NISSAN is helping Yorkshire Water’s quest for a renewable future, through the all-electric e-NV200.
As part of its aim to shrink its carbon footprint and reach its target to make 20% of its van fleet electric by 2020, Yorkshire Water has taken delivery of ten e-NV200s for use by staff taking meter readings around the region — and plans to buy a further 40 in the near future.
The vans also support Leeds City Council’s Clean Air Zone proposals as it aims to reduce air pollution in the city.
The drive towards electric vehicles has led to Yorkshire Water being the first in the water sector to be granted ‘Go Ultra Low’ fleet accreditation, which is a government and industry campaign to promote the benefits of electric vehicles.
And for the company, the financial benefits are as impressive as the environmental ones — with cost savings of more than £530,000 expected over the seven-year life span of the vans, as well as 140 tonnes of carbon emissions offset per year.
Andy Clark, Head of Procurement at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re really excited to be starting our journey towards a vehicle fleet entirely powered by renewable energy and are proud to achieve the prestigious ‘Go Ultra Low’ status. As a sustainability-focussed business we recognise the need to lower our carbon footprint and play our part in delivering clean air in our towns and cities across Yorkshire.”
In addition to the vans, all of the electricity Yorkshire Water uses to power its operational sites is now generated from renewable sources, supplied by ENGIE.
The Nissan e-NV200, which has an impressive 703kg payload and class-leading 4.2m3 capacity, is also eligible for the government’s Plug In-Van Grant incentive of 20% of the cost of the van, up to a maximum of £8,000.
