Electric vehicle service centre gets go-ahead

Nottingham City Council is set to open its own electric vehicle service centre this summer – believed to be the first in the UK run by a local authority.

Nottingham Electric Vehicle Services (NEVS) will offer MOTs and servicing to customers across the city and beyond, as well as maintaining the council’s own growing ultra-low emission fleet.

The council says it is well on target to convert 22% of its fleet to ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) by 2020 as part of the Local Plan to Improve Air Quality in the city, and the Electric Vehicle Services centre will allow the council’s Fleet team to expand.

Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “NEVS will become an integral part of the electric infrastructure, helping to support the council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2028.

“We have already achieved our energy strategy target of a 26 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, and we are on track to meet our 2020 target of 20 per cent of energy generation from low carbon sources.

“Nottingham Electric Vehicle Services will enable us to maintain both our own vehicles and offer these services out to other councils and businesses, providing a hub for electric vehicles in the East Midlands. We want to provide this service to members of the public as well, and hope to roll this out next year – so our Eastcroft depot will be able to service and MOT electric vehicles in addition to petrol and diesel cars.”

“ULEVs are the future for the motor industry, and this centre will allow Nottingham City Council to continue leading the way in what is currently a niche market in terms of service and maintenance of electric vehicles.”

The centre will cater for electric cars, vans and taxis, as well as specialist fleet such as street sweepers and cage tippers.

The centre is based at the council’s Eastcroft depot in the city centre.