Scottish authorities opt for Nissan LEAF
Four local authorities in Scotland have turned to the innovative Nissan LEAF in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint.
MHS Tayside, Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council have all taken delivery of the 100 per cent electric vehicles in order to reduce their CO2 emissions and improve air quality in Scotland.
The news comes after Transport Scotland offered a grant to help public sector organisations across the country meet the initial cost of purchasing electric vehicles.
In total, 12 LEAFs have been purchased and should the authorities achieve their green ambitions, more organisations could follow suit.
Sandy Watson, sustainability champion and chairman of NHS Tayside, which bought two of the electric motors, said: "Last year NHS Tayside spent over half a million pounds on fuel for its fleet of vehicles and money we save on fuel will could go towards other healthcare priorities.
"The timely delivery of these two new electric vehicles will help towards reducing NHS Tayside's emissions as they create less pollution than petrol or diesel powered cars, and are an environmentally-friendly alternative, as well as being cost-effective."
These sentiments were echoed by Dundee City Council plant and vehicle officer Fraser Crichton, who said that the Nissan LEAF was the only car available that matched its needs for an upmarket car with ample boot space and range enough to reach Glasgow.
"I have driven the LEAF myself and have found it to be fantastic. It is excellent to drive and my fellow colleagues and I have been very impressed by it," he added.
The news comes shortly after Nissan launched the 100-day Big Turn On campaign, with which it attempted to encourage one million drivers to swap their petrol-engine cars for the greener Nissan LEAF.
Posted by Louise Clark
