NHS Highland vehicle fleet to add Vauxhall Corsa electric cars and Hyundai Ioniq hybrids as part of eco-friendly efforts
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NHS Highland's fleet of vehicles will soon be slightly greener after it ordered five fully-electric cars and two further hybrids.
The health board has placed an order for two Hyundai Ioniq hybrid cars and five Vauxhall Corsa EVs, in news it announced to coincide with UN climate week.
These follow the introduction of five BMW i3 (Range Extender) electric cars and a number of Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric vans in the last 12 months.
The new electric vehicles will be deployed in the pool car fleet, resulting in a reduction on mileage expense claims for the use of non-company vehicles for business travel, as well as reducing the board’s carbon footprint.
NHS Highland’s head of procurement and logistics Neil Stewart said: “We look forward to taking delivery of the new vehicles which have an excellent range. The Vauxhall Corsa EV range is over 200 miles and the Hyundai Ioniq hybrids can travel in excess of 30 miles on electric and switch between petrol and electric automatically.
“The cars are funded through a government initiative called “Switched on Fleets” which supports organisations that intend to replace fossil fuelled vehicles. We consider the cars to be a long-term investment which will make savings for the health board, not to mention the numerous environmental advantages of using electric vehicles.”
“Healthcare is a major cause of pollutants and there is a responsibility on us to reduce this. As a board, HNS Highland is committed to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. These vehicles will play a key role in helping us achieve that aim.”
The move towards a more environmentally-friendly vehicle fleet is just one measure NHS Highland says it is doing as part of it "green agenda". Initiatives include reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. Durness Health Centre, for example, has reduced its energy usage by 80 per cent through the use of a range of technologies.
Having shown that the technology works the health board intends to employ this model elsewhere across the organisation.
NHS Highland say its is also reducing carbon through other initiatives to cut waste production by increased recycling, reducing water usage and implementing web-based technologies to cut down on travel both for staff and patients.
