Great idea for the new forum category - a place for a more uncategorised discussion. I hope this fits in!
I currently live without a car - I’m lucky enough to live in a 15 minute neighbourhood, I bike everywhere and there are good public transport links when we are allowed use them.
I use the excellent Co-Wheels car club to rent a car or van when I need them (usually electric).
The one thing I really miss a vehicle for is longer trips away, camping, kayaking, etc - Co-Wheels, and other rental places, don’t let you use a roof rack or tow bar. Vanlife was a big part of my youth and I miss it, but I am not interested in the carbon, air quality and congestion guilt of owning another diesel van.
I’m thinking of trying to get a few neighbours together to buy a van to share, and I am wondering does anyone have experience of something like this, or know of an existing model out there.
A shared ownership, small electric campervan - well that would be ideal!
Im not sure about arrangements buy Glyn Hudson @ OpenEnergyMonitor has a lot on his blog about EV camper van adventures. The newer E-NV200 also has much better range and lots of EV vans about to come on market.
I am trying to research car sharing for a cohousing group.
So far the biggest problem seems to be insurance so don’t forget to check this out. It may be possible for one person to be the registered owner/insurer but add a small number of extra drivers to the policy fairly cheaply. Ok if you are happy to share a car you already own, but not sure of the small print if money changes hands.
Try https://www.lancastercohousing.org.uk/
I know they run a car share scheme including a van/people carrier.
We gave up our car 2 years and have been fine. We also live very close to excellent public transport links (not thet we have been on any public transport in a year…).
But an occasional longer trip when public transport does not work is what would be useful.
Thanks for posting @Monica_Bolton it seems there may be a lot of scope for this idea. I’d practically lend support to it if I had a drivers licence, but even as a non car owner, I’d still be keen to see this idea come to fruition!
I gave in and bought an old car to get me mobile for the summer… Strange to have one after living car free for four years.
Still keen to do a car share when this one gives up.