The City has introduced six fully electric vehicles to the Council fleet in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint.
The vehicles form part of the City’s Energy Management Program which helped see Council’s solar network more than double over the last year.
Mayor Tom Tate said the City continued to invest in innovative renewable energy initiatives.
“Our new electric vehicles have zero petrol or diesel fuel costs, emit zero greenhouse gas emissions and require less ongoing maintenance than regular cars,” he said.
“The vehicles use regenerative braking technology to slow down, which results in less vehicle wear and tear and reduced maintenance costs.
“To maximise the environmental benefits of the electric vehicles, charging stations have been installed in a number of our solar-powered Council buildings.
“The City is also working towards potentially trialling publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points across the Gold Coast later this year.”
“We continue to investigate small and large scale energy efficient opportunities as we strive to meet emission reduction targets and power the city with renewable energy.”
The City’s solar network spans 47 sites across the Gold Coast and saves ratepayers $1 million per year in energy costs.
The electric vehicle driving range is at least 300km on a full charge, which takes 6 hours to complete.
Passenger vehicles with petrol or diesel engines make up 75 per cent of Australia’s vehicles on the road, which contributes to significant greenhouse gas emissions.
