Bernie Kinsella, managing director, Wheels Couriers, and Dermot McArdle, manager, ESB ecars, with an all-electric Renault Kangoo van that will be used as part of an European-funded trial on electromobility
Dublin-based courier company Wheels Couriers is taking part in an EU-funded trial on electromobility by adding an electric Renault Kangoo van to its fleet. The aim of the pilot is to assess whether savings can be made by going down the all-electric route.
Wheels Couriers will be trialling the Renault Kangoo van to explore the viability of using light commercial electric vehicles in a city-centre location.
ESB has already installed a charging point at the company’s Dublin office. The data collected from the trial will aim to show how drivers can make savings in terms of running and maintenance costs by switching to electric vehicles.
Dublin Institute of Technology’s Department of Transport Engineering is responsible for managing the pilot trial that is focusing on Dublin City, in particular.
The pilot is part of the EU’s ENEVATE (European Network of Electric Vehicles and Transferring Expertise) project. It involves 14 partners from north-west Europe that are aiming to speed up the pace of innovation and competitiveness in the electric-vehicle sector.
In Ireland, ESB is rolling out charging infrastructure for electric vehicles around the country. Already, 1,200 charge points have been installed in public spaces, as well as service stations and people’s homes.
