Toyota (GB) has introduced a community electric van loan programme in which a fleet of 42 all-electric vehicles will be loaned for a period of two years to charities and educational institutions around the UK.
The manufacturer has made its first delivery of the nine-seat Proace Verso Shuttle people carriers to Surrey Wildlife Trust.
It has also delivered Proace Verso Shuttles to the Power Up charity, Nottingham, which promotes and enhances the physical and mental well-being of young people and adults.
Another charity to benefit from the scheme is Wings South West which works with disadvantaged groups in Torridge and North Devon.
Toyota is supplying vehicles to its long-standing charity partners and is also asking Toyota and Lexus centres to nominate local charities to benefit from the programme.
To help the organisations make the transition to an EV, Toyota is also providing a £1,000 grant towards the purchase of a wall box charger.
Jawaid Khaliq, founder of Power Up said: “We plan to use the vehicle to support our mission of fostering inclusion, empowerment, and well-being across the community.
“The vehicle will also serve as a critical resource for transporting disabled students to our venue.”
Scott Thompson, Toyota (GB) President and Managing Director said: “We want this programme to help people across the country overcome barriers to mobility and, at the same time, support community organisations in making the transition to electric vehicles.
“We know that it can be a big decision for a community organisation to switch to an EV van; hopefully this programme will give them a useful introduction to the benefits of all-electric motoring.”
