Funded by Transport Scotland’s Plugged-in Households programme and delivered through Energy Saving Trust, the fleet of five zero-emission vehicles, located in Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Mayfield, Gorebridge and Penicuik are now available for use by the whole community, not just Melville customers.

The scheme is free to join and everyone who signs up will receive two free hours of driving credit, with the usual hire rate discounted to £4. In addition, the first 200 Melville customers to sign up will receive 15 free hours driving credit.

Morag MacDonald, Melville’s chief operating officer, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Energy Saving Trust and the ecar club to deliver Midlothian’s first car club. This is a bit of a departure from our normal work but we want to do what we can to help reduce carbon emissions, through car-sharing and using electric vehicles. This project gives everyone in our communities the opportunity to try out an electric car, at a low cost, or for free if they sign up quickly.”

Ellie Grebenik, senior programme manager at Energy Saving Trust, added: “Electric vehicles are a great solution for many journeys, and they enable and encourage Scottish communities to use electric vehicles, which is a top priority for Transport Scotland and Energy Saving Trust.

“With a number of car clubs being deployed across Scotland as part of Plugged-in Households, the eventual aim is to ensure sustainable transport solutions are available for everyone in Scotland.”

The car club is part of a wider initiative to engage communities in more sustainable electric vehicles and shared mobility and can be used by anyone over the age of 19. Bookings can be done easily online, using the ecar app, by text or over the phone.