehicles and private cars). On average, car club vehicles are 26% more efficient than the average UK car.