NHS bosses in the busy Lothian region of Scotland have significantly increased the number of Nissan electric vehicles on their fleet – by acquiring 10 e-NV200 vans via Eastern Western Motor Group.
The order takes the number of Nissan EVs run by NHS Lothian to 80 – a figure that represents more than 10 per cent of the health board’s vehicle pool of 700 or so. Another 45 vehicles on the fleet are EVs from other manufacturers.
The significant number of e-NV200s and LEAF passenger cars reflects NHS Lothian’s confidence in Nissan and its zero-tailpipe-emission technology.
The latest batch of e-NV200s will be put to good use immediately. Four of them have been allocated to the Childsmile service which aims to improve the oral health of youngsters by giving them easy access to all-important dental services.
The other six will perform a variety of functions such as lab vans (picking up specimens from GP surgeries); supporting adult dentistry; and joining the hard-working estates team.
The popularity of Nissan electric vehicles is not in question at NHS Lothian, which has made great strides in terms of reducing its carbon footprint in recent years.
Spokesperson Simon Law said: ‘‘Our electrification journey has been under way for some time now and we couldn’t have chosen a better partner than Nissan. Both LEAF and e-NV200 are wonderfully versatile vehicles and incredibly popular with our team.
‘‘Needless to say, we have learned lessons along the way but we can’t fault the comfort and convenience of our Nissan electric vehicles; nor their reliability and resilience to all kinds of driving conditions.
‘‘The four e-NV200s allocated to Childsmile look particularly eye-catching in their cheerful new livery – and being zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles, they give the planet something to smile about, too!’’
David Stead, Corporate Manager at Western Nissan, Edinburgh, said: ‘‘It was a pleasure to work with Simon and his team on the procurement of this batch of 10 e-NV200s for NHS Lothian.
‘‘The e-NV200 is a proven performer for the NHS in Edinburgh and the surrounding area and we couldn’t be more delighted to have been involved in the supply of these vehicles.’’
Karen Reid, Corporate Sales Manager, Nissan Fleet Sales, said: ‘‘NHS Lothian has made huge strides in its decarbonisation journey in recent years and the team there deserve huge credit for their efforts.
‘‘We’re delighted to have been their chosen manufacturer partner as they have been adding EVs to their vehicle pool and we look forward to the relationship continuing for many years to come.’’