A ROSYTH man has won a Nissan LEAF for a year, in a competition devised to change public attitudes to electric motoring in Scotland.
Run by the Energy Saving Trust in conjunction with Western Nissan on Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, the competition took the form of a prize draw for those who took time to complete a simple three-question survey of their knowledge of electric vehicles.
The competition was won by Fife-based utility engineer Neil Swanson, who took delivery of the car at the dealership on Saturday. As part of the prize, a charge point has already been installed at his home.
A delighted Neil, who now plans to use the car to commute to jobs across Southern Scotland and to tackle driving challenges such as the Far North 500, said: “I was delighted when I found out I’d won the car and I can’t wait to drive it.”
He added: “Driving an electric car was always on my agenda but I wasn’t quite sure the time was right for me.
“Winning this competition, will allow me to have the ultimate year-long test drive.”
The competition was organised to raise awareness about the financial and environmental benefits of electric motoring, challenge any lingering misconceptions and assess public knowledge on the subject.
Results of the survey, which was completed by 4,000 people, showed that nearly 90 per cent of respondents understood that electric vehicles are not just for short journeys. Meanwhile, almost 95 per cent correctly said electric cars are no slower than their petrol or diesel counterparts and an astonishing 98 per cent knew EVs generate less CO2 than conventionally-powered cars.
Energy Saving Trust’s Head of New Services, Harry Mayers, is keen to help more Scottish drivers discover the benefits of electric cars.
“The most compelling reason for a driver to consider an electric car is probably the running costs – around 2p-3p per mile, compared to around 15p for the average petrol car. The big added benefit is that electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions, improving air quality and Scotland’s health.
“For those travelling longer distances, Scotland’s network of publicly accessible chargers is growing all the time and rapid chargers can provide an 80% charge in around 20 minutes.”
