Electric Cars for Richmond upon Thames?

4.34.01pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Aug 2006

Council Leader, Serge Lourie, was taken for a spin this week by local resident, Bamber Gascoigne in his new electric car. Bamber Gascoigne is trying to persuade the Council to give preference to green transport by following the example of Westminster and the City of London and removing all parking charges for such vehicles.

After the drive, Serge Lourie said

"We need to look at ways in which we can preference to green forms of transport. We are currently reviewing parking charges across the borough and one of the options must be to discriminate in favour of ecologically sound forms of transport that use little fuel and renewables and the gas guzzlers that are appropriate in a rural setting but are wholly inappropriate in cities.

I was impressed by the G-Whiz, which is even more sound when the electricity used comes from renewable sources.

For further information, please contact Serge Lourie on 07958 589589 or cllr.slourie@richmond.gov.uk

Note for editors

According to the Goingreen web site

The original, updated- the iconic G-Wiz was designed in California, is manufactured by Indo-US Reva Electric Car Company and is the best selling electric car in the UK - and worldwide. It has just been updated with a new , advanced AC Drive option (see below) to offer an unbeatable combination of performance and value for money.

Exclusively from GoinGreen, the G-Wiz is emission free and carbon neutral. It uses only a quarter as much energy as a similar size petrol car, making it the most energy efficient car on the road (according to the Energy Saving Trust).

Virtually free - the lowest on-the-road price from just £6,999, the G-Wiz can easily save you over £8,000 per year and so pay for itself in under 12 months.

• Fuel at around 1p per mile (on average just £40 to £50 per year - that's right, a year's driving for the price of a tank of petrol)

• Exempt from road tax

• Exempt from the London congestion charge (go in and out of the congestion zone as often as you like without having to pay - worth over £2,000 p.a. )

• Free parking on meters and pay & display bays in Westminster and the City

• Minimum 96% discount on central London MasterPark season tickets (just £200 p.a. and worth over £6,000 p.a.), with 56 free charging points.

• Free parking in 7 City car parks (6 with free charging points)

• Group 1 insurance (fully comprehensive in London just £300 p.a. average.)

• 100% Year 1 tax write down for business

• Lowest rate of company car tax at just 9%

Choice of 2 models and 3 great deals - choose from:

the G-Wiz DC Drive, offering a top speed of 40 mph and a range up to 40 miles per charge. The basic model is just £6,999 on-the- road, the lowest price electric car in the UK; or the DC 'loaded' option, a while -stocks-last DC drive bundled with extras from just £7,499 and saving up to £1598 off list price. The best value electric car in the UK, stock available now.

the G-Wiz AC Drive, offering 45 mph, 50% extra torque above 20 mph, range up to 48 miles per charge, upgradable to high performance lithium-ion batteries, an anti-roll bar for improved ride, improved braking, an anti-roll back feature for automatic hill holding and a DAB CD/Radio. Introductory price from £7,999. The lowest cost medium performance electric car, order now for October delivery.

Flexible - ideal for city commuting, for the school run and as a runabout around town, the G-Wiz is a pint size 2 -door hatchback which takes up little road space yet has a surprisingly large volume capacity. There are seats for 2 adults and 2 small children, plus the rear seats fold flat for storage (and there is additional storage under the bonnet). Large doors for easy entry/exit and high seats for superior visibility, lightweight steering and the smallest turning radius of any car make it exceptionally easy to manoeuvre and to park. Unlike other electric cars, the new G-Wiz AC Drive also features automatic hill holding, making hill starts that much easier.

Nippy and full of character - the G-Wiz is fully automatic, is quieter than a normal car (because it has no engine), has nippy acceleration from standstill, with a top speed of either 40 or 45 mph*, enough for urban driving conditions and speed limits - particularly as the average speed in London is 10.5 mph and the speed limit either 30 or 40 mph.

The range is either up to 40 or 48 miles* sufficient for daily urban commuting needs. The G-Wiz features regenerative braking - pressing the pedal works like a dynamo, recharging the battery and increasing the range by up to 15%. It also has optional climate-controlled seating. Each seat has tiny heat or cold-releasing holes which warm or cool the body rather than the air in the car.

The body is available in 100% recyclable, colour impregnated, lightweight ABS plastic over a steel space frame for safety. Standard colour options are midnight, marine and lightning, or a limited edition animal digi-wrap, or you are looking for something a little different, choose any colour you like for a little more.

Easy to charge and to maintain - the G-Wiz can be charged at home and at work, and in London, in one of the increasing number of car parks with free charging facilities. Simply plug one end of the 5 metre lead provided into the car (where the petrol cap is normally found) and the other into a standard domestic or outdoor 240v/13 amp socket** - as easy as charging a mobile phone. Charge time is only 2.5 hours for 80% of the range and 8 hours for the full charge.