victorian electric vehicle trial mid-term report - Department of Transport

EV PROMOTION CASE STUDYELECTRIC CAR-SHARECar-share is a fast-growing alternative to vehicle ownership where members have access to a fleet ofvehicles in a network of locations and typically pay per use (Shaheen et al 2010). In Australia and aroundthe world, car-sharing is gaining popularity as a means to reduce transport costs, traffic congestion andimpacts on the environment (SGS 2012).Electric vehicles are a potentially great fit with car-share. The vehicles can be charged where they park,rather than needing to be refuelled at a service station. The majority of car-share journeys are well withinthe range of an electric vehicle – GoGet (2011) reported 97 per cent of trips made by their members asbeing less than 50 kilometres.Car-sharing also provides a means for the wider community to experience electric vehicle technologyfirst-hand. Users can choose when and where they take a test-drive, potentially to a location which haspriority parking for electric vehicles.GoGet joined the Victorian Electric Vehicle Trial in 2011, and have since deployed three electric car-shareservices in contrasting locations. Insights gained to date suggest that similar issues and opportunitiesexist for electric car-share deployment as for fleet EV take-up more broadly (refer to Section 4.3.4).Figure 58. GoGet electriccar-share vehicle at TheNicholson residentialdevelopment.CREATING A MARKET 117