More community-owned electric car clubs launch across Wales

Nation Cymru staff

A community-owned electric car-sharing service that operates across Wales is launching four new electric car clubs following huge demand from communities across the nation.

TrydaNi has received successful applications from Swansea Council for Voluntary Service, Greener Abergavenny, Bangor Town Council, and Yr Orsaf in Penygroes and is currently working in partnership with those organisations to set up car clubs with their local communities.

These new clubs are in addition to ones already up and running in Bethesda, Machynlleth, Aberystwyth, Llanymddyfri, Llanidloes, Llandeilo, Penrhyncoch, Llansteffan, and Llandrindod.

TrydaNi’s mission – to create a better way to travel that is both affordable and promotes energy independence – is resonating with drivers across Wales. This is perhaps no surprise at a time of increasing fuel prices, and with Wales having more than doubled its renewable electricity generation in the ten years to 2024.

The TrydaNi car club in Aberystwyth, which is home to a Renault Zoe EV and a Vauxhall Combo e-Life, is the first to reach 100 members. Bethesda and Machynlleth are not far behind.

Peri Smith, a long time member of the Bethesda car club, said: “It’s really affordable and I get to drive a high quality electric vehicle. I work for Relic Plastics and deliver workshops in schools; I use the car all the time to drive to schools across north Wales.

“It’s really nice to drive. Also, it has great speakers, and yeah, super duper easy to book and put on charge.”

The launch of the new clubs, happening at the beginning of June, represents a new chapter for TrydaNi as it shifts towards a new model where members are taking increasing responsibility for day-to-day runnings of its car clubs, supported by a central team who are available on the phone seven days/week.

Tom Simone, TrydaNi’s Chief Community Officer explains: “TrydaNi has its origins in grassroots community car clubs established in Machynlleth and Llanidloes in Mid-Wales, and our expansion so far has involved locating staff near towns where we’ve established clubs. We’re now using the learnings of the past two years to come back to our roots so clubs can become self-managing again. We achieve this through a network of committed members, who we call “Community Champions”.

As well as local WhatsApp groups where members can share tips and ask questions, TrydaNi’s website and app provides easy access to quickstart videos and other help content. to answer any questions new members might have about how to join and book before they first drive a vehicle.

Tom continues: “We’re aiming to strike the right balance between a modern technology-enabled service, and the local community of users that is necessary to make a car club thrive. We’re delighted that this approach is proving successful; we’ve almost tripled the usage of vehicles in our network since the beginning of 2024!

“We are now working hard to meet the demand from members wanting to book cars and communities wanting to set up car clubs.”

TrydaNi is a Community Benefit Society that operates car clubs across Wales. It has received funding support from the Welsh Government and the National Lottery.

TrydaNi is free to join and using a vehicle costs £2/hour (or £30/day) plus 16p per mile.

To join and start driving, visit trydani.org.