eCars - An Introduction

Please note, our eCars are currently off the road due to the very inclement weather.

Clydebank Housing Association provide 3 electric vehicles for tenants, sharing owners, owners and shareholders to hire, currently for just £5 a day (some terms and conditions apply).

We purchased these cars with funding from the Scottish Government in 2008. We affectionately named them Jack, Victor and Isa. We have 2 x 2 seaters and 1 x 4 seater. Generally, two of the cars are available from Radnor Park and one from our office in central Clydebank.

eCars - How it Started

Our Combined Heat and Power (CHP) station in Radnor Park produces electricity and, as a by-product, heat is produced. The electricity is used to power the cars. The heat is used to provide low cost heat and hot water to approx. 340 residents in the Radnor Park multi storey blocks. Within the station is a purpose built garage where two of the eCars are generally kept.

We began to think of such a scheme during the consultation period for the CHP heating system. As well as heating costs, another concern raised by tenants was that parking space was a problem in Radnor Park. At the same time residents said that they mostly used their cars to get their shopping once a week and their car was a drain on their finances due to the annual costs associated with insurance, maintenance and tax.

Electric cars generally cost 1-2p per mile to run and so make a very cost effective alternative to petrol and diesel powered cars. The eCar car hire scheme is intended to give tenants a low cost alternative to owning a car whilst retaining the freedom of having use of a car when required.