Welcome to this newsletter, which is quite the mix of the positive and the not so positive.
First, many congratulations to our deputy chief executive Antonia Charlton for being recognised as one of 100 Mobility Changemakers. Antonia has unrivalled expertise and skills in shared transport and mobility hubs, and her contribution to these sectors in this country cannot be overstated. She is a phenomenal asset to both the sector and CoMoUK and I’m so chuffed to see her recognised in this way.
Sticking with the positive, we were delighted to take a prominent role in a recent roundtable on car and lift sharing with Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood and Transport Select Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury. Our sincere thanks to them both; we hope this is very much the start of something with DfT.
I’m delighted we have accredited another mobility hub – our first one in Plymouth – you can read more about that below.
Less positively, we have received expected but still disappointing news from TfL – albeit with some recognition of car clubs – on London’s Congestion Charge and sobering comparisons of the UK versus other European countries to read in the recent Invers report.
Let me close by explaining that we aren’t having an online conference this December, as has been our practice since 2020, but rather returning to a face-to-face conference for the first time in seven years – so save the date of 25 March 2026 if you would, more details coming in our next newsletter. Do also come to our AGM on 4 December, online.
Keep in touch,
Richard Dilks
Chief Executive, CoMoUK
News & insights 🗞️
UK falling back on car sharing compared to Europe
The latest Invers European Car Sharing Report is out, using CoMoUK gathered data for its UK portion. It paints a stark picture of how the UK has fallen back on car sharing in recent years with the top five countries now being Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The shared car fleet is fairly evenly split between back to base (62,000) and free floating (67,000).
Those countries all have fleets per head of population far ahead of the UK’s of 0.78 car club cars per 10,000 people, with Belgium having 6.3, Germany 5.4 and France 2.1.
This is also reflected in the number of users and in the number of operators or providers. We will be citing these statistics as a call to action to key stakeholders including DfT.
Congestion Charge change
We are disappointed but not surprised that Transport for London has pressed ahead with changes to the Congestion Charge, despite warnings from us and others that the move threatens the very future of car clubs in the capital as well as raising costs for every EV user that enters the Zone.
The changes load the London car club sector with approximately £1million of additional annual operating costs.
However, there was also welcome recognition of car clubs in the form of back to base car club EVs that are resident in the Congestion Charge Zone being exempt from the Congestion Charge. This is a small gesture compared to the overall financial impact, but we will be discussing with TfL how to make the best of this.
We urge the Mayor and TfL to stop treating shared cars as if they are privately-owned ones, which is completely illogical and a disservice to Londoners.
You can read wide-ranging coverage on the impacts of these changes including our quote in this Evening Standard piece.
Ministerial roundtable on car and lift sharing
We were delighted to attend a roundtable with Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood MP and Transport Select Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP on car and lift sharing, held at the Department for Transport.
This came after the recent session held by the Transport Select Committee.
This is the first such event and in itself therefore a welcome step. Attendees spanned all forms of car and lift sharing operators ad platforms and also stakeholders across the public sector. The discussion saw a high level of consensus formed about the problems and limitations of the current landscape, and about the future opportunities. We were delighted that Minister Greenwood told us that car clubs are part of her remit and we will be following up with her to further pursue this agenda.
There are many upcoming opportunities for Government to demonstrate that it is favourable to the sectors, for example the creation of Great British Railways, guidance around the English Devolution Bill and the forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy.
More mobility hub accreditations
CoMoUK was pleased to award the Connect Plymouth Hub on Mayflower Street with our Gold Standard Accreditation this month. This recognises the hub’s outstanding contribution to making sustainable travel more accessible and appealing in the heart of the city.
Opened in 2023, the hub brings together a powerful mix of transport options in one convenient location:
A fleet of e-bikes 🚲
An electric car club vehicle 🚘
Rapid EV charging stations 🔋
A real-time bus stop 🚏
Proximity to the city’s coach station (just 50 metres away) 🚌
Walking and cycling infrastructure 🚶
The Mayflower Street hub not only met all of our essential criteria such as safety, accessibility, and transport choice, but also for going above and beyond with additional features and future-proofing.
Many congratulations to our own Antonia Charlton for the thoroughly-deserved recognition of being one of 100 Mobility Changemakers.
We very much like the citation:
"From bolstering bike share to mastering mobility hubs, Antonia ensures accessibility stays front and centre of shared mobility. A CoMoUK veteran, she’s relentlessly making sure UK cities build transport systems that work for everyone – no exceptions."
Well done Antonia!
Integration between homes and shared cars
Quantum Mobility is partnering with residential properties to give residents exclusive access to shared cars via an app, on the lines of accessing other shared amenities like on-site gyms or rooftop patios.
Madrid EV car sharing extends its battery swapping
Over in the Spanish capital, Free2move is expanding its partnership with battery company Ample to use modular battery swapping in its shared EV fleet. The swap takes less than five minutes with specially-adapted Fiat 500e cars.
Starting with testing in late 2024, drivers can now swap the battery through a mobile app at designated charging stations.
Tinpot provides AI-powered damage detection for car sharing fleets. Spun out from Imperial College London, their API analyses smartphone photos to identify interior and exterior issues, helping operators automate inspections and minimise disputes.
Events 🗓️
CoMoUK AGM
4 December 2025
As well as carrying out the formal business of the meeting, there will a chance to hear an update on the work of CoMoUK over the previous year.
Everyone is welcome to join the session to hear more about our work during the year. Only members and Friends of CoMoUK will have voting rights.
CoMoUK is delighted to be hosting its first in-person conference since 2019. This is a unique opportunity to shine a light on shared transport and its key role in sustainable transport and spatial planning.
The conference will take place at the NVCO in the London Borough of Camden and will include a tour of Camden’s new Somers Town mobility hubs.
As the only conference focussing on shared transport in the UK, you will get a chance to hear about the latest developments and innovations in the sector. We will also be looking ahead as to where the UK should go on shared transport and mobility hubs with the climate, cost of living and public health crises continuing to press home; elections in Scotland, Wales, London and elsewhere in May 2026; and the bulk of this UK Government’s term still to come.
You will find a few more details on our website, with information on the schedule to follow soon.
