A UNIQUE electric car share partnership is now underway at Elmsbrook in Oxfordshire with a housing developer working in partnership with a BMW dealer, a leasing company and a car club to cut the carbon footprint of the new residents.

Starting with a BMW i3 and a Renault Zoe at NW Bicester, lead developer FABRICA by A2Dominion is working in collaboration with North Oxford BMW, Fleetdrive Electric and E-Car Club to deliver one of the largest residential development-based car clubs in the UK.

Travel currently accounts for nearly a third of the typical UK carbon footprint, with private car use alone accounting for 18%. A2Dominion is working to encourage people’s choice of travel to be as environmentally friendly as their home.

The newly formed electric vehicle partnership follows the recent launch of Elmsbrook, the first true zero carbon homes at NW Bicester and will help A2Dominion achieve its sustainable transport goals. The residents’ car club, run by E-Car Club, will be in place for Elmsbrook’s first residents and accessible to the existing town and will comprise a BMW i3, sponsored by North Oxford BMW and a Renault Zoe, sponsored by A2Dominion.

The car club will be fully managed by E-Car, the UK’s first entirely electric pay-per-use car club provider, which will offer Elmsbrook residents half-price lifetime membership with A2Dominion subsidising five hours’ free use for every resident to try it out.

Booking a car through the car club will be available online and via a smart tablet within the homes, making it a quick, easy and convenient method of travel. The fleet will be bookable for as little as one hour up to several days at a time for as little as £3.75 per hour (plus VAT) including power and insurance, and by joining the scheme, residents will be able to access the whole E-Car fleet, which stretches from East London to the Western Isles of Scotland.

A2Dominion’s target is to reduce the number of local journeys made by petrol/diesel cars by a quarter, from the current 67.5% to 50%, by 2026 by encouraging a modal shift in residents’ travel choices to cycling, walking, public transport or electric motoring.

Commenting on the new partnership Louise Caves, NW Bicester strategic partnership manager, said: “By working together it will give Elmsbrook residents unparalleled choice when it comes to alternative modes of travel and access to test drives and trial periods on a number of different electric vehicles.

“We strongly believe that the best way to get residents thinking about electric vehicles as an alternative choice to conventional cars is for them to get behind the wheel and try it for themselves. We are aiming for 10% of our residents to have made the switch to pure electric or hybrid cars by 2017.”

A2Dominion has, in conjunction with Fleetdrive Electric and North Oxford BMW, already organised two events where existing Bicester stakeholders and Elmsbrook purchasers could view and test drive electric hybrid cars from a number of manufacturers.

In the future, neighbourhood pop-up EV test drive events will become a regular feature for residents where they can experience the latest technology on the market and understand the advantages of ‘driving electric’.

Chris Morris, managing director at E-Car Club, added: “The E-Car mission is to improve mobility whilst reducing the environmental and financial cost of every journey decision made, which is a perfect fit for the objectives laid out by the A2Dominion project, and I’m confident that together we can make a real difference for Elmsbrook residents whilst setting a fantastic example to others.”

To help spread the word on EVs and accelerate the transition to ultra-low emission vehicles, A2Dominion will be selecting ‘Community Champions’ from Elmsbrook residents who will enjoy an electric vehicle subsidy for two years in return for sharing their real-life experiences with their neighbours.

Steve Holmes, BMW i Brand Manager at North Oxford, commented: “Since its launch, the award winning BMW i3 has certainly provided the benchmark for those considering an electric vehicle as their preferred mode of transport. The partnership with E-Car provides an ideal opportunity for future residents at Elmsbrook to experience the 2014 World Green Car of the Year for themselves.”

Mike Potter, managing director of Fleetdrive Electric, added: “It’s great to be able to give people the opportunity to try this increasingly popular, sustainable mode of transport as an alternative to petrol and diesel engines. Those people who have already taken a test drive at the recent events were surprised at how much they enjoyed the driving experience.”

As well as communal charging points, all homes at Elmsbrook will be ready wired for electric charging points with free installation for the first two years should residents choose to make the transition into this environmentally friendly method of transport.