Northern Beaches Council staff have welcomed a series of electric vehicles which will officially be part of Council’s very own fleet of cars, with the aim of reducing costs and cutting carbon emissions.

Four Hyundai Ioniq cars are the first of six battery powered electric vehicles for Council.

They will then be matched with a further six plug-in hybrid battery Mitsubishi Outlanders, resulting in 12 battery and plug-in hybrid battery vehicles across Council’s fleet.

Convenient charging stations for the vehicles - also available for public use – can be found at Warringah Mall, Harbord Diggers, Balgowlah Stockland, Dee Why PCYC, Warriewood Square and the Terrey Hills Flower Market.

Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said the introduction of the electric vehicle fleet was an important initiative, demonstrating Council’s commitment to the environment and innovation.

“There is no doubt electric vehicles are the way of the future. They are growing in popularity with ten car brands expected to launch electric vehicles in Australia in the next two years,” the Mayor said.

“That’s because in general they are cheaper to run, cheaper to maintain, better for the environment plus have all the latest in safety technology.”

Mayor Regan added transport emissions contribute around 29 per cent of the Northern Beaches carbon emissions.

“As sustainability leaders, it’s important we do our bit as a Council to drive emissions down and invest in technology that will provide the best benefits for our community. Electric vehicles tick all the boxes.

“Our fleet vehicles are used by a diverse range of staff throughout Council including our library and children’s services staff, environmental health workers, the development assessment team and our rangers.

“We will assess the new vehicles over the next few years to evaluate their impact on emissions and see how they compare to others in our fleet on running costs,’’ he said.