Electric Nissan fleet delivered to Southampton’s Associated British Port

The Port of Southampton has taken delivery of 13 electric Nissan vehicles to be used by the Associated British Port (ABP).

The 10 Nissan e-NV200s and three Nissan Leaf vehicles were chosen following the announcement that Southampton needed to implement Clean Air Zones.

The city was among 40 locations in the UK to breach air safety levels, mainly due to vehicle emissions.

West Way Nissan Southampton’s southern regional business manager Andrew Robinson said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to provide the Port of Southampton with these vehicles and help it on its journey to be more eco-friendly.

"By making steps such as these, Southampton will get on the road to becoming a healthier place for us all.”

The 10 Nissan e-NV200s, which have a range of 106 miles on a single charge, and the Nissan Leaf, which have a range of up to 155 miles on a single charge, are the first all-electric vehicles in the ABP fleet. Permanent rapid chargers are set to be fitted on site soon.

ABP’s director Alastair Welch said: “As one of the city’s biggest employers and largest employment sites, we are keen to lead the way where we can.

“The introduction of these vehicles to our fleet will not only contribute to improvements in local air quality but will also reduce running costs.

“We plan to monitor the performance of the vehicles going forward to allow us to track environmental improvements.

"I hope we are able to replace an increasing number of vehicles in our fleet with electric or hybrid equivalents in the coming years as the available technology develops.”