Green Machines Arrive Onto The Green Islands! 8 Electric Cars delivered to the Aran Islands
The Aran Islands today began their participation in what is believed to be Europe’s first practical study on how integrating renewable energy, 
electric transport, storage heating and other environmental initiatives can lead to a sustainable, cost effective and money saving solution for all our energy needs.
The project was conceived by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and developed in conjunction with Electric Vehicle suppliers Green Machines, Merrion Fleet Management and Smart Metering specialists Klockner Moeller Ireland Ltd. The electric Mega e-City vehicles are an integral part of the Study that will run over the next three years and eight of these unique cars were delivered to the Aran Islands this week.
Robert Nolan, Managing Director of Green Machines stated, “Having spent some time working on this project it is fantastic to see the delivery of the eight electric vehicles to the islands. The Mega e-City cars are ideal as they are built to perform and maintain their high quality appearance in the harshest of environments. I don’t think that the French manufacturer could have asked for a better proving ground than the Aran Islands.”
As part of the study the Mega e-Citys will be used as everyday transport by the participants. Their charging patterns and usage of electricity will be monitored and managed through a smart metering system. It is envisaged that when the vehicles are charging, primarily at night, that they will be using energy from renewable sources. The excess power that is stored in the batteries of the vehicles would otherwise be wasted.
Robert Nolan, Added, “The Islanders today are proving that there are realistic and viable alternatives to the traditional combustion engines for local transport needs. With Zero emissions and no noise, the Mega e-City is an ideal vehicle not only for this Island community but it is also a realistic alternative to petrol combustion engines for most rural and urban centres throughout the country. ”
Proponents of the project pointed out at the launch that you can view the Aran Islands as been a micro version of our Island of Ireland. The belief is that this study and all its elements will very quickly show that the use of electric transport throughout the country is not only a realistic prospect but vital in our goal of reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels.”
Nolan continued “I believe the long-term aim of the islanders is to make their home the first region of the country that is totally green in every sense of the word. Through the adoption of a smart home energy management system and the use of Electric Vehicle batteries as a source of grid energy storage I think that they will not only achieve their goal but will prove to the rest of the country that sustainability is a realistic prospect for the whole country.”
The eight vehicles will be managed and serviced by Green Machines partners in the Project, Merrion Fleet Management and the Island Co-Ops.
David Wilkinson, Sales Director, Merrion Fleet Management Stated ” As the first leasing company in Ireland to offer electric powered cars as part of a fleet offering we are excited to be part of this unique and worth while project. Our role is to ensure that the cars are completely managed for the duration of the study which includes all the maintenance and servicing of the vehicles . We know that this project will support our belief that electric vehicles can offer a realistic alternative to petrol or diesel vehicles for many companies and individuals particularly in an urban environment.”
It is estimated that the electricity cost of charging the vehicle on the Islands could be as low as 60 Euro per year. Normal Urban running costs would be slightly higher. It would be approximately 200 Euro to run the car for a year if fully charged every day which is on average about 70% cheaper than the fuel costs of similarly sized Diesel cars. The Mega e-City has no exhaust and zero emissions when driven. Even if you take account of the CO2 produced in supplying the electricity to the mains socket to charge the car, the Mega e-City still has lower emissions than any combustion engine. With renewable energy and carbon offsetting this would be zero in the near future. Motorists can expect to save up to 80% in fuel costs.
Since 2001 Green Machine’s have been pioneering the move into electric transport that produces zero emissions when driven. They have been at the forefront of promoting the use of these vehicles not only in the private sector but also in the public sector. The range of vehicles they offer include people carriers, waste disposal trucks, mopeds, maxi scooters, cars and so on. The company believes that the time has come where a switch to emission free transport is now a viable option.
For further information and high-resolution images of the Mega e-City please contact
Richard Burke PR – 00353 86 8167822
