11 years in the electric motor industry
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2018 marks Green Motion’s 11th anniversary in the UK. We were launched in 2007 and in the years since plenty has happened in the company and in the car industry as a whole.
Eight times named Car Rental Company of the Year at the GreenFleet Awards, ongoing improvements to our low-emission fleet and opening 19 branches in the UK, we now find ourselves in 2018.
The number of branches and motoring technology aside, one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is our base of loyal customers who are committed to helping us to push a greener motoring industry. Whether you were a tourist to the UK or a resident needing a car hire for business or pleasure, you’ve all helped towards the movement.
As well as using fewer emissions on your car hire, by renting an electric, hybrid or low-emission vehicle with us, you have helped us to raise an estimated £30,000 for projects in South America that battle against Amazon deforestation. Quite an amount considering this has been raised since June 2017, when we became the first carbon neutral car rental company and decided to donate £1.25 to the project for every car hire.
Growth of electric cars
Operating in an industry rarely seen as environmentally friendly, we became the first low-emission vehicle rental option. There’s been plenty of change in the motoring industry but none have come bigger than the increase in uptake of electric cars.
When we launched in 2007, the number of electric vehicle sales in the UK was in the hundreds but last year the number of fully-electric and plug-in hybrid sales reached a record high of over 46,500. With just ten years between the two figures, it’s humbling to see how far electric car uptake has come and it’s exciting to think of what the future holds.
What’s the future?
At the moment, although there has been a dramatic increase and there continues to be year on year, electric cars remain a small fraction of those on the road. It was never going to change overnight but perceptions are slowly changing.
Let’s face it, the advantages of using an electric car are obvious: lower pollution, less energy, quieter and cheaper to run compared with petrol and diesel cars. At some stage, the balance will switch and electric cars will become a mainstream model for drivers to use. It’s no longer a case of ‘if’, we firmly believe that it’s a case of when? Here’s hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, the future for Green Motion is clear. We will continue to lead the way in implementing greener practice across the car rental sector whilst offering our customers value for money.
Low emission car hire in the UK
If you are looking to hire an electric or hybrid car on your next trip, get in touch with us today. Green Motion car rental takes its environmental policy seriously, championing best practices and attitudes to ensure that our impact on the environment is kept to a minimum.
If you would like to hire an electric, hybrid or low-emission vehicle, use our online booking system to browse the options available to you at your local branch.
