The pair of Nissan LEAFs is being used at CSIRO’s Discovery Centre at Black Mountain, Canberra, and a pair of electric bikes have been delivered to the same site. Another eight will be delivered to its facilities in Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, Townsville and Newcastle in the coming months.

They join a fleet of 36 hybrid models introduced last year, deployed as the organisation looks to reduce its running costs and environmental impact. Photovoltaic panels are installed on two sites in Perth, and its facilities have recently had lighting upgrades to reduce energy usage. Money saved is being put back into research.

“We are rolling out these new electric cars across seven of our sites to enable petrol-free motoring within CSIRO’s pool of fleet vehicles,” said CSIRO general manager, building and infrastructure services, Mark Wallis. “With the addition of solar PV panels at our sites, we aim to generate more than enough renewable energy to charge and run the cars, making them emission free.

“This is certainly a greener alternative when you consider that the manufacturers say: 'parts of the interior and bodywork are made from recycled water bottles, plastic bags, old car parts and home appliances'.”