Mayor's got the electric car buzz

The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire is going green – by swapping her normal mayoral car for an environmentally-friendly electric model.

This week Councillor Peggy Elliott and her consort Steve will travel to their various civic engagements in a 100 per cent electric-powered Nissan Leaf, courtesy of Hartwell Grimsby.

It comes less than a month after new charging points were installed in two North East Lincolnshire car parks and means the Mayor can attend all her duties for the week on just a 40 pence charge.

Councillor Elliott said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to use an electric vehicle for my mayoral duties during which I will be helping the environment and raising awareness that the electric car is ideal for small journeys around town. And now we have the charging points in place, North East Lincolnshire has the infrastructure in place to support them."

Electric vehicles are still very much an emerging technology but are set to become much more popular over the next few years as manufacturers unveil new and better models at lower prices.

David Robertson, general manager at Hartwell Grimsby said: "We are proud to support the Mayor and North East Lincolnshire Council to raise awareness of this 100 per cent green environment incentive.

"Having installed the new charging points, the council is really supporting those who choose to move away from the typical diesel or petrol vehicle and to a greener form of transport."

Research shows that the biggest slice of car use is made up of small journeys and average daily motoring is just over 23 miles per car – making electric vehicles a viable option for most trips.

Average trip lengths, for the most common routine journeys are: commuting – 8.8 miles, business trip – 19.4 miles, school run – 2.3 miles, shopping – 4.3 miles, visiting friends – 8.7 miles, and entertainment – 7.3 miles.

Earlier this month charging points for electric vehicles were fitted at the council-owned car parks on Cartergate, Grimsby, and St Peter's Avenue in Cleethorpes.

The charging points were installed by Louth-based firm Scenergy Limited, and are run by charging company POD Point. In a bid to get drivers thinking green, users can register their vehicles for just £15 and receive unlimited electricity for the first 12 months.

NELC, which owns the chargers, has the choice to make them "Pay As You Go" in the future. Both charge points have been funded by central Government.

Scenergy manager Jonathan Wilson described the installation of the points as "a big step in the right direction", and expressed hope that it would drive up sales of electric cars, which are being sold at Hartwell, the Renault garage and Thurlby Motors in Louth.