Category Archives: Electric Vans

News and reviews of electric vans (including plug-in hybrids).

Call for charging point road signs

November 2, 2015Charging, Ecotricity, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

Nissan and Ecotricity join forces to call for official EV charging point road signage
There are more than 9,000 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, but still no official signage
Campaign calls on government to take action and raise awareness of UK EV infrastructure
Latest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) stats reveal over 11,500 all electric Nissan LEAFs have been sold since its launch in early 2011

London, 22 September 2015 – Nissan, manufacturer of the world’s best-selling electric vehicle (EV), the Nissan LEAF, and Ecotricity, who operate Europe’s biggest and most comprehensive rapid charging network, the Electric Highway, have today called on the UK government to introduce official road signage for the UK’s growing number of standard and rapid EV charging points.

Despite there being more than 9,000 EV charging points nationwide, there is still no official, recognisable signage available to direct motorists to them – even though there are official signs for “migratory toad crossings”, of which there are only 140 across the UK.

Nissan and Ecotricity claim the time is right for the new UK Government to take action and raise awareness of the UK’s EV infrastructure by introducing universal symbols that can be used to designate the different types of EV charging points available on Britain’s roadways, notably standard and rapid chargers.

The campaign will be calling on key influencers in the motoring and sustainability sector to share their views on the UK’s electric vehicle charging network in order to encourage the Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles to take action.

Speaking at the campaign launch, Jim Wright, Managing Director, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, explained:

“At Nissan we believe that all electric driving offers a number of benefits to UK motorists and should be made accessible to all. That is why we have partnered with Ecotricity to call on the new Government to give electric vehicles the prominence they now deserve and introduce official signage for charging points across the UK.”

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said:

“Both the cars and the infrastructure are in place to support the electric car revolution in Britain – there are Electric Highway pumps at almost every motorway services, while companies like Nissan are developing top quality electric cars.

“It’s time to introduce charging point road signs in Britain – they’ll provide necessary direction for the thousands of electric car drivers in Britain as well as increasing public awareness that the infrastructure is ready for them to make the move to an electric car.

“Over the past four years, we’ve installed Europe’s most advanced electric car charging network right here in Britain – it has 250 pumps, 20,000 members and nearly 15 million emission free miles driven since its inception.

“The growth so far in 2015 has been phenomenal – nearly two million miles driven on the network every month. The argument for road signs could not be stronger.”

Ecotricity recently revealed that Electric Highway members have now driven over 15 million miles since the charging network’s inception in 2011, with that number now growing by nearly 2 million miles a month and over 1,000 new registrations each month.

Nissan has sold more than 11,500 all electric Nissan LEAFs since the vehicle was launched in the UK, and almost 200,000 worldwide, in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

Nissan’s current electric vehicle line-up includes the 100% electric Nissan LEAF and the e-NV200 van, providing a sustainable solution in the commercial vehicle sector. To date, Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 owners have covered more than one billion all-electric miles.

Bids for Go Ultra Low Cities scheme go in

October 20, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Milton Keynes, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

As part of the Go Ultra Low Cities Scheme, twelve local authorities have launched bids to win a share of £35 million worth of government funding to improve the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs). Each of the twelve cities or regions have put together bids for the money, which will be shared between two to four schemes and is funded from the UK Government’s £500 million Go Ultra Low funding programme.

The project aims to dramatically increase uptake of ULEVs

The intention is to make ULEV ownership and use as easy and convenient as possible, boosting the uptake in the area and dramatically reducing emissions output from vehicles. The government is aiming to make the successful cities examples of good practice, using the initiatives put in place to lead policy in the future and be showcase regions internationally.

The twelve cities shortlisted for Go Ultra Low status are: City of York Council; Department for Regional Development of Northern Ireland; Dundee City Council; Greater London Authority; Leicester City Council; Milton Keynes Council; North East Combined Authority; Nottingham City Council; Oxford City Council Sheffield City Council; West of England; West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Now that bids have been submitted, the organisers have revealed some of the proposals put forward by the cities which, if successful, could be rolled out in other parts of the country. These include:

A car scrappage scheme to replace conventionally-fuelled vehicles with ULEVs
Replacing existing council fleets with pure electric and ultra low emission models
Increasing ULEV salary sacrifice schemes to make ultra low emission vehicles more accessible
EV carpools for public and private sector workers
Energy-efficient LED street lights that double-up as electric vehicle charge points
On-street community charging facilities in locations where charging is presently impractical or limited
“Smartphone style” charge points with interactive screens and WiFi access
Long-term EV parking at major transport hubs
Enhancing usability and benefits for low-emission car club members with greater charging and parking options

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:

“We are determined to maintain international leadership on the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles. I look forward to seeing the winning ideas for greener, cheaper cars in action. This funding for eco-cities is part of our £500 million funding programme over the next five years to support British industry and achieve our ambition of almost every car, bus and van in the UK being ultra low emission by 2050.”

Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low said,

“We’re excited by the passion and innovation demonstrated by cities across the UK, and we look forward to congratulating the UK’s first Go Ultra Low Cities. We will work closely with the winning regions to help increase motorists’ awareness of the variety, economy and practicality of ultra low emission vehicles through innovative schemes that incentivise purchase, increase use and enhance infrastructure.”

Renault electric vehicles propelled by wind power into the Outer Hebrides

October 18, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Energy and Climate Change, Kangoo Z.E., Renault, Renault, Wind Power, ZOETrevor Larkum

10 Renault electric vehicles available to hire in the Outer Hebrides
EVs powered by renewable energy generated by the islands’ wind turbines
100% electric ZOE supermini and Kangoo Van Z.E. ideal for rural and urban areas
Vehicles available to hire on an hourly or daily basis
New six turbine wind farm to power Outer Hebrides domestic electricity requirements opened today

A 10-strong fleet of 100 per cent electric Renault vehicles powered almost entirely by renewable energy can now be hired by residents and visitors to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

Much of the electricity will be generated by the Pentland Road Wind Farm, the largest on any Scottish island that was officially opened today. The nine ZOE hatchbacks and a Kangoo Van Z.E. have been introduced into the remote region through a unique partnership between E-Car Club and the wind farm operators.

The joint venture brings affordable, zero carbon transport to the area and underlines the suitability of electric vehicles in rural as well as urban environments, with the public being able to hire the innovative models on an hourly or daily basis from a number of locations across the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

E-Car Club – the UK’s first entirely electric pay-per-use car club – chose the Renault ZOE and Kangoo Van Z.E. for the Outer Hebrides following the success it has experienced with the models at its other nationwide locations, including its St Andrews operation which opened earlier this year. The models’ specification, fun drive, reliability and excellent customer feedback were also key factors in the decision.

Representing an investment of £24 million and developed over a 12-year period, Pentland Road Windfarm will generate power for the new vehicles as part of providing renewable electricity to the islands. Such is the efficiency of the wind farm and the suitability of the local climate to support wind power, the six turbines will supply sufficient electricity to meet the entire domestic load of the Outer Hebrides.

Nearly 700 households in the Newvalley, Guershader and Laxdale Lane, Sheshader, Knock and Swordale, and Stornoway General communities will also receive 50 per cent of the biannual lease payments made by Pentland Road Windfarm to the Stornoway Trust as landlord, while there will also be agreed annual payments to the Western Isles Development Trust.

Great effort has also been made to minimise the impact of the wind farm on the local landscape. Great care was taken during the design and construction stages so as not to upset the free movement of water across the site and habitat reinstatement measures are also ensuring that plant communities typical of moorland are now returning to areas surrounding the turbine bases and access tracks. Local bird species have also been unaffected by the project.

Ben Fletcher, Renault UK’s Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said:

“This deal underlines that Renault is a leader in the fast-growing EV sector and the rapidly-increasing popularity that our vehicles have with car sharing clubs and the general public alike. As well as offering residents and tourists a great way to save money and help improve air quality, the car sharing scheme perfectly illustrates that our electric offering has the range and ease of use – not to mention driving pleasure – that makes it ideal for all kinds of drivers in all types of areas.”

Those living in or visiting the Outer Hebrides will be able hire one of the Renault ZOEs from E-Car Club for only £5.50 per hour or £45 per day (24 hours). Power and insurance are both included in the price. The Kangoo panel van is available for £7.50 per hour or £60 per day.

In its drive to help combat congestion, reduce parking and enhance local mobility in an environmentally-friendly and affordable way, E-Car Club has over 20 locations across the UK with several more in the pipeline.

Chris Morris, Managing Director of E-Car Club said:

“I’m delighted to be able to officially announce the launch of E-Car Club in the Outer Hebrides. This is an exceptionally exciting project combining shared e-mobility with renewable power generation in what is undoubtedly a landmark sustainable transport project both in Scotland and around the world.”

“The Islands are a perfect fit for electric car sharing with a community who are already committed to a sustainable lifestyle and current car use limited to relatively short journeys and a frequency which does not always justify private ownership.”

“The intention of E-Car is to provide everyone living in, working in or visiting the region with access to flexible, low cost transport whilst at the same time minimising their environmental impact in what is a truly stunning part of the world.”

Peter Crone, Director of Pentland Road Wind Farm and Zero Carbon Marine, said:

“Electric cars are without doubt the future and car sharing is certain to become increasingly more common too, so it’s wonderful that we have been able to introduce both to the community as part of Pentland Road Wind Farm.

“Local reaction to the wind farm has been excellent and the availability of shared electric cars adds another benefit for people in the region. After having driven one of the ZOEs from the most southern to the most northern point of the Outer Hebrides earlier this week, I am certain that the vehicles will prove very popular.”

Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Scottish National Party (Western Isles) and Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil MP, Scottish National Party, both attended the launch of Pentland Road Windfarm.

Dr Allan said:

“I am happy to see the Pentland Road wind turbines becoming a reality and creating a benefit to the community. I appreciate the great amount of effort that has gone into this project over many years to make it a reality.

“The Isles are uniquely placed to be at the forefront of renewable energy development. Clearly linking the electric car scheme with locally produced wind energy shows the possibilities we have here for a low-carbon future.

“I am looking forward to electric cars becoming more common around the Isles and to seeing the wider community benefits these two schemes should bring in.”

The ZOE is an all-electric, five-door family hatchback available in three trim levels that comes with a very high level of standard specification, despite its competitive price-tag, which starts from £13,445 after the Government Plug-in Car Grant. Standard specification includes items such as climate control and sat-nav.

ZOE is available with a number of features that make for seamless electric vehicle ownership including remote monitoring of the battery and pre-heating the cabin via your smartphone. ZOE also benefits from the patented Chameleon™ Charger that allows it to make the most of the widest range of power supplies and also keep charging times to a minimum – ZOE can charge from zero to 80 per cent full in as little as 30 minutes. The official NEDC range is 149 miles – Renault estimates that in real-world driving conditions that this equates to around 106 miles in summer and 71 miles in winter. Retail ZOE customers also enjoy the free installation of a fast-charging 7kW wall box at home, giving a standard charge time at home from 0-100 per cent in just 3-4 hours.

Awarded the titles of What Car? 2015 ‘Best Electric Car for less than £20,000’ and ‘Best Electric Vehicle’ in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey, the Renault ZOE is an affordable route to zero emissions-in-use motoring.

The Kangoo Van Z.E is perfectly suited to many commercial applications with its choice of four bodystyles and 106-mile range (NEDC) – Renault estimates that in real-world driving conditions that this equates to around 84 miles in summer and 53 miles in winter.

In addition to the ZOE supermini and Kangoo Van Z.E, the Renault Z.E range includes the Twizy urban runaround, an innovative open-sided two-seater vehicle.

In a UK electric car market up 54.5 per cent year-to-date, sales of Renault electric vehicles in the UK were up by 92.4 per cent, to 1,316 vehicles, compared to the same period last year. Total Renault car sales in the UK stood at 59,221 – up 16.7 per cent on first nine months of 2014.

Renault Sold Over 30,000 ZOEs Through August 2015

October 10, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, Sales, ZOETrevor Larkum

I’m not surprised – it is a fab car! I’m coming up 35,000 miles in mine.

Sales of Renault electric cars (like most plug-ins in Europe) are growing almost every month, year-over-year, so far, although August was up just 9% at 828 units. An additional 113 via the city-quadricycle EV, the Twizy.

In eight months, Renault has sold nearly 12,500 electric cars and over 1,550 Twizy.

Renault ZOE hit 30,000 in August

Renault’s flagship, ZOE is already over 30,400 sales, with cumulative sales over 10,000 in eight months of this year.

Renault BEV Sales Worldwide – August 2015 (Image: Inside EVs)

Renault Kangoo Z.E. isn’t doing that well and with just around 2,200 sales is few hundreds below 2014 results. This may be as a result of the Nissan e-NV200.

Source: Inside EVs

Auto Express review of 7-seater e-NV200

September 3, 2015e-NV200, Electric Vans, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

The Nissan e-NV200 electric MPV makes more sense with seven seats but is that enough to make you buy it?

Nissan isn’t only a market leader in electric cars but electric vans as well. Its e-NV200 small van has been leading the electric LCV market since December 2014, becoming a top choice for companies looking to make zero emission deliveries. Available as a panel van and a five-seat combi, there’s now a more practical people carrying version sporting seven seats.

It’s taxi companies, private hire firms, fleets and hotels Nissan is targeting with its e-NV200 7-seater as it’s these groups of people who have been haranguing Nissan to build one. Up until now they’ve had to rely on more conventional seven-seaters like the Ford Galaxy or put up with carrying just five in e-NV200 five-seater models if they wanted to be ‘green’.

…

for companies who undertake short trips, have reliable access to charging points and are committed to embracing electric motoring, the e-NV200 is in a class of its own.

250k electric vehicles sold by Renault-Nissan Alliance

August 23, 2015e-NV200, Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Nissan, Renault, Renault, Sales, ZOETrevor Larkum

Historic EV milestone reached in early June
Alliance sells half of all EVs globally
EV sales up nearly 15 per cent through May vs. same period last year
Nissan LEAF remains world’s best-selling EV
Frenchman from Bordeaux bought 250,000th Alliance EV: a Renault ZOE

PARIS/YOKOHAMA (June 24th, 2015)—The Renault-Nissan Alliance, the world’s leader in zero-emission mobility, has sold its 250,000th electric vehicle: a white Renault ZOE sold to a French engineer.

The Alliance reached the historic milestone in early June, four-and-a-half years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market zero-emission vehicle. The Alliance today accounts for half of the electric vehicles sold worldwide. Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle of all time, with more than 180,000 units sold.

From January through May, the Alliance sold about 31,700 EVs — up nearly 15 per cent over the same period of last year.

“Demand for our electric vehicles continues to grow thanks to government incentives and the expanding charging infrastructure,”

said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

“The positive response of our customers is also driving demand.These vehicles enjoy some of the highest levels of satisfaction rates from our customers around the world.”

Frenchman from Bordeaux takes delivery of 250,000th EV

The 250,000th owner is Yves Nivelle, a computer engineer, who traded in his 21-year-old diesel car for the subcompact Renault ZOE. Nivelle bought his EV after the French government introduced an environmental bonus in April to allow owners of older, polluting diesel cars to trade them in and get a rebate of €10,000 on a new EV.

“The government’s environmental bonus was a big factor in my decision to get an EV,” Nivelle said. “But I have to say, I was convinced the first time I drove the car. It’s a real pleasure to drive and it feels good to do my part for the environment.”

Alliance has full range of six 100% EVs; Renault leads in Europe

With six models on the road, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is the only global car group with a full range of 100% electric vehicles. In addition to the LEAF, Nissan also sells the e-NV200 van, which has been on sale in Europe and Japan since last year. In addition to the ZOE, Renault also sells the RenaultKangoo Z.E van, the SM3 Z.E. sedan and the Twizy, a two-seater urban commuter vehicle.

Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan has sold 185,000 electric vehicles worldwide since December 2010, when the Nissan LEAF went on sale. LEAF has collected numerous industry honors, including the 2011 World Car of the Year, European Car of the Year 2011, and Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012. The LEAF is sold in 46 markets. Nissan’s top EV markets are the United States, with about 80,000 sales since LEAF’s launch, Japan with about 53,500 units, and Europe with about 41,500.

Renault, based in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, has sold 65,000 electric vehicles worldwidesince its first model, the Kangoo Z.E., went on sale in October 2011. Kangoo Z.E. was voted International Van of the Year 2012.

Renault was the No.1 EV brand in Europe for the last two months, with a market share of 26 percent. Renault’s top markets are France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway. In France, where ZOE is the most popular EV with almost half the market, the government’s environmental bonus allows drivers to lease the ZOE, including the battery, for as little as €99 a month.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance was recently chosen as the official passenger-car provider for the United Nation’s COP21 climate conference in Paris from November 30th to December 11th. The Alliance will provide a fleet of 200 EVs to shuttle delegates to the annual conference.It will be the first time the U.N. will use a zero-emission fleet for its entire passenger car shuttle at a COP event.

The seven-seat electric Nissan e-NV200 arrives

August 11, 2015e-NV200, Electric Vans, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

Autocar talks about the family- and business-friendly en-NV200, Nissan’s van version of the Leaf

Nissan has unveiled a seven-seat version of the battery-powered e-NV200 MPV. It goes on sale in July, priced from £19,895 to £22,255 – including the £5000 government grant – if leasing the battery.

It’s powered by the same electric powertrain used by the Nissan Leaf and has an electric range of 106 miles on a full charge.

Range-topping Evalia trim is now offered with the e-NV200 and includes a reversing camera, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, steering wheel-mounted controls and privacy glass.

In seven seat form this trim costs £27,260 if buying the battery outright, or £22,255 if leasing the battery.

With the extra two seats in the third row the e-NV200 has an 870-litre boot capacity, increasing to 2940 litres with all seats folded away.

Jean Pierre Diernaz, head of EV for Nissan Europe, told Autocar that the MPV is primarily aimed at business customers.

“There are between 150 and 200 Ultra Low Emissions Zones now, and this is something that is going to dramatically explode in the coming years,” Diernaz said.

“This will be a massive problem for companies that need to deliver into the city,” he added. “It’s a game-changer for some big companies.”

Diernaz believes the e-NV200 will change how businesses operate in big cities.

“Because it’s an electric car, you can drive indoors,” he said. “Suddenly you can enter the warehouse, load the car and go outside.

“Today you stop at the entrance of the warehouse then you need an additional system to take the goods and then load them back to the car.”

Renault ZOE rated best EV in Auto Express Driver Power 2015

June 5, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, ZOETrevor Larkum

ZOE debuts in owner survey in 5th place overall
ZOE rated 1st for running costs of all 200 entrants
Ease of driving commended with 2nd place overall finish
ZOE rated best EV – five places ahead of nearest electric rival

The 100% electric Renault ZOE supermini has been highly commended by owners in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey out today finishing an impressive fifth overall out of 200 vehicles and rated as the best electric vehicle to own.

Finishing five places above its nearest all-electric competitor, with a score of 92.87 per cent, the ZOE was also rated the best vehicle in this year’s survey for low running costs as well as second overall for ease of driving. ZOE, in its debut survey year, was ranked second, out of 43 vehicles, in the competitive supermini category.

The ZOE also scored well for In-car technology and performance with owners rating the car ninth and fifteenth respectively out of the 200 entrants.

Commenting on the ZOE’s performance in the survey, Ben Fletcher, Renault UK Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said:

“The Renault ZOE offers the recognized benefits of all-electric vehicles in an ultra-stylish and highly-affordable package. It’s no wonder that owners are so delighted with their cars.”

Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-chief said:

“Breaking into the Driver Power top five is a significant achievement for the Renault ZOE. Owners of electric cars clearly love their vehicles – and the ZOE, in particular, has a winning formula of low running costs and decent performance, plus it’s very easy to drive, too.”

The Auto Express Driver Power survey had its largest response ever in 2015 with 61,113 car owners, up 20 per cent on 2014, completing the comprehensive survey about their vehicle ownership experience.

The Renault ZOE has won numerous awards since going on sale in 2013 including being named What Car? Magazine’s ‘Best Electric Car for under £20,000’ for the last two consecutive years.

ZOE is one of three all-electric Renault models including the innovative Twizy urban vehicle and the Kangoo Z.E. Van. ZOE can be purchased in two ways, either outright, from £18,443, or from £13,443 with a battery lease from £25 per month (including the Government Plug-In Car Grant) and can charge its batteries in as little as 30 minutes.

A new longer-range version of ZOE, with a new Renault-developed motor, was announced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show which will bring a best-in-class official range of 149 miles when it joins the ZOE line-up in May.

Sales in the UK of Renault’s electric models were up 90 per cent in 2014 to 1,286 vehicles and continued this strong growth in the first three months of 2015 with sales up 148 per cent to 401 vehicles.

Source: Renault Group UK Press Office

Nissan e-NV200 Taxi Like Getting A License To Print Money

May 18, 2015e-NV200, Electric Taxis, Electric Vans, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

Nissan e-NV200 Taxi Saves Fleets So Much Cash That It’s Like Getting A License To Print Money

British taxi company C&C Taxi from St. Austell was already featured by Nissan as one of the LEAF and e-NV200 pioneers.

Now, it turns out that by switching to EVs, C&C acquired a license to print money (no, not really), saving over €79,000 in 18 months on fleet costs.

According to the press release, the annual savings per car on fuel alone in the UK stands at €11,374 (£8,500) or over $12,000.

To make savings like that you need to drive a lot, and to drive a lot you need to charge a lot, and to charge a lot you need to do it fast so C&C installed two DC quick chargers – one at its office and one in an industrial estate. The result is 77,000 miles (123,000 km) in just 12 months for one of the cars, which translates to some 6,400 miles (10,250 km) a month!

Neither C&C Taxi nor Nissan provided the total payback period for the cars (including fast chargers) compared to conventional cars, which maybe would convince more taxi companies to switch to EVs.

Nissan’s Director of Electric Vehicles, Jean Pierre Diernaz explains the significance of C&C’s experience, commenting:

“C&C Taxis proves once again that Nissan electric vehicles work extremely well as taxis with huge cost savings for the business and big benefits to CO₂ emissions and air quality. These cars work hard, averaging 40 taxi fares and 240 km (150 miles) per day with zero reliability issues. It just works!”

C&C Taxi Fleet Manager Mark Richards commented:

“We have had such a positive experience with our Nissan LEAF fleet, even the drivers, who were anxious to start with are now very happy to drive a 100 percent electric car. They tell us a 10 hour shift is less tiring with an EV and the e-NV200 we have now means we can extend that experience to the drivers who were previously in diesel minibuses.”

“People often say that electric cars are just for cities, but we are in one of the most beautiful and rural counties of England with no cities or even motorways and they are working amazingly well for us. We are a family owned business and this is not a vanity project, this is something that is that is saving us money and getting us extra business.”

Source: Inside EVs

E-Car Club launches in Scotland

May 14, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, ZOETrevor Larkum

The University of St Andrews, together with Transport Scotland and E-Car Club have launched Scotland’s largest all electric, community car club.

St Andrews now has a fleet of 10 electric vehicles (8x Renault ZOE hatchbacks and 2x Renault Kangoo vans) which residents, businesses and visitors can hire by the hour; making the it Scotland’s most densely populated EV town.

The launch, hosted in the town’s central Church Square, gave residents and visitors the opportunity to meet with representatives from E-Car Club, the University of St Andrews, Renault and Carplus.

The E-Car Club represents a positive step in reducing the towns’ emissions from transport and towards the University of St Andrews’ goal of becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral university.

For as little as an hour, or for several days, members can collect zero-emission vehicles from three locations; Agnes Blackadder Halls, The Gateway at North Haugh, and David Russell Apartments.

E-Car Club members will pay a £50 one-off joining fee for access to the scheme (£25 until 31 July) — with rental prices starting at £4.50 per hour or £35 per day (24 hours), including power and insurance.

Members will be supplied with a membership card and pin number which they can use to book the vehicles; either online or by phone. Once the vehicle is booked, the membership card can be swiped on the windscreen-mounted reader to unlock the vehicle.

The cars can generally travel around 65-90 miles on a single charge; putting Dundee and Edinburgh within easy reach, with their fantastic infrastructure of rapid charging units making even longer journeys an option.

Scottish Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay said:

“It is really exciting to see the nation’s first all EV car club launch in St Andrews, funded in part by the £1 million announced last summer for EVs in car clubs through the ‘Developing Car Clubs in Scotland’ programme.

“The Scottish Government is committed to achieving the target of almost total decarbonisation of road transport by 2050 because of the numerous benefits this will bring.”

Chris Morris, Managing Director of E-Car Club said:

“I’m delighted to be able to officially announce the launch of E-Car Club in St Andrews. This is particularly significant to us as our first scheme in Scotland – once home to many of the E-Car team including myself – and our largest single deployment of vehicles to date.”

Source: Next Green Car