B9 bought the vehicles with help from a grant from the Energy Savings Trust, which pays half the battery rent for the first three years. The vans have a range of 100 kilometres and a top speed of 100 kmh. They can be fully recharged in nine hours from a standard 240V 13A socket, or partially recharged in 60 minutes to give a range of 12 miles. Two of the vans are to be used by B9 Energy engineers for wind farm operation and maintenance. B9 will loan the third to local authorities or businesses.
"The vans are ideal for delivery and collection," says B9's Sacha Workman. "They do not consume power at standstill. They will improve urban air quality and reduce traffic noise. If, like us, organisations use wind and other renewable electricity, the Berlingo Electrique can help Northern Ireland cut global and local pollution."
