Cork City Council to put 76 electric vehicles on the road
Cork City Council has announced plans to put 76 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, thus creating the biggest such local authority fleet in the country.
Electric vehicles help improve air quality and produce less than half the carbon emissions of petrol cars. It is hoped that the electric fleet will help make the city’s communities healthier and better places to live in. The council should also see savings of up to €700,000 in five years through the rollout.
New fast charging points have been installed at City Hall and at Cork City Council depots for the electric fleet, with the support of Bord Gáis Energy. Another 30 plus charging points are available to the public around the city through various providers.
A Renault Kangoo, Nissan Leaf, and Hyundai Kona will be driven by the council’s operations staff, who deliver road maintenance, housing maintenance, parks management and waste management services. Another two of the cars will be used as ‘pooled vehicles’ for use by City Hall-based officials who need to use a car during the working day.
Cork City Council’s decision to go electric is a key component of the city’s Climate Action Plan, which followed widespread public engagement last year. The council consulted with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in developing this project.
“An overarching goal of our new corporate plan for 2020-2025 is to drive Cork’s future growth sustainably by leading on climate action,” said Ann Doherty, chief executive, Cork City Council. “Road transport is a major cause of air pollution and climate change and yet nearly three quarters of Cork people commute using cars.
“As part of the €3.5 billion Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS), we want to work with our partners to support a modal shift to more sustainable means of transport and to help people think of alternatives before they automatically reach for the car keys when going to work, taking children to school, popping out to the shop or socialising by day or night.”
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan, said: “Cork City is projected to double in size over the next 20 years becoming the fastest growing city in the country. Cork will only be able to absorb this population increase yet retain our quality of life if more of us move over to sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, opt for public transport or if we can, consider electric vehicle options if we are changing our car.”
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