Why Co Wheels' car club has come to Warrington

And this is why.

With the club having been rolled out in Newcastle and Salford already, residents can make use of the two MG ZS Electric Vehicles that are on-site in specially-designated bays at Time Square car park.

Kane Elgey, senior marketing executive at Co Wheels, says they are trying to expand the club, Warrington ticked the boxes and spoke of the importance to support the environment.

“Warrington is a town that works as there as good transport links – it’s more for people that would get trains or buses into work but might need a car to go shopping and do trips you can’t do on public transport,” said Kane.

“It also works with people who are really environmentally conscious and are wanting to make that difference or with the cost of living it’s a real struggle at the moment so if you can’t afford a car, this saves £1,000 per year compared to car ownership and that will go a long way.

“It’s important to help the environment. Our cars can take 18 privately-owned cars off the road which is good for emissions and also the building of a car gives off quite a lot of emissions so if more and more people used Car Club you would get more cars off the road and less congestion.”

The car uses an electric charging port in Time Square car park

The car can be rented out on a pay-as-you-go service

Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for highways and transportation, Cllr Hans Mundry and chair of Warrington’s climate commission, Cllr David Ellis paid a visit to check out the cars in person.

Cllr Ellis said: “The global situation with the environment is a very serious one. Within eight years we are going to get to 1.5c above pre-industrial temperatures and that is widely accepted as the limit to try and maintain things on an even keel.

“Beyond that, we start to see devastating consequences. So, doing everything we can to reduce carbon dioxide emissions industrially, from domestic properties and transport is really important.

“The carpool concept is a fantastic one because it brings new cars at very low cost to people living in the town centre initially.

“At the same time, it is helpful for the environment at the reduced emissions that make the air clearer in the town centre.

“The average car spends 95 per cent of the time of the drive, it doesn’t make that much sense to own one particularly when you are in the town centre. It’s a much more effective use of cars.”

Cllr Mundry added: “As the planning policy is changing in the town centre, we are building properties without the need for car parking spaces to encourage people to use public transport and this car scheme has been an addition to that.

“You may want a car for the odd day or a weekend away and it can facilitate that. We are very pleased to do this.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you are going to get a polluted town. We have got to start making changes as and where we can.”

You can rent one of the cars here.

Cllr David Ellis and Cllr Hans Mundry making use of the Co Wheels car