Birmingham City Council has launched a six-month trial of the Nissan Leaf to widen its fleet of ‘green’ vehicles.

The council's home care team, who deliver out-of-hours care to city residents in community settings, have been selected to take part in this electric car trial.

During the trial, which began on June 2, the council’s climate change and environment team will measure driver use, environmental and economic performance to compare it against mileage and fuel costs of its current diesel vehicles.

Cllr John Cotton, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is a great opportunity, through our partnerships with Nissan and Cenex, to look at how we can make our transport fleet greener and more efficient.

“The home  care team will be trying out this new electric vehicle for six months, which will provide a green and efficient resource for the department who generate high mileage as they visit residents across the city.  Switching from a diesel to an electric vehicle will help the council save money as well as help the environment.”