- TAG Farnborough Airport takes delivery of three 100% electric Renault ZOEs
- Cars will be used as airside staff shuttles
- ZOE will help the airport meet its sustainability and carbon footprint targets
Europe’s leading business aviation airport has taken delivery of a fleet of three 100 percent electric Renaults ZOEs as part of its ongoing strategy to reduce its carbon footprint.
TAG Farnborough Airport – the only dedicated business aviation airport in the UK receives thousands of business jets every year – is using the vehicles to shuttle staff between buildings, including the main control tower.
The vehicles make a contribution to the airport’s continued efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet the goals set out in its sustainability charter, which covers everything from waste management and energy usage to vehicle emissions.
The ZOE – rated the best electric vehicle to own in the Auto Express Driver Power 2015 survey and back-to-back winner of What Car? Magazine’s ‘Best Electric Car Under £20,000’ award –offers true zero emissions transport with no tailpipe emissions, in addition to ultra low running costs.
Miles Thomas, Environment Manager at TAG Farnborough Airport, said: “We monitor our carbon footprint very closely across all our services and departments, and being able to reduce the environmental impact of the staff vehicle movements across the airport was a driving factor for us.
“We looked at all the electric vehicles on the market but only the ZOE ticked all our boxes. The car offers the low running costs and zero emissions and it’s also small, functional, simple and enjoyable to drive and has an impressive range.”
He added: “The reaction of our staff to the three ZOEs has been fantastic and very positive. People are enjoying driving them and we’ll definitely be looking to add more EVs to our fleet as a result.”
Ben Fletcher, Renault UK Electric Vehicle Product Manager, said: “Every day more and more fleet operators are discovering the benefits of Renault electric vehicles.
“The ZOE is a practical, spacious and well-equipped family car but its innovative electric technology means it can offer incredible savings in running costs and whole life costs as well as making a real impact on a business’ carbon footprint.
“Drivers love them too, as evidenced by the ZOE’s performance in the Auto Express Driver Power Survey 2015, and that makes the model a win-win for fleet operators and families,” added Fletcher.
A spacious five-door family hatchback, the ZOE can cover up to 130 miles on a single charge according to official New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) figures.
A new longer-range version of ZOE, with a new Renault-developed motor, was announced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show which will bring a best-in-class official range of 149 miles when it joins the ZOE line-up this summer.
The ZOE can be charged in as little as 30 minutes using a fast charger, available in hundreds of locations across the UK, but retail customers can also have a 7kW wall-mounted charger – capable of fully charging the ZOE in three to four hours – fitted free of charge at their home. Renault is the only manufacturer to offer this service.
Available in three distinct trim levels, all ZOEs feature generous levels of standard specification and innovative technologies, including smartphone-controllable climate control and satellite navigation, and all the creature comforts the modern driver demands.
Prices start from just £13,443 RRP (including Government Plug-In Car Grant) when opting for the flexibility of battery leasing and £18,443 RRP (including PiCG) for those purchasing outright.
Renault is one of the global leaders in electric vehicle technology and is the only manufacturer with three 100% electric vehicles in its range – the Twizy urban vehicle, ZOE hatchback and Kangoo Z.E Van.
Sales in the UK of Renault’s electric models were up 90 per cent in 2014 to 1,286 vehicles and continued this strong growth in the first three months of 2015 with sales up 148 per cent to 401 vehicles.
