Mu by Peugeot comes to UK
The current popularity of the car club has not been lost on French car makers Peugeot, who have announced that they will be opening branches of ‘Mu by Peugeot’ in London and Bristol. Peugeot already has car club operations through its dealerships in a number of cities in France including Paris, Nantes and Lyon. Mu by Peugeot is also available in Rome, Madrid and Berlin.
As with similar schemes, those wishing to use vehicles made available at Peugeot dealerships can sign up and purchase Mu points. The scheme offers a range of vehicles from large vans to scooters. The advantage of car clubs is that members can decide whether they would like a vehicle for a few hours or a few days.
A week’s hire of a Boxer Van will set Mu by Peugeot members back around £300, but half a day on a scooter costs just £18. The pilot schemes in Bristol and London’s Chiswick will be run by Two Robins and Day Peugeot Dealerships with a view to opening more outlets in the future. By 2011, Peugeot hopes to have a car club presence in nine countries throughout Europe.
Peugeot’s UK managing director, Jonathan Goodman, said that Mu by Peugeot offered customers a more extensive range of products than ever before. He added that the scheme offered the advantages of convenience and flexibility, whilst providing economic and environmental solutions at a time when customers wanted them.
Car clubs have taken off in a big way recently. As well as offering customers an economically viable alternative to owning their own vehicle, they help to reduce congestion on the roads as well as limit the amount of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere.