BELLINGEN Shire Council has replaced two of its petrol vehicles with electric vehicles, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.
The new Nissan Leaf vehicles will be run on 100 percent renewable electricity, produce no tailpipe emissions and are more economical to run.
The Nissans will form part of the Council’s vehicle pool, and will be available for Council staff to use for work purposes, such as travelling to meetings or on-site inspections.
The vehicles are considered ideal for this purpose as most work-related trips are short in nature.
A charging station has been installed at Council Chambers, powered by a 91kW solar PV system.
Any additional electricity is sourced through Council’s 100 percent renewable electricity Power Purchase Agreement.
Mayor Cr Steve Allan was excited to take his first drive in one of the vehicles.
“The quietness of the vehicle and the lack of tailpipe pollutants made for an extremely pleasant driving experience,” said Cr Allan.
“I found it smooth and easy to drive, and the dashboard display makes it easy to see how far the vehicle can go before needing to be recharged.
“This is a great initiative for our Council, and I am pleased that Council is able to lead the charge for a greener future.”
The purchase of Council’s new electric vehicles and installation of charging infrastructure was made possible by funding from the NSW Government’s Electric Vehicle Fleets Incentive Kick-start Funding Program.
This funding is also available to businesses with a fleet of at least three vehicles.
