A new mobility hub has launched at Imperial College London to provide data for a green transport research programme.

The hub will feature two Enterprise Car Club vehicles, one electric and the second hydrogen-powered, plus 25 Brompton folding bikes, including five electric bikes

Located at the South Kensington campus, the hub is being run under a project by the public research university in collaboration with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Brompton Bike Hire.

The four-month academic trial will assess whether staff travel can be transformed by giving people more choices for sustainable and active transport.

The hub will feature two Enterprise Car Club vehicles, one electric and the second hydrogen-powered, plus 25 Brompton folding bikes, including five electric bikes.

Staff who register for the trial will receive free membership of the Enterprise Car Club and both cars and bikes will be booked through Enterprise’s Car Club app. Access to the cars and bikes will be free for the duration of the pilot.

The hub will enable academic research to see how commuting patterns and day-to-day travel can be changed from relying on owning the means of transport to using shared transport.

Surveys will be carried out to identify changes in travel behaviour and attitudes towards the use of shared resources.

The work is part of Imperial’s Transition to Zero Pollution initiative, a major strategic programme drawing together Imperial experts and partners to address the key global challenge of creating a sustainable future.

All three organisations have a shared interest in understanding changes in behaviour towards more sustainable travel and associated carbon reduction; they say that an understanding that multiple modes of transport need to work collaboratively is vital in the drive toward net zero carbon.

Professor Mary Ryan, vice-dean for research in the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London, commented: “The future of urban transport towards net-zero carbon is a critical step in achieving climate goals and delivering a sustainable society.

“The holistic approach taken in this project is central to our Transition to Zero Pollution Strategy, addressing not just the technology enablers, but community uptake, individual behaviour and economic factors.”