Edinburgh, Scotland -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/30/2012 -- A new dedicated facility, set to open in the centre of Glasgow, will allow motorists to test-drive and hire electric vehicles. The facility is to open at power firm SSE’s Scottish Hydro Centre for Renewable Excellence, alongside a permanent renewable energy exhibition. Motorists will be able to rent cars, electric scooters and bikes from the centre, which will also allow them to charge their vehicles for free. “We’re really excited about the centre,” said a staff member at Direct Liaisons, a local sales and marketing company, “It should go a long way towards cutting down the carbon emissions in the city.”
SSE said the centre, to be built close to Glasgow Central train station, would be the first dedicated centre in the UK offering free electric vehicle charging, as well as hiring and parking. Kevin O'Neill, from SSE, said the centre would help address common "myths" about electric cars. "What we are trying to do with these cars,” he said, “is prove to people that if you are living in the city centre or outwith and use one of these vehicles for 20 or 30 miles a day, they are really easy and actually fun to drive. That is why we are inviting people down to try them out.” He added, “We also have a hire facility so anyone coming off the train from London, say, can come along and get a hire car for the day and go to business meetings in central Scotland and bring it back."
Our source from Direct Liaisons said, “It’s going to be a great resource for the city. As well as the obvious benefits to the environment, it will also be a boost to the local economy. I for one though, am looking forward to more programs like this in the future, and seeing a cleaner, more environmentally friendly city.”
The hire facility is just part of the development. Also included will be an interactive renewable energy exhibition, called ‘The Power of Now’ run by SSE. The exhibition will include a display showing how a hydroelectric dam works, and a simulation of the electricity network, showing how renewable energy makes its way into the grid. There will also be a display of a “smart home”, showing the latest technology in heat pumps, electric heating and boilers.
“It’s great that there will be an educational component to the development,” said our source from Direct Liaisons, “Hopefully it will be a place where local children can be educated about renewable energy, as well as a great resource for the city.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-17236842