Mu-ving to the future of car use?

 Spent much of Tuesday at a Peugeot dealership in Chiswick, West London. It’s one of only six in the country which operates the French firm’s innovative vehicle rental scheme. Called Mu – the Greek word for movement – here’s how it works. The dealership has every one of Peugeot’s vehicles for hire, from 107 through to RCZ, plus any of the four vans it sells. There are also two types of push-bike, e-bikes, scooters of different powers, and from later this year e-scooters as well. Add in anything from the accessories range – sat-nav, bike carrier, roof box, tow bar – and you’ve got a pretty comprehensive offering. I’ve always thought this a clever idea and am constantly amazing no one has copied it. If you live close by, where an annual parking pass is £600, and you don’t need a car every day, why wouldn’t you use Mu? Chatting to the customers, many think along similar lines. They work in London and commute on public transport, but need a car a couple of times a week. It’s cheaper to rent something for the day or even half-day – costing as little as £20 – than pay to own a car and have it sat on the road most of the time. Mu is expanding to four more urban dealerships this year, and a tie-up with Newcastle University means the first campus site for students who want to head home at weekends. Excellent idea.