Ten per cent of council fleet now electric vehicles
Following funding from Transport Scotland’s Switched on Fleets fund East Lothian Council has increased the number of electric vehicles in its fleet. 10 Renault Zoe vans for use by Property Maintenance, Facilities Management, Transport, IT and Protective Services teams of the council are replacing diesel vehicles and brings the current total of EVs to 36 or 10% of the total fleet.
Environment spokesperson, Cllr Norman Hampshire, said: “As fleet vehicles near the end of their working life we are seeking to replace with EVs which will be a major contributor to improving air quality in the county by lowering emissions. The council’s Climate Change Strategy, which was adopted in 2020, clearly identifies the benefits that EVs can bring and the council has led in providing a comprehensive EV charging infrastructure across the county benefitting both residents and visitors alike.”
East Lothian Council received £176,000 funding from Transport Scotland which broke down into £110,000 for vehicles and the remaining £66,000 for EV related infrastructure. New EV charge points continue to be planned and installed across the county including in residential areas where householders may be unable to install at their home. The expansion of publically available charging points has been made possible with separate funding from Transport Scotland and the UK Government’s OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles).