One of the Forest of Bowland’s largest employers is doing its bit for the environment by investing in a fleet of clean, green electric delivery vehicles.
James’ Places Group – which owns a collection of pubs, rural inns and hotels across Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria – has taken delivery of two Renault Kangoo electric vans.
Supplied by Barnoldswick-based Coolvan Limited, the Kangoo Z.E. 33 vans employ state-of-the-art battery technology to deliver comparable performance to petrol or diesel vehicles, but zero emissions at the point of use.
Because they need no diesel or engine oil and have fewer ‘wear and tear’ items such as clutches or exhausts, electric vans typically require less servicing and maintenance than conventional vehicles.
With an effective range of more than 100 miles, the 100% electric vans are ideal for making local deliveries. They will shuttle between James’ Places eight locations in the Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland, Yorkshire Dales and South Cumbria – transporting beer from Bowland Brewery and other stock between venues.
To support the new sustainable delivery network, the Group has also installed computer-controlled Podpoint smart charging stations at all its venues, allowing delivery vehicles to top up their batteries while unloading their wares.
There are now more than 100,000 pure electric vehicles on UK roads, but one of the factors preventing people switching in rural areas like the Forest of Bowland is so-called ‘range anxiety’: the fear of running out of battery charge on a remote country road.
Subject to operational demands, the new charging network will be also be available to hotel guests and visiting electric vehicle users to recharge their cars whilst they refuel with a sandwich or bar meal.
James’ Places is an active member of Champion Bowland – a charity which works to enhance the landscape and encourage sustainable tourism in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
James’ Places Chairman James Warburton hopes the new charging stations will attract pioneering eco-friendly tourists keen to reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying the outstanding scenery of the Forest of Bowland.
James said: “We are lucky to live and work within a rural Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which locals and visitors alike appreciate for its fresh air and tranquillity and we’d like to keep it that way.
“Our new electric vans are virtually silent in operation and emissions-free – which is a definite step in the right direction when delivering in busy town centres and to rural country inns.
“Driving a smooth, silent, clean electric vehicle for the first time is a real breath of fresh air and by investing in these vans to deliver our outstanding ales, we’d like to think we’re doing our bit to keep the Forest of Bowland beautiful.”
