Space freed up by car clubs could nearly cover Hyde Park, analysis finds

Independent

02-06-2025

Space almost equivalent to the size of London's Hyde Park is freed up by short-term car rental schemes, according to a report.
Analysis by shared transport charity CoMoUK found non-corporate users of UK car clubs last year said they had sold or deferred purchasing a total of nearly 120,000 vehicles since they joined.
Based on the typical size of parking spaces, these private cars would have occupied an area exceeding 138 hectares.
Hyde Park is about 142 hectares.
The analysis also found each car club vehicle replaces an average of 27 private cars.
UK car clubs open to the public had 307,437 active users last year, up 1% from 2023.
Their fleet size in 2024 was 4,383 vehicles, a 3% decrease from the previous 12 months.
The schemes give people access to cars without the costs or other obligations of ownership.
Most operate on a membership basis with annual or monthly fees, plus per mile and per hour charges for using cars on a pay as you go basis.
Separately, some companies give their employees access to corporate car clubs for business and personal travel.
CoMoUK chief executive Richard Dilks said: 'Car clubs provide hassle-free, inclusive and affordable access to cars for journeys when they are really needed, so it is no wonder that they are proving more and more popular.
'Our research shows that car clubs replace private cars with a much smaller number of more efficiently-used vehicles.
'As well as improving air quality and cutting traffic congestion, the reduced need for private car storage frees up an astonishing amount of space which can be used for other purposes.
'In London, for example, this space could be used to provide homes for approximately 6,000 people.'
Mr Dilks added that 'much more could be done to encourage car clubs to thrive', and he called on governments and local authorities to 'go further to foster environments where car clubs can grow'.