Irish power provider ESB Networks has purchased 70 electric commercial vehicles from Nissan in one of the largest purchases of its kind in Ireland.
The Nissan ENV200s will be added to the fleet throughout 2020 and will offset an estimated 170 tonnes of localised carbon emissions annually compared to its current diesel small van fleet.
The vehicles will be deployed nationally in areas including metering and stores.
ESB currently operates a fleet of 2,000 vehicles, with a mix of small, medium and large vans, HGVs and 4x4s.
Minister for communications, climate action and environment Richard Bruton said: “Our public sector must lead by example if we are to persuade the rest of society to make the changes required. I welcome that the ESB are committed to a 100% carbon emissions-free fleet and are making a start with today’s announcement. It is vital to show leadership in this area. This will cut greenhouse gases, improve air quality and demonstrate what can be done to other sectors.”
Paul Mulvaney, executive director, customer delivery at ESB Networks, said the switch was the result of market research and extensive trialling to ensure range and carrying capacity were not compromised.
He added: “We are delighted to be in the position to begin phasing out our diesel fleet and we will continue to explore the options available to us to increase our commercial EV numbers, as well as reducing our overall carbon footprint across the business. We are playing a pivotal role in paving the way for a greener society through an ever-cleaner electricity system, so we want to make sure that we are doing our part across all our operations.”
This announcement follows a €20m investment programme by ESB’s electric vehicle charging arm to meet Ireland’s growing demand for electric vehicles.
