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15 Feb 2013

City clears the way on pollution-free car fleet

The City of Sydney is leading the way in pollution-free travel by buying a fleet of 10 new Nissan LEAF electric
cars, the largest order of the pollution-free vehicle in Australia.

William F. Peffer Jr., Managing Director and CEO of Nissan Australia said: “The City of Sydney should be
applauded for taking this leading stance on using zero-emission car technology.”

The 10 vehicles will add to the City’s existing four Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric cars and will replace 10 Toyota
Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicles.

Unlike petrol or even hybrid petrol-electric vehicles, fully electric vehicles produce no dangerous pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. These gases produce smog and contribute to climate change.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said using electric cars was one of the ways the City of Sydney was reducing pollution and taking practical action on climate change.

“The recent NSW Government’s State of the Environment Report showed on some days Sydney’s air quality exceed national standards. Electric cars produce no pollution – they don’t even have a tail pipe,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“While our current hybrid vehicles are more fuel efficient than standard cars, they still use petrol and produce fumes. We are now able to replace them with the latest pollution-free technology which has much lower running costs.

“Electric cars are extremely cost-effective. They are 85 per cent cheaper to run than standard petrol cars, they have a range of 170 km on a full charge and are very quiet.”

Carbon pollution from charging the electric vehicles will be offset by zero-carbon electricity produced by solar panels installed on City buildings. Over the next 18 months 5,500 solar panels will be installed on 30 buildings, creating the largest building-mounted solar installation in Australia.

Last year 120,000 plug-in electric vehicles were sold globally, according to a report by Pike Research, which predicts 40 per cent annual growth between now and 2020.

Motor vehicle manufacturers estimate that in 2020 up to one third of their global sales will be electric or hybrids as demand grows and prices fall, and consumers move away from using fossil fuels.

“A shift to electric cars powered by low-carbon energy has benefits for everyone – lower running costs, lower pollution and quieter streets,” said the Lord Mayor.

“To make electric vehicles a more viable options for people, government and industry must work together to install the critical infrastructure drivers need to easily recharge their vehicles,” the Lord Mayor said.

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Tags: green design