Nissan has won a prestigious accolade at the 2020 GreenFleet Awards.
The trophy for Outstanding Achievement was presented to the manufacturer because of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nissan was praised for its efforts in helping frontline NHS staff get to and from work in a safe and efficient manner during the first lockdown earlier this year. The company provided a free car use service that included complimentary insurance and roadside assistance.
More than 30 dealerships across the UK took part in the scheme which was designed to support workers with transport issues caused by the pandemic. Vehicles allocated to the initiative included Micra, Juke, Qashqai and the all-electric LEAF.
Nissan also pulled out all the stops at its factory in Sunderland to help frontline workers.
Whilst vehicle production was suspended at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, a team of over 50 volunteers who work at the plant got together to produce more than half a million protective aprons for healthcare staff.
The 500,000 mark was reached in just under three months and the aprons were supplied to more than 100 health care trusts and care homes across the north-east.
This year’s GreenFleet Awards were held online and celebrated the fleet operators, companies and individuals that have successfully slashed transport emissions, helping with the UK’s air quality and net zero agenda.
Nissan has impeccable environmental credentials in the fleet arena with its all-electric LEAF and e-NV200 van proving popular with companies and organisations in both the public and private sectors.
A Nissan spokesman said: ‘‘Naturally we are delighted to have won the Outstanding Achievement Award at this year’s GreenFleet Awards. However, success of this nature was the last thing on our minds when we decided to do our bit for the NHS.
‘‘Our dealerships provided a splendid service to NHS workers and other key personnel during the first lockdown and it was incredibly rewarding to use the downtime at our Sunderland factory to produce much-needed PPE for the healthcare sector.’’
The GreenFleet brand has been using its portfolio of magazines, websites, newsletters and events to champion low-emission transport in the fleet and transport industry for 20 years.
The Award for Outstanding Achievement was sponsored by The Algorithm People, also headline sponsors for the whole event.