Electric vehicles reducing Council's carbon footprint

Electric vehicles are dramatically reducing Exeter City Council’s carbon footprint, the local authority has revealed.

More and more of the City Council’s fleet of vehicles are being replaced by electric vehicles. Replacing its diesel fleet is making the city greener and saving the Council money on its fuel bills.

Electric pool cars used by staff out and about on official duty, has provided for a massive 75% reduction in CO2 emissions, in comparison to what was produced in 2010.  

Overall, replacement of the Council’s ageing diesel-powered vans has had a huge impact, cutting carbon emissions of the entire transport fleet by 35%.

As well as reducing climate change emissions, moving away from diesel power reduces particulate emissions and this will help improve air quality on Exeter’s streets. 

Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor with responsibility for City Transformation, said:  "This is great news for Exeter, making the city greener and saving money, helping to keep council tax bills down and deliver key services.”

Some of the charge points are powered by renewable electricity from several of the Council’s solar arrays mounted on its buildings.

To encourage electric vehicle use across a wider area, the City Council provides six public ‘Plug & Park’ sites round the city.  Electric Vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, making a beneficial contribution to local air quality.  

The free charge points have been funded thanks to the City Council's successful bid for government funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. They are located at the following locations and are available for residents and visitors to the city:

John Lewis Car Park
Guildhall Car Park 
Mary Arches Car Park 
Matford Park and Ride 
Cathedral and Quay Car Park 
Magdalen Street Car Park 

The Charging facilities are also supported through sponsorship. This opportunity was recently taken up by Marsh Kia, a local car dealership. Adam Liddicoat, General Sales Manager said: “Marsh Kia is always keen to support local initiatives, and will provide a full range of electric vehicles for both individuals and fleet use.”