Doncaster Council to replace number diesel pool cars with electric models

Electric cars are replacing some of the council's diesel fleet. Picture: Stock/Piaxbay

Cabinet members are set to rubber-stamp plans to replace 25 vehicles at a cost of £627,000.

Plans also include relocating council pool cars from Council House car park to land at the rear of the Civic Office and part of Scarborough House car park.

Bosses will also aim to install 13 twin charge points at land at the rear of the Civic Office and North Bridge Depot.

Officers say the move ‘presents a number of challenges’ but also presents a ‘great opportunity’ to display the council’s ‘environmental credentials, reduce operational costs, reduce emissions and promote clean air’.

Documents seen by councillors show poor air quality kills around 136 Doncaster people each year and is the second biggest preventable cause of death behind smoking.

Figures show Doncaster is second only to Leeds in the number of new registrations of electric vehicles.

Between January and March 2019, there were 1,835 electric cars were registered in the borough.

Despite extra expense for the vehicle, DMBC bosses say money will be saved on maintenance and fuel over the new car’s life span. Vehicles are set to be replaced in 2020/2021.

The current pool car fleet is made up of 73 vehicles, with 67 Ford Fiestas cars and six Ford Focuses.

Richard Smith, energy manager at DMBC, said: “Significant progress has been made in both the vehicle manufacturing and chargepoint industry and although this presents the council with more options and confidence for introducing a greener fleet; the demand for EVs is great.

“The initial cost to purchase is higher and there is a requirement to change the behaviour of how vehicles will be driven and refueled.

“The council has called a climate and biodiversity emergency and we need to support the necessary actions required to reduce our carbon

emissions. 33,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide and 15,000 grams of NOx would be saved per year from having 25 EVs.

“A further review of the remaining pool car numbers will be undertaken over the next 12 months and will inform a further tranche purchase of required vehicles to replace the remaining diesel pool car fleet.”