Sustainable transport hub gives council staff access to 10 electric vehicles

Sunderland City Council has bought 10 Nissan Leafs to give staff access to zero-emission vehicles.

It’s the first part of the council’s Mobility Hub project, which aims to promote more sustainable travel in the area.

The electric vehicles will be joined by 20 e-bikes, and will be used as pool vehicles for staff to use on business.

Nissan Leaf
(Nissan)

Sunderland has been working towards a Mobility Hub for some time. These locations are quite common in mainland Europe and give people access to vehicles when they need them, often meaning they don’t need a personal car.

The city in the north-east of England wants to be carbon-neutral by 2040, and the new sustainability hub is hoped to be the first step in its goal to make a pool of environmentally friendly vehicles available to the public.

Councillor Claire Rowntree, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “This year, we have seen a great many reminders of the impact of global warming – from the devastating fires in Greece to flooding in the US, and we all have a role to play in ensuring we tackle the climate emergency.

“Initiatives like this one will put us right at the cutting edge in taking proactive steps to minimise our carbon footprint. We’re looking forward to testing the concept with these stunning Nissan cars that we’re very proud were made in Sunderland.”

Councillor Kevin Johnston, Dynamic City Portfolio Holder, added: “The Mobility Hub will stand at the heart of our Riverside Sunderland community, the UK’s first low-carbon urban quarter.

“We’re creating a unique place to live, work and play at Riverside and – through initiatives like this Mobility Hub – we will be able to show people a different way of living, offering them a service that will support them to live in a greener way and save money in the process.”

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