A 30-day ‘try before you buy’ electric vehicle loan scheme piloted by the Nottingham ULEV Experience project could act as a blueprint for other UK cities that are considering Clean Air Zones.

positive feedback was received about the Nissan e-NV200 van in particular

The scheme offers businesses and public sector organisations the opportunity of a fully-funded trial of electric cars and vans for 30 days and has been delivered by vehicle leasing firm DriveElectric for the Nottingham ULEV Experience project for the last two years, helped by Nottingham City Council’s Go Ultra Low funding.

And the firm says similar EV loan schemes could be adopted by other cities around the UK that are implementing measures such as Clean Air Zones to improve air quality.

The loans enable fleets to trial vehicles for longer than vehicle dealership loans, and include latest electric vehicles such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro and electric vans; positive feedback has been received about the Nissan e-NV200 van in particular.

A total of 52 organisations in Nottingham have enjoyed 72 EV loans over the last 18 months, with 20 EVs being adopted as a result so far.

Mike Potter, managing director of DriveElectric, said: “Most organisations need to experience electric vehicles before making a decision to purchase. Fully funded month-long EV loans are not readily available through dealerships, manufacturers or any other source. Therefore the ‘Try before you buy’ EV loans provided by the ULEV Experience have been extremely valuable in filling a gap in the market not offered elsewhere.”