**The Rise of Car Share Clubs: A Convenient Alternative to Traditional Car Ownership**
In recent years, car sharing clubs have become increasingly popular as people seek convenient and cost-effective ways to use cars without committing to traditional car ownership. These schemes allow individuals to hire a car for as little as an hour, with some companies offering membership options that start at just £50 per year. But do these clubs actually work, and are they the future of transportation?
**The Cost of Car Ownership: A Hidden Reality**
One of the most significant drawbacks of car sharing is the hidden cost of ownership. When you think about it, having a car sitting on your driveway can be expensive. The average annual insurance premium for a car is around £2,000, and depreciation costs can add another £1,500 to that figure. It's no wonder then that membership numbers for car share clubs have nearly tripled in the last 18 months.
**Car Sharing: A Pay-As-You-Go Scheme**
Car sharing is often referred to as a "pay-as-you-go" scheme, and it's exactly that - you pay for how long you use the car. Memberships start at around £50 per year, and some companies even offer discounts for longer-term commitments. To book a car, all you need to do is ring up or book online with as little as half an hour's notice. The cars are not stored in a central depot, but rather dotted across the city in various car parking spaces.
**Using a Car Share Club: A Test of Their Value**
I recently tested out one of these clubs using a Citroen C1 from Wisco, which cost £60 per year for membership and £5.99 per hour to use. I started with a six-hour journey, and even after two hours, the car was still going strong. The service is incredibly convenient - simply swipe your smart card over a sensor in the front window, punch in a special pin, and you're on your way. And at the end of the journey, all you need to do is wave your card under the sensor again to log how long you've been in the car and receive your bill.
**Challenges and Limitations**
One of the biggest challenges with car share clubs is the logistics of returning the car to its designated space. If you're not careful, you might find yourself taking a round trip just to return the car to where it was picked up from. And if you don't stick around long enough, the company will have to go and collect the car - which can be a hassle.
**Street Car: A Flexibility Solution**
One company that's managed to overcome these challenges is Street Car, which has three cars located just around the corner. They offer a one-way trip option for an extra charge, which allows you to hide the car from its designated space and return it to a different location. This service costs £5.99 per hour, but only comes with 33 miles of use - significantly less than some other clubs.
**Zip Car: A Premium Option**
For those who want to travel longer journeys or make more frequent trips, Zip Car offers a premium option for £3.95 per hour. They have a range of cars available, including the BMW 3-series, and offer 63 miles of fuel with each booking. If you travel less than six thousand miles per year, you could save up to fifteen hundred pounds compared to traditional car ownership.
**The Future of Transportation**
As more people look for convenient and cost-effective ways to use cars, car share clubs are becoming increasingly popular. While they may not be the solution for everyone, they offer a unique alternative to traditional car ownership that's worth considering. And as technology continues to improve, it's likely that we'll see even more innovative solutions emerge in the world of transportation.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwelcome back to fifth gear now Tim's about to come overall caring and sharing it comes a shock to some of you yeah now we all know how difficult is getting around cities nowadays you're either hot and sticky stuck on a tube somewhere or you getting stun for parking charges the congestion charge you know all the rest of the other governs yeah now one solution which is recently risen in popularity is to join a car share Club where you can literally hire a car for as little as an hour as when you need it yeah but the question is do they actually work just having a car sitting on your driveway will cost you an average of two thousand pounds a year in insurance and depreciation small wonder then that the membership of car share clubs has nearly tripled in the last 18 months car sharing is not the politically correct term for what joyriders do it's basically a pay-as-you-go car scheme and I'm gonna test it today to see if it's the future there are five big companies operating such schemes who charge between 50 and 60 pounds for a year's membership you ring up or book one of their cars online with as little as half an hour's notice and you simply pay for how long you use it now the clubs are most popular in London and the cars aren't stored in some sort of central Depot that quite literally dotted across the whole of the city in various car parking spaces the idea is this you quite simply use the car closest to you Citroen c1 with if all right okay that's fine thank you the first of the three cars I'm going to use today is a Citroen c1 from Wisco part slap-bang outside Euston station here it is and the brilliant thing is I don't even need to find the keys now when you register they send you a smart card which apparently when you swipe over a sensor in the front window is going to open the doors let's give it a go hey presto we're so now you're thinking have you start the car well you go in the glove box punch in a special pin you've been given and provides you the keys and now you can start the engine this basic car from Wisco cost sixty pounds for a year's membership and $5.99 per hour that includes 40 miles worth of fuel and the eight pound London congestion charge which all car share clubs should include as part of their deal now just as an exercise in testing the value I'm going to enter endurance race with this cabbie here basically we're gonna go six quids worth because that's how much it cost to drive this for an hour and see where we get and we're off follow that cab I wanted to say that I do we'd have to pay for parking Ryan is not cheap in London he's saying he gained 35,000 pounds with the car plus a show for the sick split that's a good point after just one point two miles my six pound fare was up I still had ages left in the car but I headed back anyway now at the end of the journey you basically wave your smart card under the sensor it'll log how long I've been in the car and send me a bill at the end of the month now you might just recognize this space that is because it's exactly the same one we took it from this morning so unless you're a fan of round trips this scheme definitely isn't for you the next company street car have a way round that and have three cars located just around the corner street car has an annual membership of 59 pounds 50 and they offer what's called a one-way trip for an extra charge you can hide the car from its designated space and then return it to a different location this cars a little bit cheaper 395 an hour mind you you do only get 33 miles with this one I supposed to 40 with the last car now street car the biggest car club in the UK which means that they're much more likely to have a car near where you live at the end of the higher you have to stick an hour's worth of parking on the car to give them enough time to pick it up it's dead simple if the car gets clouded after it's their problem you know I'm quite impressed with the flexibility of the service but not the cost the one way scheme actually costs an extra twenty four pounds fifty plus the cost of parking the car for an hour until they collect it it is rapidly yummy approaching the cost of hiring a car for the day once time no finally car three provided by zip car which cost fifty pounds for a year's membership if you want to travel on slightly longer journeys this could be the answer but you'll need to drop your car back at the same place you start the trip this Honda Insight starts at 3 pounds 95 an hour but you'll get sixty three miles worth of fuel and zip car also offers a few premium cars like the BMW 3-series just in case you're worried about being spotted driving something a bit humdrum if you really love cars nothing can beat the thrill of having your own lump of metal but if you travel less than six thousand miles a year you could save up to fifteen hundred pounds perfect if you are you making frequent journeys youwelcome back to fifth gear now Tim's about to come overall caring and sharing it comes a shock to some of you yeah now we all know how difficult is getting around cities nowadays you're either hot and sticky stuck on a tube somewhere or you getting stun for parking charges the congestion charge you know all the rest of the other governs yeah now one solution which is recently risen in popularity is to join a car share Club where you can literally hire a car for as little as an hour as when you need it yeah but the question is do they actually work just having a car sitting on your driveway will cost you an average of two thousand pounds a year in insurance and depreciation small wonder then that the membership of car share clubs has nearly tripled in the last 18 months car sharing is not the politically correct term for what joyriders do it's basically a pay-as-you-go car scheme and I'm gonna test it today to see if it's the future there are five big companies operating such schemes who charge between 50 and 60 pounds for a year's membership you ring up or book one of their cars online with as little as half an hour's notice and you simply pay for how long you use it now the clubs are most popular in London and the cars aren't stored in some sort of central Depot that quite literally dotted across the whole of the city in various car parking spaces the idea is this you quite simply use the car closest to you Citroen c1 with if all right okay that's fine thank you the first of the three cars I'm going to use today is a Citroen c1 from Wisco part slap-bang outside Euston station here it is and the brilliant thing is I don't even need to find the keys now when you register they send you a smart card which apparently when you swipe over a sensor in the front window is going to open the doors let's give it a go hey presto we're so now you're thinking have you start the car well you go in the glove box punch in a special pin you've been given and provides you the keys and now you can start the engine this basic car from Wisco cost sixty pounds for a year's membership and $5.99 per hour that includes 40 miles worth of fuel and the eight pound London congestion charge which all car share clubs should include as part of their deal now just as an exercise in testing the value I'm going to enter endurance race with this cabbie here basically we're gonna go six quids worth because that's how much it cost to drive this for an hour and see where we get and we're off follow that cab I wanted to say that I do we'd have to pay for parking Ryan is not cheap in London he's saying he gained 35,000 pounds with the car plus a show for the sick split that's a good point after just one point two miles my six pound fare was up I still had ages left in the car but I headed back anyway now at the end of the journey you basically wave your smart card under the sensor it'll log how long I've been in the car and send me a bill at the end of the month now you might just recognize this space that is because it's exactly the same one we took it from this morning so unless you're a fan of round trips this scheme definitely isn't for you the next company street car have a way round that and have three cars located just around the corner street car has an annual membership of 59 pounds 50 and they offer what's called a one-way trip for an extra charge you can hide the car from its designated space and then return it to a different location this cars a little bit cheaper 395 an hour mind you you do only get 33 miles with this one I supposed to 40 with the last car now street car the biggest car club in the UK which means that they're much more likely to have a car near where you live at the end of the higher you have to stick an hour's worth of parking on the car to give them enough time to pick it up it's dead simple if the car gets clouded after it's their problem you know I'm quite impressed with the flexibility of the service but not the cost the one way scheme actually costs an extra twenty four pounds fifty plus the cost of parking the car for an hour until they collect it it is rapidly yummy approaching the cost of hiring a car for the day once time no finally car three provided by zip car which cost fifty pounds for a year's membership if you want to travel on slightly longer journeys this could be the answer but you'll need to drop your car back at the same place you start the trip this Honda Insight starts at 3 pounds 95 an hour but you'll get sixty three miles worth of fuel and zip car also offers a few premium cars like the BMW 3-series just in case you're worried about being spotted driving something a bit humdrum if you really love cars nothing can beat the thrill of having your own lump of metal but if you travel less than six thousand miles a year you could save up to fifteen hundred pounds perfect if you are you making frequent journeys you\n"
