Low Carbon London participants nab 25 Nissan Leafs – with fleets next to benefit

Thursday, July 4, 2013 - 11:35
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NissanLeafLowCarbonLondonProject

DELIVERY: 25 new all-electric Leafs trialled

The first 25 Low Carbon London EV lease scheme participants have taken delivery of their new Leafs – with 25 further vehicles ready for fleets.

Those involved in the UK Power Networks-run project – individuals and their families – took delivery of their all-electric cars at Nissan’s UK headquarters, Maple Cross.

The handover comes as Low Carbon London extends EV trials across the capital to understand the impact of low carbon technologies on the electricity network.

A further 25 Leafs are set aside for fleets within the M25, to see how much money businesses can save through electric vehicles.

Individuals will lease the Leaf for a year, with companies leasing for two years.

Barry Beeston, Corporate Sales Director of Nissan, said: “This project, instigated by UK Power Networks, will provide vital information on running an electric vehicle and the resulting impact it has on both electricity distributors and us, as manufacturers.

“The Nissan LEAF is the ideal choice for this trial as it will turn all 50 drivers into strong advocates of electric vehicles, especially around large urban areas such as London.

Both the individual and companies involved in the project will be provided with a free charging unit at their location of choice.

They will also have access to Source London – the capital’s EV charging network, which has more than 1,300 charging points across the city.

Michael Clark, Interim Programme Director of Low Carbon London, said: “We will be monitoring the drivers’ charging behaviour and using that to model the type of electricity network that will be needed to support larger numbers of electric vehicles.

“The aim of the project is to ensure the electricity network supports the transition to low carbon transport.”

Low Carbon London is a £28.3million programme by UK Power Networks, largely funded through Ofgem’s Low Carbon Network Fund, to help develop smart electricity networks in Britain.

It is supported by a number of organisations, including the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and the Institute for Sustainability.

The Nissan Leaf has a range of around 100 miles and costs just £2.30 to fully charge.

For more information, visit www.lowcarbonlondon.info.

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