Car clubs

Car clubs are a great way to have access to a car or van when you need one, but without the hassle and cost of owning one.

Car clubs can reduce congestion, reduce parking pressure and cut pollution. Being a car club member means you have access to a fleet of cars and vans across Ealing. You can book cars for an hour, the whole day hire or long term. 

There are almost 100 vehicles in the borough, run by three companies working in Ealing:

Visit CoMoUK to find out about all car shares near you

How they work

  • Register: First register and set up a membership
  • Booking: Online or over the phone. You can book cars at a moment’s notice, or months in advance.
  • Location: Cars are parked around the borough and they are never far away. You are guaranteed a parking space. 
  • Unlock: Use your 'smart card' to unlock the car and enter your pin on the computer terminal (located in the glove box).
  • Drive: Take the keys and away you go.

Returning the vehicle

Once you have finished with the vehicle, return it to its parking space or end the hire within the Flex Zone (Zipcar Flex). Then put the keys in the glove box, lock the car with your smart card and walk away. 

Enterprise, Hertz and Zipcar cars are parked in designated spaces around the borough, where the vehicle is returned to the dedicated ‘car club only’ bay. 

Zipcar Flex vehicles have a 'floating' arrangement, so cars can be left in unrestricted, resident and shared use parking bays. You cannot park in pay and display bays. Please see the Zipcar flex website for where you can park.

Costs

There is usually an hourly charge. This covers the hire and all running costs. This includes fuel, maintenance, car insurance, breakdown cover and MOT. Car club members are billed monthly and only pay for their drive time.

Reasons to join

Not only will you save money and the expense of running your own car, you will also be helping the environment. Car club vehicles are newer and less polluting than the average car and are all Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) compliant. Electric cars are now available in Ealing through Zipcar Flex too. 

Car clubs are also popular for business. Ealing Council is a corporate member of car clubs replacing the need for a corporate fleet.