Westminster and Zipcar launch fleet of hybrid VW Golfs

Westminster City Council and Zipcar have launched a fleet of 50 Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid electric cars in London.

Forty of the cars will located on-street while the other ten cars will be located elsewhere in London, including Tower Bridge and Old Oak. To support the new vehicles, Westminster has installed new charging infrastructure in 40 of its car club parking bays.

One-in-10 UK car club members have now used an electric vehicle, up from four percent in 2014/15, according to the latest Carplus Annual Survey of Car Clubs. Of those members who have not yet used an electric vehicle, 89% expressed an interest in trying one.

Westminster residents recently named air pollution as their biggest concern, ahead of other local issues. The city council is also bidding for funds to create a Low Emission Neighbourhood in Marylebone and recently introduced an ‘air force’ of parking marshals to educate people about the impact of engine idling.

Cllr Heather Acton, Westminster City Council cabinet member for parking and sustainability, said: “Electric vehicles are key to helping address pollution. Giving more people the chance to drive an electric car in London, and on a shared basis, is a big step towards creating a greener city. Car sharing makes so much sense in central London, where a private car is not often needed.”

Zipcar is making the Volkswagen Golf GTE available to Zipcar members at the same hourly rate of £7 per hour as a petrol Volkswagen Golf. The club operator hopes this pricing will encourage thousands of Zipcar members will experience electric driving for the first time.

When started, the car will automatically default to electric vehicle mode. 

The car club says that the Golf GTE is suitable for both short and long distance trips. Local trips such as food shopping can done in pure electric mode. For longer journeys, such as weekend breaks outside the city, the Golf GTEs offer the range and efficiencies of petrol hybrid driving, claimed Zipcar.

All 50 cars support Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto, meaning that members can access smartphone features such as maps or music through the GTE’s in-built display.

Mark Walker, Zipcar UK’s general manager, said: “Zipcar is all about simple and responsible urban living. The Volkswagen Golf GTE fully supports that ethos and is ideal for our members. The combination of pure electric vehicle driving in the city and full flexibility to escape anywhere in the country, without compromise, is compelling. We believe our members will thoroughly enjoy driving this car in electric mode and will become keen advocates for electric vehicle driving in London."

The Car Club Strategy for London, which announce London Councils, GLA and TfL last May, set a target of 50% of car-share fleets to be electric vehicles by 2025.