An initial £ 9.3 million investment was tabled to local authorities to encourage companies with diesel vehicles to switch to electric with a free two-month trial. This is just a government initiative to reduce carbon emissions before the 2050 deadline to be carbon neutral.
One of the first local authorities to participate in the program was Kent County Council under the Kent Realizing Electric Vans Scheme (REVS).
They received 20 fully electric Renault Kangoo E-Tech and four Renault Zoe Vans, but hope that Kent REVS will eventually have a fleet of 48 EVs.
The Renault vans have a bespoke Kent REVS paint scheme that underlines their 100 percent electrical performance.
They are also equipped with satellite navigation and ply lining in the hold.
READ MORE: Formula E is a “hotbed” for new electric car technology
“Kent County Council is also making the transition from gasoline to diesel for its own fleet and our goal is to be 100 percent electric by 2030.”
There are currently plans to expand the network of electric charging stations across Kent.
Kent’s REVS program collaborates with the Low Carbon Across the South and East (LoCASE) program.
Its goal is to help companies become more competitive and profitable while promoting low-carbon solutions.
The program offers business grants up to £ 10,000, as well as training workshops and fully funded events.
One of the service users is Edibleculture, a gardening supply company, which has purchased a Renault Kangoo I ZE electric van.
Chris Williams, director of Edibleculture, spoke about the possibility of further investments in an electric van.
He said, “We have an electric van and an older diesel van that we’re looking for a slightly larger electric van.
“We would not have been able to bring out the electric van because we got back 40 percent of the cost of the van, which was apparently financed by this LoCASE grant.
“We also got a small grant to install a charging station here at work, so the incentives are really good and that really helped us.
“Any type of business incentive or grant program that can help us make this change would definitely benefit us.”
The main benefit of this program is to reduce the carbon footprint of businesses and individuals.
Thanks to the new electric vans, an estimated 1.93 tons of CO2 emissions will be saved each year.
The company is expected to save £ 2,290 per year on diesel as well.
