Free electric van trial offered to fleets

A new scheme giving businesses, organisations and charities in West Yorkshire the opportunity to trial electric vans for up to two months has been launched by Leeds City Council and Highways England.

As part of the EV Trials scheme, businesses and organisations will also be able to register to trial a range of private hire vehicles and e-bikes.

Councillor James Lewis, executive member for resources at Leeds City Council, said: “We know that changing to electric vehicles would be a leap in the dark for some so this trial is to support businesses to understand the charging regime without having to make an upfront financial commitment.

"We'd encourage businesses and organisations from across the region to consider taking up a free trial. EVs could help them save on running costs while reducing levels of pollution in Leeds."

More than 250 businesses and private hire drivers have already expressed their interest in the EV Trials scheme with organisations from a range of sectors, sizes and industries getting in touch, including dog walkers, gas distributors, catering companies and healthcare organisations.

Organisations participating in the EV Trials scheme will receive tailored advice to better understand how much money and emissions they could save by investing in greener and cleaner vehicles.

Christopher Plumb, Highways England air quality specialist, said: "We are excited to be supporting this project by Leeds City Council which encourages more businesses to try out electric vehicles.

"This project forms part of a programme of activity by Highways England to improve air quality across our network."

For more information about the scheme, visit: www.leeds.gov.uk/evtrials or email evtrials@leeds.gov.uk.