Scottish Borders Council buys electric vehicles with funding from Scottish Government

Scottish Borders Council has bought six electric vehicles using £87,000 funding from Transport Scotland.

Two of the electric cars will be available for SB Cares social care staff and three others will be provided for the council’s waste, neighbourhood services and contracts staff to use.

Live Borders, the new joint and sports and culture trust for the region, will also have an electric vehicle at its headquarters in Galashiels.

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Councillor Ron Smith, the council’s executive member for planning and environment, said: “This is a great example of the council and Live Borders working together to ensure their staff have access to new efficient vehicles which are environmentally friendly.

“As well as the obvious environmental benefits, electric vehicles can save money, with fuel costs of three to four pence per mile compared to 10 pence per mile for the average family car.”

The funding comes from the Scottish Government’s ‘Switched on Fleets’ initiative, which was launched in February last year with £2.5m of investment.

The initiative is aimed at increasing the number of green vehicles in public sector fleets as part of an overall government target of phasing out all petrol and diesel vehicles in Scotland by 2050.

North Ayrshire Council also bought a fleet of five electric cars and two electric vans in May with £72,000 funding from the ‘Switched on Fleets’ initiative.