World's largest island-based electric car sharing scheme plugs into Nissan Leaf

Earlier this month, the world's largest island-based electric car-sharing scheme was launched. A pool of 65 Nissan Leaf cars has been established on Terschelling, one of the Dutch Frisian islands. And plans are already in hand to increase the fleet to 100 vehicles to cope with expected demand from residents and visitors.

This unique project is an initiative by local operator Schylge-E-Auto, in partnership with the province of Friesland, the Dutch Frisian islands and Terschelling's district council. It is the latest venture under a wide-ranging sustainability programme for the Wadden Sea region, which has been in operation since 2007.

The new scheme aims to keep Terschelling clean and beautiful, whilst still providing islanders and visitors with the mobility they need. And it is the first time anywhere that the entire population of an island has been given its own fleet of electric cars to share. Anyone living on Terschelling can join the scheme simply by downloading the special app and applying for a user card. That provides access to the cars and monitors usage, which costs €0.19 (Rs 14.46) a minute, excluding VAT. For added convenience, extra charging points have been installed throughout the island.

Although residents have priority, visitors can also use the pool of Nissan Leafs. Subject to availability, they can be rented through Rederij Doeksen, the ferry operator serving Terschelling. Once the full fleet of 100 vehicles is on the road, a Nissan Leaf should be available to anyone wanting to enjoy the island's natural beauty in environmentally-friendly comfort.

Despite the small size of their island – 88 square kilometres in area and with just one main road, 15 kilometres in length – the 4,800 people living on Terschelling currently own approximately 2,000 passenger cars. On average, these are on the road for only 30 hours a year. As Hans Werner of Schylge-E-Auto explains, "That makes a shared Nissan Leaf costing 19 cents a minute far less expensive than running your own. Moreover, a survey shows that 17 percent of car owners on Terschelling would be willing to part with their vehicle. That amounts to about 340 cars in all."

Schylge-E-Auto hopes that its fleet of emission-free Leafs will cover a total of 110,000 kilometres a year. That represents 10 per cent of the cumulative distance driven annually by all the islanders, and will cut their overall fuel consumption by about 15 percent.