Pay-as-you-go electric bicycles, scooters, cars and vans

A spokesperson for Peugeot this week described London as the ‘natural next step’ for Mu, the French car maker’s hire scheme that allows customers to load ‘mobility points’ onto a card before using them to borrow from a fleet of vehicles ranging from electric bicycles to a vans.

Mu has enjoyed success in cities across France and is now ready to be rolled out across Europe. It has proved especially popular with the young because the scheme is open to drivers over 18.

Peugeot dealers have been willing participants in the scheme because it allows them to profit from vehicles that would otherwise be sitting in their car parks waiting to be sold.

Horses for courses

One of the reasons that such a large proportion of car journeys are less than three miles may be that most people do not have access to a fleet of different vehicles.

‘Multi-modal hire schemes’ such as Mu acknowledge that while an electric bicycle might be ideal for a single person making a trip into town, a longer journey might warrant a petrol-engined scooter, car or van.

Furthermore, car clubs are an ideal opportunity for people to have access to electric cars that may be too expensive or impractical to own outright.

The £20,000 i-On electric city car that Peugeot hopes to be selling in Britain by the end of 2010 is expected to be available for rent as part of the Mu scheme.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Based on the prices charged in France, Mu is expensive compared to traditional vehicle rental, but it is a clever idea because it encourages people to be more flexible in the way they travel.”