The UK’s Gatwick Airport has announced a new partnership with Bluecity for the introduction of a new electric point-to-point car sharing service, to make journeys eco-friendly, and easier for passengers travelling to and from the airport.
The scheme will be the first of its kind for a UK airport, with five charging points set to be introduced at Gatwick in the coming months. Vehicles can be reserved in advance. Passengers will have the freedom to collect vehicles from Gatwick and drop off at dedicated charging points across London.
The new partnership with Bluecity also represents a key step in Gatwick’s aim of becoming the UK’s most sustainable airport. Electric vehicles are an essential component in tackling London’s air quality, and the partnership will contribute to Gatwick’s strategy to cut its carbon footprint in half by 2020.
Gatwick Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer, Guy Stephenson, said: ‘Gatwick is at the forefront of driving greater sustainability into aviation, and aims to be the UK’s most sustainable airport by 2020. A key component of this is reducing the carbon footprint of surface access, and this unique electric vehicle partnership with Bluecity is an example of how Gatwick Airport intends to make this a reality.
‘This innovative new car sharing service also gives additional sustainable transport choices to 42 million passengers now travelling through Gatwick each year, plus more than 21,000 people employed across the airport campus. We’re sure it will be very popular.’
Cedric Bollore, Director of Development at Group Bollore, said: ‘We look forward to collaborating with Gatwick Airport and offering passengers the opportunity to drive one of our electric cars.
‘We are convinced that electric vehicles are the future and the solution to reducing air pollution in the UK.’
Gatwick Airport has served over 42 million passengers in the past 12 months. The new scheme will provide greater convenience for business passengers or groups of travellers travelling to and from the capital, the airport said in a release.
