The proportion of EVs on UK car club fleets has fallen for the first time, according to Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK).
The shared transport charity said that in 2024, EVs made up 30% of the overall car club fleet, down from 35% a year earlier.
Although the proportion of EVs on car club fleets is still far higher than that among private buyers, the charity warned that the sector’s promising position was being hampered by rising costs, including higher public charging fees and the introduction of VED on EVs.
It said the cost of running and maintaining a car club EV was now around £6,000 per year higher than a typical petrol car on the same fleet.
The charity warned that unless action was taken at a national and local level, it would be much more difficult for car clubs to achieve the reduction in emissions that operators wanted.
CoMoUK chief executive Richard Dilks said: “The fall in the proportion of EVs within UK car club fleets is unprecedented and concerning, and illustrates the intense cost pressures being faced by operators.
“Car clubs have led the way in the shift to electric, and when you consider that only 4% of privately-owned vehicles are EVs, they are still way ahead in this regard.
“However, there is a risk that this good progress will be lost unless action is taken at both a local and national level to ensure that operators aren’t being unfairly penalised.
“We urgently need more dedicated car club parking bays with charging stations, as well as a range of discounts and tax exemptions, if we are to encourage this growing sector to be as green as everyone wants it to be.”
James Taylor, general manager of car sharing company Zipcar UK, said: “Zipcar is proud of the progress we have made to electrify our fleet, introducing our first fully electric vehicle in 2018.
“Since then, we’ve provided convenient, affordable access to electric vehicles to over 170,000 of our members who have driven an EV with us.
“But with the increasing costs of operating an electric car club vehicle, this progress will be stalled unless there is further investment in dedicated car club infrastructure and measures to address the high costs of operation.”
Dan Gursel, head of Enterprise Car Club UK, said: “Car clubs already play a role in delivering mobility and environmental benefits for local residents and businesses.
“As EV consumer adoption and familiarity slowly increases, cost considerations will be vital in shaping car clubs that effectively cater to community needs.
“EVs tend to have higher costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, underlining the importance of government support and collaboration to further support adoption within car clubs.”
