Streetcar (carsharing)

Streetcar

Company type	Corporation
Industry	Automotive
Founded	2004
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Key people	Brett Akker, Andrew Valentine
Number of employees	160
Website	www.streetcar.co.uk

Streetcar is the United Kingdom's largest carsharing company, with over 75,000 members.[1] Vehicles are parked in a dense network of dedicated spaces primarily in London, but with further spaces in several UK cities including Edinburgh, Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton, Southampton, Guildford and Maidstone. Members can book vehicles from 30 minutes up to six months, online or by phone. A smartcard is used to pick up and return the car at any time of the day or night, 365 days a year.

On April 21, 2010, Streetcar and Zipcar announced a merger of their rival operations. The fleets will be merged under the Zipcar brand and in-vehicle technology and will give the combined membership of both companies access to more than 1,000 vehicles around England, as well as international access to vehicles in Zipcar's existing markets across the United States, and Canada.

History

A Streetcar in London.

Durham University friends Brett Akker and Andrew Valentine founded Streetcar after seeing its commercial success in the US. They started with 8 cars in a location near Clapham Junction station, and much of the growth since inception has occurred organically through word-of-mouth recommendations.[2]

The Streetcar fleet consists of VW Golfs, VW Polos, VW Transporter vans and VW Tourans.[3] From January 2010, Streetcar also introduced the BMW 1 Series and BMW 3 Series to their fleet. The BMW models Streetcar chose, the 116d, 118d and 318d [4] are all class leading cars, with carbon emissions of 119g/km and efficiency of 62.8 mpg across the range.[5] In June 2009, Streetcar became the first UK car club to provide an electric car to its members, as part of a trial with Camden Council.[6]

Streetcar currently has over 50,000 members and over 1,200 locations across 10 UK cities including; London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton, Southampton, Guildford, and Maidstone.

Membership details

Streetcars are booked online or by phone, and can be collected and returned at any time using the member's personal smart card and PIN. Usage charges are based on the length of time the client keeps the car, and mileage during the rental (the first 30 miles per calendar day are free). In June 2009 Streetcar announced that members would no longer have to pay London's congestion charge, and that there would be unlimited mileage on all trips lasting 48 hours or more.[7]

Membership of Streetcar costs £59.50 per year, with cars available from £4.95 per hour. [8]

Streetcar for Business

In 2008, Streetcar launched "Streetcar for Business" as a result of its developing relationship with companies across the UK, and in recognition of the differing needs of businesses and individuals. Business accounts (which cost £99 annually)[9] provide employees access to every vehicle in the Streetcar fleet, with the option to add drivers to the account for a one-off charge of £10 each. The service has been used as an example of a practical and green alternative to grey fleets or reimbursed private mileage. [10] [11]

Over 2,000 businesses are registered members of Streetcar for Business, with corporate clients of the pay-as-you-go scheme include Kellogg’s, as well as local government authorities including Surrey County Council.[12]

Streetvan

In July 2008 Streetcar launched Streetvan, in conjunction with Homebase and Big Yellow Self Storage. Streetvan membership costs £19.50 per year, and provides members with access to every van in the fleet. All vehicles are VW Transporter vans, and are available for £8.95 per hour. [13] [14]

Environmental and financial benefits

Membership of Car clubs such as Streetcar can make a valuable environmental contribution: Research by Transport for London shows that each Streetcar takes some 26 cars off the roads for every one club car put on the road.[15] Research has also shown that using carsharing clubs such as Streetcar can have financial benefits. According to government-sponsored website carclubs.org.uk, car owners who drive less than 6,000 miles a year can save up to £3,500.[16]

See also

• Carsharing
• List of carsharing operators
• Transport in the United Kingdom

References

• Times online article "Pay as you go clubs thriving"
• ITV Programme on Reading residents taking up Streetcar- "Survival Street".
• Local news release on Streetcar's Borough expansion.
• Times Online article "There are no hidden extras".
• "Streetcar launches EVs"

External links

• "Streetcar" company website
• "Streetvan" company website
• "Streetcar for Business" company website