Torfaen County Borough Council’s Community Meals service has taken delivery of five electric Nissan e-NV200 vans.

The local authority is using them to deliver hot meals, desserts and tea trays to 175 residents every day.

The vans, which have been supplied through local Nissan dealer Wessex Garages, have replaced a fleet of aging diesel vehicles, and will help the council save around £8,000 per year on fuel, and make a major contribution towards the borough’s carbon reduction targets.

Councillor Anthony Hunt, deputy leader of Torfaen County Borough Council, said: “These vans offer a win-win situation for the council.

“Firstly, we expect to make fuel savings of around £8,000 per vehicle, per year which is a major benefit for the residents of Torfaen at a time when budgets are tight.

“Secondly the vehicles will have a significant impact as we look to reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality in the county.”

Gareth Boyd, community meals manager at Torfaen County Borough Council, added: “We’ve got people out there who don’t see anyone else during the day so having someone deliver a hot meal on a daily basis is a real lifeline for many people.

“Community Meals is a fantastic service that shows Torfaen Council really cares about the people of the borough but it’s not just about ensuring all residents has a healthy, nutritious meal. There’s a really important social care aspect too, and our drivers are a very important part in the care of many of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

It costs two pence per mile to run, can cover 106 miles on a single charge and can be charged from zero to 100% in30 minutes.

The model, which is priced from £13,568 in panel van form (incorporating Government Plug-In Van Grant) offers 4.2m3 capacity and 703kg payload.