Electric vehicles save £200k

Hampshire County Council is set to use the vehicles, which could save the authority £200,000 a year.

Councillor Mel Kendal, executive member for economic development, said: ‘As a publicly-funded authority, it’s vital that our proposals make economic and environmental sense.

‘The decreasing cost of electric vehicles makes this an ideal time to start replacing our small diesel vehicles, which could dramatically reduce our fuel costs and potentially save over £200,000 a year.

‘Electric vehicles could also save an estimated 400 tonnes of carbon emissions, helping the environment and delivering cleaner air for Hampshire residents.’

A new electric delivery van and pool car based at Bar End, Winchester, will cost 97 per cent less to ‘fuel’ than equivalent diesel vehicles.

The new electric vehicles include a Nissan E-NV200 van. It will be used to deliver supplies to schools and council offices in Winchester, and a Nissan Leaf which will be used as a staff pool car.

The county council is yet to decide if it will change any of its other 156 small vehicles.

Cllr Kendal said: ‘We have also surged ahead in reducing our energy consumption.’