Dental care provider gives electric car share scheme green light

A Glasgow-based dental care provider is doing its bit for the environment by utilising a shared electric car for business travel across the city.

Dental Care at Home, the largest provider of dental care for care homes in Scotland, has a team of dentists and dental hygiene therapists who travel to 19 care homes with more than 900 residents to provide on the spot examinations and care.

The business joined Co-wheels after relocating to a new health centre Glasgow and has since been utilising a Co-wheels Renault Zoe to get to and from appointments, with staff members also either cycling, walking, or driving an electric vehicle into work.

Co-wheels is a pay-as-you-go car hire scheme, with vehicles available to hire in locations across the UK. Club members can book any of the cars using the online booking system or over the phone, for 30 mins to days at a time. Insurance is included so users only paying for the hire time and distance driven.

Mark Fowler, manager of Dental Care at Home, said the Co-wheels club model provides a scalable approach to the business’ travel needs while also offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional travel methods. He said:

‘With Glasgow being such a big city, our team of five were keen to find an eco-friendly approach to travel, one that was not only convenient but also cost-effective.

‘Having driven an electric vehicle for three years myself, I’m a huge believer in making the switch to electric, and we were excited to become members of the Co-wheels car club — a model which allows flexibility, is scalable and reliable. What’s not to love?

‘Using the Co-wheels car club really sets us apart as a business, and our care home residents love that we’re doing our bit to help the environment, championing a greener, forward-thinking approach to travel.’

The number of cars in the UK has grown every year since World War II, with cars contributing to almost two-thirds of road transport emissions. Transport is currently the UK’s largest sectoral source of carbon emissions, accounting for a third of CO2 emissions last year according to BEIS figures.

Richard Falconer, director of Co-wheels, said:

‘Many Co-wheels members don’t want to add another car to our busy roads and would rather use a shared vehicle when they really need one — and now they have the option to reduce the impact on our environment even more by using a zero-emission vehicle.

‘It’s really rewarding knowing that Co-wheels is an instrumental cog in the wheel for businesses in Glasgow and across the UK.’