Commercial’s 'green' drive day has been heralded a success in the company’s journey to make travel more environmentally responsible.

The centre piece of the Green Drive Day was the unveiling of Commercial’s first solar powered electric car charging points. 

Powered by one of the largest solar arrays in the county, the installation is believed to be the highest concentration of quick charge electric car charging points in the region.

The 32A quick charge points will provide nearly 30kW of combined power potentially providing over 200,000 miles of zero carbon travel.

The project, which was part-funded by a sustainable travel grant awarded to Commercial by Gloucestershire County Council, is part of a wider programme that has been transforming transportation at Commercial since it became CarbonNeutral in 2006.

The forecourt at the company’s head office now includes the electric car charging points, designated car-pooling car parking, a bespoke bike rack, designed by one of Commercial’s employees, and the company’s biodiesel tank which employees have been benefiting from for over five years.

However, the Green Drive Day enabled staff to drive the Nissan Leaf, along with a range of electric bikes to try so that staff can help choose those that will be added to Commercial’s pool bike fleet.

Co-founding director of Commercial, Simone Hindmarch-Bye, who has led the use of electric vehicles at Commercial having driven one since 2009, said: “We have always tried to make sure that the staff here gain as much from our environmental programme as we do as a business. 

“We have gained tremendously from our use of low carbon transport and the new charging points, as well as the other initiatives we have undertaken to promote rail travel and car sharing. The new charging points will help staff and visitors to choose more environmentally responsible ways to travel too.”

 

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