Electric car sharing scheme to launch in Suffolk next summer

The big picture: Plug In Suffolk Car Clubs will place 16 electric vehicles across Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Sudbury, Needham Market, Stowmarket, Lowestoft and Woodbridge.

Residents will be able to book vehicles by the minute, hour or day.

Why it matters: The scheme aims to:

• Improve air quality

• Reduce congestion

• Increase mobility for those without access to a car

• Support Suffolk's climate goals of reducing car numbers and increasing low-emission vehicles

By the numbers:

• 16 electric vehicles

• 8 locations across Suffolk, including Ipswich

• Aiming for 2-4 cars in Ipswich, with the final numbers to be confirmed following a procurement exercise

What they're saying: Councillor Neil MacDonald, Chair of Suffolk Public Sector Leaders, said: "Suffolk residents have been asking about the possibility of bringing car clubs to Suffolk following the recent success of the car club trial in Oxfordshire, therefore I am looking forward to the launch of our trial."

He added: "I am hoping that many individuals and families will benefit from the scheme and help to bring electric community vehicles permanently to our county."

Between the lines: Suffolk's public sector organisations fund the project, with additional charge point funding from the Department for Transport's On-Street Residential ChargePoint Scheme (ORCS).

Private providers have been reluctant to fully fund electric community vehicles in rural and semi-rural areas like Suffolk due to a lack of real-world usage data.

What's next: The scheme's tender process begins this month. Interested residents can sign up for updates via the Plug in Suffolk Car Clubs mailing list.

The bottom line: This initiative supports two key goals of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan: reducing the number of cars on the road and increasing the proportion of low or zero-emission vehicles.