The purchase by Whitehorse City Council was made in an effort to help reduce carbon emissions and to improve sustainability. Councillor Bill Bennett said the latest addition to the council fleet is a Renault Kangoo van and it will fill the role of a replacement vehicle. He said the electric van will lead the way in commercial vehicles that are environmentally sustainable, adding:
“The range of 220 kilometres is suited to an urban environment and operational needs. It is anticipated that the van will be used by Council for many years. The battery has a life expectancy of more than 10 years and is fully recyclable.”
Residents are likely to see the van undertaking cleaning services. Electric vehicles such as this have often featured in informative brochure printing aimed at promoting sustainability.
This latest purchase by Council is in line with its Sustainability Strategy, according to Councillor Bennett. He said the City of Whitehorse was always seeking ways to reduce its carbon footprint and become more environmentally sustainable.
In addition to the totally electric van, Council also has four electric cars and several hybrid vehicles, which Councillor Bennett believes is going a long way to meeting the desired outcome.
Box Hill South’s Operations Centre for Council hosts a charging point for the electric vehicles.