10:32 am, April 22, 2021
Charles Hurst Group marked Earth Day today (Apr 22) by announcing a £3.5m investment in a fleet of fully electric and hybrid company cars as well as a major charging infrastructure programme.
The initiative by Northern Ireland’s biggest motoring retailer, which is part of Lookers, means a third of its company car and demonstrator vehicles is now either fully electric or a hybrid.
The package includes £200,000 for charging infrastructure across all eight sites, taking the number of charging points to more than 80.
Earth Day is an annual event aimed at encouraging people across the world to take positive steps towards a more sustainable future.
The UK is to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 – the first G7 nation to do so.
Group operations director Jeff McCartney said the investment showed the company’s determination to lead by example as new climate change legislation makes its way through the Northern Ireland Assembly.
McCartney, pictured above with Charles Hurst employees and their fully electric company cars, said: ‘This £3.5m investment represents our commitment to achieving our collective vision for a greener, more sustainable economy here in Northern Ireland.
‘Our industry has an important leadership role to play, not only because of the ambitious and welcome targets that have been set out for the rollout of electric vehicles to replace diesel and petrol, but because we have an opportunity to lead by example in our own businesses as well.
‘We know the evidence suggests that not only will electric vehicles be pivotal in meeting climate change targets, but there are also thousands of pounds in cost savings that households can make over time.’
