DOZENS of new electric vans will soon be on the streets of Wiltshire as the county looks towards being carbon neutral.
Wiltshire Council has invested in 61 new electric vans to replace its current fleet of diesel vehicles, with 18 of the vehicles already on the roads.
The new fleet is a mix of 26 Nissan Townstar Tekna and 35 Peugeot e-Partner vans, which have a range of 180 miles and are used by a number of services across the council, including highways, parking services and facilities management.
One of Wiltshire Council’s new NIssan vehicles
As part of meeting its net zero target, the council is seeking to ensure the method of battery production for the new vehicles is carbon friendly, and as a result, lithium-ion cells are used instead of cobalt batteries.
Just last month, Wiltshire Council’s Parks Team in Salisbury took delivery of four new electric vans, which are already being used.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for transport, said: “It’s fantastic to see our new fleet of electric vehicles out on Wiltshire’s roads, replacing our older fleet of diesel vehicles.
“These new electric vehicles help to reduce our carbon footprint, improve air quality, and save money on fuel and maintenance costs. It’s another example of the substantial changes we’re making to reach our target of being carbon neutral by 2030.”
An electric Peugeot van, part of the Wiltshire Council fleet
Wiltshire Council has pledged to be carbon neutral as an organisation by 2030.
The pledge relates to the council’s carbon emissions that are within the council’s direct control, such as emissions from operating buildings and the vehicle fleet.
Emissions will be drastically reduced by measures including decarbonising heating, improving energy efficiency, and expanding renewable electricity generation, while any residual emissions will be offset.
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