Ireland Leads the Green Way

28/09/2009

Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board (ESB) has successfully deployed four all-electric vehicles manufactured by Glasgow-based Allied Electric. 

Two Peugeot-based eExpert vans are in daily use with ESB Network technicians.  The company has also purchased two of Allied’s electric MPVs for staff and event use.  

Ireland’s largest electricity supplier, ESB currently has a fleet of 2,500 road-going vehicles, varying from light commercial to heavy goods.  What is unusual, however, is that the company has set ambitious targets to reduce fleet CO2 emissions by 30% by 2012 and by 50% by 2020.

ESB Network managing director John Shine explains:  “ESB is seriously committed to emission reduction.  Fleet operations are an important part of this so we started looking at ways we could achieve these stretching targets”.

It was then that the company started investigating the possibility of introducing electric vehicles into their fleet and made contact with specialist vehicle manufacturer Allied Electric.

eExpert

“Our two eExpert vans are used on a daily basis by ESB Network technicians in Dublin and Cork,” continues John.

“Both drivers are very happy with both the driving style and performance of the vehicles.  They report that they find the electric vans give a different and great driving experience and see the vehicles as ideal for city driving.”

One of the eExpert Tepee MPVs is based at ESB’s head offices in Dublin, where it is used to transport personnel to and from meetings and to collect staff and visitors from the airport.  The other electric Tepee is known as the ‘national vehicle’ and is used around the country at local events and festivals, to promote awareness of electric vehicles.

Range

Allied’s all-electric vans, which create zero carbon emissions in operation, offer a range of 80 to 100 miles, depending on driving conditions.  So far one of the longest trips taken by an ESB eExpert was made by John Campion, Executive Director of Sustainability.  He used an electric Tepee to travel from head office in Dublin to a conference in Dundalk and back on the same day - a round trip of 160 kilometres, with a top-up charge in between.

There’s no substitute for experience and, having successfully deployed these first vehicles in real working environments, ESB has gained further confidence in the use of all-electric vehicles as part to their fleet mix.  

Shine concludes:  “We’re extremely happy with the electric vans and MPVs from Allied.  Now we’re looking at where else in the company we could replace conventional diesel vehicles with all-electric, zero-emission vehicles.

Development

Allied Electric managing director Paul Nelson comments:  “The past three years have been all about developing, testing and fine-tuning our electric LCV range. 

“At the same time we were determined not to rush to market before the products were fully ready and we knew they would offer the reliability and performance that professional fleet operators naturally expect.  Positive feedback like this from the ESB in Ireland very much vindicates this strategy and should help encourage other environmentally conscious organisations to switch on to all-electric transport.” 

Allied Electric is one of three manufacturers selected to supply all-electric vans as part of the government’s £20 million Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme.  It will provide all-electric Peugeot eBoxer vans to a variety of participating government agencies and local authorities.

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