Car Club

Car Club for Winchester

The Winchester Car Club was launched by the Mayor of Winchester on 9 May 2008.

Watch the Hampshire Chronicle Video

The basic idea behind a car club is to provide a much cheaper alternative to owning a car; in short, to provide access to a car without the burden of having to actually own one. Car clubs can also play an important part in reducing pollution on our roads by making people actively think about whether they need to own a second car or, in some cases, whether they need to own a car at all.

The Winchester Car Club is operated by WhizzGo.

How does it work?

Join the club. Sign up online or over the phone (08444 77 99 66) and we'll process your application within one working day. We'll post you your Whizzgo smart card and then you're ready to drive.
Book a car. You can reserve a Whizzgo car online or by phone, in 30 minute increments. Minimum booking is 1 hour. Book your car as far as 12 months or as little as one minute ahead.
Drive off. Hold your smart card against the reader in the windscreen and wait a second or two for it to recognise you and give you the green light. Get in the driving seat, enter your PIN, grab the keys from the passenger glove box and drive away.
Want it for longer? If you discover you need the car for a longer period, you can extend your booking by phone if no-one else has booked it. Just press the button on the onboard computer to speak directly to a member of the Whizzgo team or extend the booking online.
Failsafe parking. When you're finished with it, park the car back in its allocated space, return the keys, and walk away.
Simple monthly payments. Each month we'll email you full details of your usage - and, depending on your preference, charge your credit card or debit your bank account.
Expect major savings. In addition to the savings you make by driving Whizzgo cars, we also give you big discounts on things like conventional car hire and travelcards.

How much does it cost?

To get going, all you need to do is join-up online or ring one of the Whizzgo team on 08444 77 99 66. The annual membership fee is just £49.50 and includes the cost of your smart card. Once you're a member, you will have full access to our entire fleet of Whizzgo cars throughout the UK.

Once you join, you can either choose pay-as-you-go driving, or you can sign up to one of our value packages. If you spend more than £50 per month, you can save up to 15% on your hourly rates and get added benefits.

Where is my nearest car?

The cars are currently situated at the following car parks in Winchester:

Gladstone Street
Jewry Street
Colebrook Street
Middle Brook Street

What are the environmental benefits?

Reduced congestion: Studies show that car club members drive fewer miles per year after joining. This isn't surprising when you consider that the cost of each car journey is more obvious when you are in a car club. When you own a car, it is easy to 'forget' the garage and insurance bills which come with owning a car, or to think of the cost of each journey in terms of the petrol alone. Therefore, car club members tend to walk more frequently and use public transport more often. Case studies also show that, for each car club vehicle made available, up to 20 people will sell (or scrap) their existing cars.

Cleaner emissions: Whizzgo cars are all new models, hence they are more energy-efficient and generate lower emissions than the cars they replace. Whizzgo carefully chose Citroen cars (Green Fleet Awards: Manufacturer of the year 2006 and 2007) and introduced some of the brands' greenest innovations such as the stop & start technology. Whizzgo has won two Green Fleet Awards; becoming the greenest 'Private Fleet of the Year' and 'Car leasing/Rental company of the year' 2007. So even if members were to drive the same number of miles after joining Whizzgo, the environment should still benefit.

Whizzgo members do their bit for the environment whilst still enjoying the freedom to drive when and where they want.

How do I find out more?

For more information:

visit www.whizzgo.com
or call 08444 77 99 66

Media Centre:

A Great Start for Winchester's Car Club

Winchester’s Car Club only launched last month but it has already started to change the way in which many residents think about car travel.
01/07/2008