Would you like to have the use of an EV for free? well, Irish electricity provider ESB is looking for 24 more electric vehicle (EV) ambassadors, it’s open to all kinds of age groups, professions and commuting patterns, as part of the second-year instalment of its Great Electric Drive.
The selected e-car ambassadors will trial one of a selection of electric vehicles, such as the BMW i3, the Citroen C Zero, the Mitsubishi iMiEV, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid SUV, the Nissan Euro LEAF, the Renault ZOE, or a Renault Kangoo Z.E. commercial electric van.
The ambassadors will be able to charge the electric vehicle at home or at their workplace at a dedicated e-car charge point. For longer commutes, ambassadors can avail of the smart public charging network located across Ireland.
“People are really beginning to engage with the potential of electric cars as more electric models come onto the market,” said ESB’s head of e-cars Dermot McArdle.
“An electric car costs less than two cents a kilometre to fuel and the average motorist could achieve running cost savings of almost €2,300 a year. Electric cars offer very real significant savings to Irish motorists.”
Last year saw 21 e-car ambassadors take part in the first Great Electric Drive, with ambassadors covering about 105,000 km of pure electric driving on Ireland’s roads. The ambassadors commented on the performance and smooth acceleration of the e-car driving experience. Each drove an average of 300 km per week and achieved combined fuel cost savings of more than €13,500.
Almost 60pc of electric vehicle owners drive more than 300 km per week in their electric vehicle and 92pc of EV owners are driving their EV at least once a day, with 82pc driving their EV multiple times a day.
ESB is calling on anyone who is interested in signing up to become an e-car ambassador to apply at esb.ie/GreatElectricDrive or go to the ESB e-cars Facebook page for more details.
The closing date for applications is 4 March 2014. The selected e-car ambassadors will be announced in April.