Fleet Forum and Nissan launched the Electric Vehicle Demonstrator Program which provides free use of the new Nissan Leaf all-electric car to five organizational members of Fleet Forum. Fleet Forum is a collaborative association that includes NGOs, international organisations, the United Nations, academic institutions, donors, and corporate partners and is dedicated to the improvement of transportation performance in road safety, cost efficiency and environmental impact.
Among more than 50 members of Fleet Forum, 5 international aid organisations were selected as official participants and will start in Switzerland, Italy and UK. These organisations are the United Nations World Food Programme; the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent; the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees; Islamic Relief; and the United Nations Logistics Base.
The new EV program aims to give aid and development organisations first-hand experience of the benefits of using electric vehicles as a way of improving efficiency while also reducing costs and minimizing environmental impacts.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Nissan and Fleet Forum, Nissan has agreed to lend five Nissan LEAFs to the Fleet Forum member organizations for a year free of charge. The Fleet Forum will rotate the vehicles among official participants for six months each in order for them to experience the benefits and practicability of a zero-emission vehicle and to encourage them to switch to such vehicles for their environmental fleet management. After 12 months of free loaning, Nissan and Fleet Forum will then review feedback from the participants.
Source: Green Car Congress
