On 18 November 2020, Boris Johnson announced his “green recovery” plans for the UK in a Financial Times opinion piece. He plans to mobilise £12bn of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 green jobs as part of his 10-point plan.
Number 4 of this plan centres on electric mobility, with £2.8bn of investment going into electric vehicles, charging points and long-lasting batteries. The aim of this? To end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, a full decade earlier than initially planned in the government’s ‘Road to Zero’ plans, published in 2018.
Phasing out ICE vehicles (internal combustion engine) to accelerate the transition to alternative fuel vehicles like electric cars is key to reducing carbon emissions in the UK and achieving our net zero targets. On top of the catastrophic effects carbon emissions are having on our planet and natural life, pollution from diesel and petrol engines lead to an estimated 40,000 early deaths per year and, in 2017, cost the NHS £157m, projected to rise £18.6bn in 2035. The actions taken now by the government mean that, hopefully, these numbers will decrease.
Johnson has also committed £1.3bn to fuel the rollout of charge points across homes and streets in England, as well as £582m in grants for people buying ultra-low emission vehicles. But meeting the 2030 deadline could turn out to be a challenge – of the 2.3 million new cars registered in Britain, only 37,850 were battery powered: that’s just 1.6%.
This is where Karshare’s groundbreaking new Lease and Share scheme comes into play.
We are just shy of 3 full months into our service but, at this point in time, we are the only car sharing provider in Bristol with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in our fleet. This is because our sustainably-minded consumers and early adopters are passionate about helping others make the transition to electric and have come on board as owners to share their vehicles with their communities.
Karshare’s new Lease and Share agreement, introduced last month, has also resonated strongly with those interested in electric vehicles: in just one month, 40% of enquiries have been by consumers considering a motor with a plug. Leasing and sharing truly is a match made in (environmental) heaven.
Lease and Share is a PCH (personal contract hire) agreement that permits hiring to vetted drivers for the very first time in the UK. Not only do millions of people now have the capacity to unlock earning potential by sharing their leased vehicles with others, they are also equipped to actively contribute toward the UK’s net zero goals by leasing an electric car.
Consumers choosing to lease a new car with Lease and Share and making it available to rent can earn up to £550 a month on the Karshare platform. Further benefits are covered here.
The nature of Lease and Share is cyclical. Leasing a car involves more commitment than simply renting one as and when from your community, but the act of onboarding it on the Karshare platform to rent allows others to benefit from it, repurposing assets without letting them to go waste or sit idle. As one customer told us, “Sharing the car at times when it is not in use justifies the investment in a brand new one.”
With the environment at the core of what we do, we are committed to finding suppliers that allow our customers to lease zero and low emission vehicles – and share them! Our partners WeFlex now offer short term leases on Toyota Prius Hybrids from just £176/month which can be rented out via Karshare, and we will be providing access to an increasing range of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles through our lease partners.
To find out more about Lease and Share and the vehicles on offer, please visit https://karshare.com/car-lease-and-share/.
