Council enhances its green credentials
Leeds City Council has taken delivery of 122 electric vans as part of its bid to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles in the area while becoming carbon neutral itself.
Most of the Renault Kangoo vans, 102, will be used in the delivery of a wide range of services across the city, while the remaining 20 will be made available to local businesses through its new EV Trials Scheme.
The scheme, launched in partnership with Highways England, enables West Yorkshire businesses and organisations to take part in a completely free trial of electric vans for up to two months. Each van will be equipped with telematics devices, which gather journey and charging data, with users receiving a tailored report highlighting the findings and the environmental and potential financial benefits that transitioning to an electric vehicle can generate for their business or organisation.
The addition of the Renault vans boosts the Council’s working fleet of electric vehicles to over 330.
Councillor James Lewis, deputy leader at Leeds City Council, said: “Leeds City Council already operates more electric vehicles than any other local authority and we are a proud signatory of the Clean Van Commitment. Not only are zero emission vans better for the environment and air that our communities breathe, but they are also cheaper to run and maintain than traditional vehicles. We know that switching to electric vehicles feels like it would be a leap in the dark for some, so we’re looking forward to sharing the benefits of these vans free of charge with businesses and charities across West Yorkshire as part of our EV Trials scheme.”
